LOS ANGELES – “Ohtani-mania” officially kicked off in downtown Los Angeles on March 27 with the unveiling of a 15-storey mural of new Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani.
It took almost a month to create the mural on the side of the Miyako Hotel in LA’s Little Tokyo and artist Robert Vargas said it represents the cultural bridge between Japan and the City of Angels.
“We’re team LA and looking at everybody here, I see the whole country of Japan rooting for Shohei,” Vargas told the crowd on hand for the unveiling.
“We’re all Angelinos rooting for Shohei. That nation and Dodger Nation are all on the same team.”
Fans wearing Ohtani merchandise posed for photos in front of the mural and gazed up at the gigantic tribute to their favourite player, who joined the Dodgers from the Angels via free agency in the off-season.
“I love the Angels and I love the Dodgers as well,” said Ohtani fan Chika Maekawa.
“And I love Shohei so much. As a Japanese person, today I’m very honoured to be here. When I see this mural, I am proud of my country Japan. I’m very happy to see Ohtani in LA.”
Ohtani fan Ichiro Suzuki said he was a huge fan of the player due to his friendly nature as well as his talent and sportsmanship.
“Obviously, he’s great at baseball,” said Suzuki, whose mother named him after the former Seattle Mariners All-Star outfielder.
“But he becomes an icon because not only is he very cheerful and happy, but he’s also very friendly towards others, helpful, and also a great teammate.
“He shows great amounts of sportsmanship and acts as a true role model to a lot of people. That’s what’s really great about him.”
Two-time American League Most Valuable Player Ohtani inked a record 10-year, US$700 million (S$944 million) contract with the Dodgers in the off-season. Their home opener against the St Louis Cardinals on March 28 started after press time.
Ohtani’s once-in-a-generation combination of elite pitching and hitting has seen him compared to the legendary Babe Ruth since his arrival in the major leagues in 2018.
The skyrocketing euphoria among Dodgers fans was given another jolt when the team acquired pitcher Tyler Glasnow and Ohtani’s highly rated Japan teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto, further proof that the franchise are determined to make a serious run at the World Series.
The unveiling comes two days after Ohtani denied any knowledge of, or involvement in, a gambling scandal involving his former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara.
Yet, details of the scandal remained murky, clouded by contradictory statements given by Mizuhara, who initially told ESPN that Ohtani himself had signed off on payments to an illegal bookmaker totalling US$4.5 million.
Twenty-four hours later, Mizuhara changed his story, insisting that Ohtani had no knowledge of his gambling debts and did not transfer the money from his account.
Major League Baseball has announced a formal investigation as pundits across American media wondered out loud whether Mizuhara had in fact been placing bets on Ohtani’s behalf – something that could lead to a career-ending ban if the bets involved Ohtani’s own team. REUTERS, AFP
