The final time Shohei Ohtani thought he is perhaps in bother was when his identify was linked to a federal investigation into unlawful sports activities playing in March 2024.
His identify was quickly cleared by authorities, who charged and convicted Ohtani’s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, in federal courtroom with surreptitiously stealing greater than $17 million from the Dodgers famous person to repay an Orange County bookmaker.
Ohtani questioned if one thing was amiss Wednesday when supervisor Dave Roberts summoned him earlier than the Dodgers’ dwelling recreation in opposition to the New York Mets.
However not for lengthy. Ohtani rushed into Roberts’ workplace, noticed a vibrant pink remote-controlled toy automobile on the bottom and instantly began laughing.
“I have a gift for you,” Roberts instructed him. “Actually, for your daughter.”
“For my daughter? OK, thank you.” Ohtani replied.
“This is from my wife [Tricia] and me to you and your family and your daughter,” Roberts mentioned. “So, we have jokes always. This is a little bit of a joke. It’s a Porsche. This is going to be your daughter’s first car.”
“Thank you, I love it,” Ohtani mentioned. He tapped the automobile together with his hand and mentioned in English, “I thought I’m in trouble. Some trouble,” evoking laughter from Roberts and others within the room.
Ohtani had gifted Roberts a tiny toy Porsche a 12 months in the past when he broke Roberts’ franchise document of seven dwelling runs by a Japanese-born participant, inserting it within the supervisor’s parking zone house as a sensible joke.
When Ohtani signed with the Dodgers in December 2023, he gifted Ashley Kelly, the spouse of pitcher Joe Kelly, a Porsche — not a toy — for Kelly giving up No. 17. Roberts kidded Ohtani about gifting him when the modest document was inevitably damaged, and the brand new Dodgers slugger obliged with the toy.
It took Roberts — born in Naha, Okinawa, to a Japanese mom and American father — a 12 months to reciprocate.
“Shohei has been very gracious and we’ve got this long-running practical joke,” Roberts mentioned on video. “This is more of a sincere gesture, not necessarily a practical joke but I wanted to present it to him.”
Ohtani and his spouse, Mamiko Tanaka, haven’t revealed the identify of their daughter, who was born April 19.
“I am so grateful to my loving wife who gave birth to our healthy beautiful daughter,” Ohtani wrote on social media on the time. “To my daughter, thank you for making us very nervous yet super anxious parents.”
Tremendous anxious? Wait till she begins driving.
