TEMPE, Ariz. — The usual buzz surrounding the Angels was noticeably absent this spring, the departure of the supernova that was Shohei Ohtani giving their training camp the feel of a county fairgrounds the day after the circus left town.
Gone was the Japanese media throng that greeted Ohtani in the parking lot every morning, followed the two-way star’s every move throughout the day and peppered players with questions about him in the clubhouse.
Gone were the photographers who climbed the butte overlooking the practice facility — known as Shohei Mountain — to get aerial shots of Ohtani’s arrival.