Los Angeles Angels' Shohei Ohtani is greeted in the dugout after he hit a solo home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, on Oct. 3, 2021, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Two phrases referring to Shohei Ohtani, "Two-Way" and "Sho-Time," shared this year's top buzzword award in Japan as the baseball superstar dominated the headlines in the majors, the award's organizer said Wednesday.
The Los Angeles Angels slugger and starting pitcher, dubbed a "two-way player," unanimously won the American League's Most Valuable Player after hitting 46 home runs and stealing 26 bases, as well as going 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA in 23 starts on the mound.
The top 10 list also included words related to the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, including "Sugimurising," the go-to move of boccia gold medalist Hidetaka Sugimura, and "Baron Von Ripper-off," ridiculing International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach.
"Gender Equality" and "Generation Z," referring to people who were born between the second half of the 1990s and the 2000s, also made the list, as did two phrases related to the coronavirus pandemic, "Human Flow" and "Silent Dining."
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