ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Kole Calhoun had just homered, another routine blast on another routine afternoon. He jogged around the bases, crossed home plate and returned to the dugout stoically, expecting the habitual high-fives and tempered excitement. What he heard, from the surprisingly gregarious Shohei Ohtani, disarmed him.
What a pop!
Calhoun burst into laughter. Not long before that, during Ohtani's rookie season in 2018, a member of the Los Angeles Angels was in the midst of a prolonged at-bat, and Ohtani wanted to offer some encouragement. "Keep fight!" he hollered, and several teammates giggled.