The Boston Red Sox never were in the running to sign Shohei Ohtani last offseason. After a bizarre recruitment saga, the 23-year-old eventually signed with the Los Angeles Angels. However, the Japanese pitching-hitting phenom nearly joined the Red Sox organization in 2012, according to a piece published Monday by WEEI’s Rob Bradford. Ohtani, then a high-school sensation, was one of the hottest names on the international market. And a pair of Red Sox scouts — Jon Deeble and Eddie Romero — were hot on his trail. “After (meeting with Ohtani), we thought we had a good chance to sign him,” Romero recently told Bradford. When ask... NESN.com
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Japan Baseball’s Shohei Otani Crushes Ball Into Dome Roof; Could MLB Be Next?
Shohei Otani’s pitching skills make him a hot commodity in the baseball world, but his slugging ability could make him a legend. The Japanese baseball star hit a ball into the roof of the Tokyo Dome on Sunday in Japan’s 12-10 exhibition win over the Netherlands. Per Tokyo Dome rules, umpires awarded Otani a double. But the stunned looks on the faces of his Japan teammates suggest he’s a special talent. Ex-New York Yankees slugger Hideki Matsui struck a ball into the roof of the famous venue in 2002. While Otani appears to be following in the footsteps of Japanese baseball Giants, he actually could be blazing his own trail. Otani,