No matter who you root for, the worst moment of Game 2 of the World Series was undoubtedly watching Shohei Ohtani suffer a shoulder injury. At least, it was until some New York Yankees fans took the crown by cheering that injury.
Video from a New York bar emerged on Saturday night showing fans clapping and cheering as Ohtani writhed on the ground. They embarrassed themselves and their team.
Let's make it clear up front, many Yankees fans had the proper reaction to Ohtani's injury. They, like any true baseball fan, were sad to see one of the best in the game go down like that. Unfortunately, this group of Yankees fans got it all wrong.
Some Yankees fans shamefully cheered Shohei Ohtani's injury
You mean to tell me the same fanbase that very openly & loudly cheered when Joel Embiid landed on his knee & went down is now doing the exact same thing when Ohtani went down?
— Josh Reynolds (@JoshReynolds24) October 27, 2024
I am SHOCKED pic.twitter.com/tAraWitebb
There is no universe where this is acceptable behavior. It's classless and immature. It's representative of the worst aspects of sports: When tribalism goes too far. There's no need for that. When an opposing player is hurt, you don't cheer. This is basic stuff.
Ohtani appeared to suffer a shoulder injury at the end of the seventh inning when he tried to steal second base. While the tag got him out, his left arm jammed against the dirt. He reportedly told a trainer in Japanese that he felt his arm pop out, something that was confirmed by manager Dave Roberts after the game.
The Dodgers didn't have an immediate update on Ohtani's status for the remainder of the series, but there's a good chance he will miss time as the World Series moves to New York.
The Yankees head home in an 0-2 hole after two dramatic losses in Los Angeles. That's the bad news. The good news is both games were decided by extremely fine margins. With their home crowd behind them for the next three games, NY will hope they can get back in the series.