“How often do you find a pitcher who’s a hitter like that?”- Tennis icon Jimmy Connors extols Shohei Ohtani after record-shattering $700 million deal

Recently, Shohei Ohtani shocked the world, signing a massive $700 million contract, the most valuable deal in MLB and sporting history. The 10-year agreement will see Ohtani joining the Los Angeles Dodgers. The sports world is buzzing about the magnitude of this deal, even catching the attention of American tennis legend, Jimmy Connors.

Active in the sports scene, Connors recently shared his views on Ohtani's greatness and the impressive contract. The "Advantage Connors" podcast dropped a new episode recently, and Jimmy Connors shifted gears from tennis to talk about the big news in baseball.

While discussing Shohei Ohtani's mega-million-dollar contract, here's what he said about Ohtani stacking up against Babe Ruth.

“I love it, and let me tell you why. Ohtani delivers, and he does it on both sides of the game. Not just as a pitcher but also as a hitter – and how often do you see a pitcher with those hitting skills?

“How often do you find a pitcher who’s a hitter like that?” Who else has pulled off what Babe Ruth did? Look at Babe Ruth – partying every night, doing it all, then waking up to pitch and hit, knocking balls out of the stadium.”

Shohei Ohtani has been introduced at Dodger Stadium

Shohei Ohtani was introduced to the media on Thursday by the LA Dodgers. Ohtani mentioned to the media his reasoning behind joining the Dodgers and suggested he might not be able to see out the length of his contract:

"I just noticed that my contract is for 10 years. I'm not sure how long I'll be able to play the game, so winning is my top priority."

It's worth noting that Ohtani is not the only MLB player to defer payments. Athletes like Ken Griffey Jr. and Bobby Bonilla have also chosen annual payouts in the past. However, in Ohtani's deal, a significant $680 million will be paid to him interest-free between 2034 to 2043.

This is interesting for many reasons but two stand out. First, the Dodgers can attempt to build a dynasty they won't have to pay for until farther down the line. Second, if Ohtani is not living in the USA when he receives the payments, he will not have to pay American taxes.