With the disastrous wildfire spreading, it can’t get any worse for the LA residents. Now, help is coming from all the way. And the first responders must be credited for how the calamity is getting managed. Shohei Ohtani stepped up to show his gratitude at the NL MVP Award acceptance speech. Earlier, Ohtani also helped in wildfire relief and actively shared updates. 

Including this NL MVP award, Ohtani now has 3x MVPs, and winning the 2024 MVP unanimously has made it a whole lot sweeter. For the unversed, he is the first player to get into a 50-50 club and posted his best offensive season in 2024 with 54 HRs and 134 RBIs. Also, he is now the only second player after Frank Robinson to have at least one MVP in both leagues. And now, he is going beyond games. However, is Ohtani the first from the MLB community to be vocal about social causes?

Saluting the real heroes 

The first responders are the men of the hour, and they are the ones standing between destruction and creation. With the LA Wildfire majorly now in control, it’s time to recognize this first line of defense. What’s better than this recognition coming from known personalities? There are a few public figures from different sectors working together to manage the wildfire, and a few of them are quite vocal about it. Remember Freddie Freeman’s fundraiser for the LA Wildfire?

“The magnitude of this incident — it was a career’s worth of fires in 48-72 hours,” said Santa Monica Fire Department Chief Matthew Hallock; his statement reflected what the firefighters have faced in dousing the LA wildfire. with the first responders facing fatigue and mental issues after this calamity. “I want to dedicate this award to the entire city of Los Angeles, to all the first responders, and firefighters, and all the fire departments for their heroic efforts,” said Ohtani in his speech.

Giving credit where it’s due, Ohtani won much appreciation for this move. Shohei Ohtani is leading by example, the latest one to join the list of socially responsible personalities. His MVP speech included all his close ones and supporting staff, and by including the first responders, Ohtani made clear what he thinks about them. “Stay united, we will get through this,” said Ohtani, ending his speech.

MLB is not new to social causes and Shohei Ohtani is not the first

With Ohtani’s message towards the first responders getting enough attention and surely deserves appreciation, it should be known that the MLB circuit is not new to be vocal towards social causes. Previously, baseball entities actively promoted the “Black Lives Matter” campaign; remember the then-manager of the Giants, Gabe Kapler, kneeling during the national anthem before a game? So yes, social causes always stayed at the forefront for the MLB entities, and Ohtani is the latest one to join.

Apart from Ohtani, there are a few notable MLB entities also working towards the LA Wildfire, like Freeman and his wife, who donated around $300,000 to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation. Roki Sasaki is very vocal about talking about the incident and many others to follow. So there’s been active participation from the MLB community to fight the LA Wildfire, and everyone deserves the appreciation. With more participation and communication from people like Ohtani, it becomes easier to make the larger world aware of the calamity, and the scope of help coming gets amplified.

First responders deserve all attention, and someone like Ohtani recognizing their efforts is a morale booster for them. Also, this act of Ohtani has paved the way for others to be vocal about social causes in the future. What do you think about Ohtani’s message? Share your thoughts below.