Sadaharu Oh, with 868 homers, tells Ohtani to focus on hitting

One of Japan's living baseball legends has a surprising piece of advice for Shohei Ohtani: forget pitching and concentrate on hitting.

The adviser is Sadaharu Oh, who holds the world record of 868 career home runs. According to a report by Sports Illustrated on 14 November, Oh urged the Los Angeles Dodgers star to focus on batting rather than pitching.

Ohtani is the sport's best-known two-way player, someone who both pitches and hits at a top level. Last year he won his fourth MVP award and his third in a row as a two-way player for the Dodgers.

Oh knows a thing or two about power hitting. In 1977 he hit his 756th career homer, which broke Hank Aaron's record, and he ended his career on 868.

So far, there is no word on how Ohtani sees the suggestion. For now, it is one legend's view on where the sport's biggest star could make the most impact.