In the latest episode of the “New Heights” podcast, hosted by Chiefs’ Travis Kelce and Eagles’ Jason Kelce, the talk wrapped up with a big discussion about Shohei Ohtani signing a massive $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers in baseball.
Travis started things off by saying how huge the contract is, highlighting that Ohtani is making nearly three-quarters of a billion dollars in just one day.
Despite acknowledging the big money in baseball, Travis mentioned his personal preference for basketball over baseball.
“Dodgers, what in the world is really going on? Shohei Ohtani went to the other side of LA to play some baseball for the next 10 years—a 10-year, $700 million deal, the biggest in team sports history. I definitely want to play basketball, and I don’t really want to play baseball, even though it’s a lot of money. Every day is just… I need more action, man. I just need more action. This is why we didn’t like it growing up, and we both played baseball,” Travis said.
Jason chimed in, reflecting on their childhood experiences with baseball. He shared that, in their opinion, baseball wasn’t a fun sport for kids, unless you were pitching or catching.
“Everybody plays baseball, I think, growing up, but yeah, growing up, it’s not a fun sport for kids, in my opinion. If you get a good team, you build some chemistry, unless you’re pitching or catching, it’s a boring day,” Jason said.
Travis added to this, describing the boredom of playing right field and the lack of action, especially during Little League games. He related to their dislike of playing baseball as kids due to the lack of excitement, especially during playoff games.
Jason, however, acknowledged that as an adult, baseball is the best sport, especially for those who are a bit lazy. He pointed out the appeal of getting paid for minimal effort, especially with just four at-bats per game.
Travis jumped back in, expressing his hatred for baseball conditioning, especially the running from foul pole to foul pole. He questioned the necessity of such conditioning and shared his frustration, stating that he refuses to participate in that type of training.
Jason expressed that he wishes he had played baseball because it’s easy and pays well. On the other hand, Travis remained adamant, saying he would still prefer football or hockey over baseball.
In the end, the Kelce brothers, Travis and Jason, praised Shohei Ohtani’s amazing baseball skills and predicted that his success could lead to more players in Major League Baseball (MLB) trying to be versatile like him.
They were impressed by Ohtani’s $700 million, 10-year deal and believe it will change baseball.
Travis Kelce mentioned that Ohtani’s success might encourage other players to become two-way players, trying to excel both in hitting and pitching.
