Shohei Ohtani hit with one arm.

Limited by the left shoulder he partially dislocated just four days earlier, Ohtani was more or less a decoy at this point, which, coincidentally or not, is the name of his world-famous dog.

It didn’t matter.

He wanted to hit. So when Tommy Edman walked in what turned out to be a decisive eighth inning in Game 5 of the World Series, Ohtani came into the on-deck circle.

One problem: he had jumped ahead in line.

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Ohtani realized his mistake when Gavin Lux climbed the dugout steps and temporarily retreated to the bench.

Grinning, Lux remembered telling Ohtani, “Relax, man, it’s my turn first.”

Lux tied the game with a sacrifice fly and Betts won the game with another, while Ohtani settled for reaching base on a catcher’s interference call, but the sequence in the on-deck circle was revealing nonetheless.

Ohtani wanted to be in the batter’s box with the game on the line. Even in a compromised state, he was not afraid at that moment.

Ohtani, the best baseball player of the past four years, became a World Series champion on Wednesday evening. His coronation took place at Yankee Stadium, where the Dodgers claimed a 7–6 victory over the New York Yankees to win the best-of-seven series, four games to one.

As his teammates showered him with beer and sparkling wine in the middle of the visiting clubhouse, Ohtani raised the commissioner’s trophy.

“Really, I’m just happy,” Ohtani said in Japanese.

The championship marked a fitting end to the best individual season in Dodgers history, a season in which Ohtani became the first player in history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in the same season. Ohtani, who signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers after playing six seasons for the Angels, is expected to win his third MVP award in four years.

“I think there’s a legitimate argument that he’s the best player to ever play the game,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said.

Ohtani is more focused than any other player. He is more gifted than any other player. He could be braver than any other player.

It takes courage to be as brazenly ambitious as Ohtani, who said his goal was to become the No. 1 player in the world when he left Japan for the Major Leagues seven years ago.

“He wants to be the greatest baseball player in the history of the world,” Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly said.

To dream as Ohtani does is doomed to failure. Only one player can be the best. Not every player has the determination to take on such opportunities, even the most talented player. Especially the most talented players, who have the most fragile egos.

As much success as he has had over the past four years, Ohtani has also endured his failures.

In his first three seasons with the Angels, he was nowhere near the player he wanted to be. He underwent two Tommy John surgeries. Ultimately, he left the Angels without ever appearing in a playoff game for them.

That didn’t stop him from dreaming of more.

The extent of his ambition was most evident in a goal statement he made as a senior at Hanamaki Higashi High.

He planned to throw a pitch at a speed of 175 kilometers per hour, or about 109 mph. He wanted to throw multiple no-hitters. At this stage of his career, he dreamed of winning multiple World Baseball Classic titles and multiple Cy Young Awards.

The only one of the items he checked is the WBC title, which he once won. But that’s not the point. The thing was, he wasn’t afraid to set and pursue outrageous goals.

Given that background, it was widely expected that he would try to play with a partially separated shoulder if he could.

“Even after I got injured, I wanted to prepare to play,” Ohtani said. “More than anything, I was honored to hear that I was needed. I’m grateful they told me that.”

Through the final three games of the World Series, Ohtani was just one for 11. He finished the postseason with a .230 batting average with three home runs, 13 runs batted in and 14 runs scored in 16 games. He also struckout 22 batters.

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“He played with one arm in the postseason,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Most guys would probably tap out, but he wouldn’t be denied playing, posting and being in the lineup.”

His reward was another booze-fueled locker room party during which he poured beer on his teammates and momentarily put aside the burden of brilliance he carries almost every day. At one point, Ohtani mischievously snuck up on Friedman while he was surrounded by reporters and sprayed champagne in his face.

“Nine more, nine more!” Ohtani yelled at Friedman.

He probably wasn’t joking.

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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.