Camille Naredo

Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers runs the bases in the seventh inning during the game against Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on September 19, 2024 in Miami, Florida. Chris Arjoon, Getty Images/AFP/File

MIAMI, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 19: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers runs the bases in the seventh inning during the game against Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on September 19, 2024 in Miami, Florida. Ohtani is now the first player in MLB history to reach 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season.   Chris Arjoon/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Chris Arjoon / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Article (news)

Los Angeles Dodgers v Miami Marlins

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1742040174095AFP__20240920__2172282233__v1__Preview__LosAngelesDodgersVMiamiMarlins.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers runs the bases in the seventh inning during the game against Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on September 19, 2024 in Miami, Florida. Chris Arjoon, Getty Images/AFP/File"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers runs the bases in the seventh inning during the game against Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on September 19, 2024 in Miami, Florida. <em>Chris Arjoon, Getty Images/AFP/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>TOKYO, Japan -- Shohei Ohtani fever in Tokyo reached boiling point Saturday as the Japanese baseball superstar hit a home run in his first game in a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform in his home country.</p><p>Ohtani is in the Japanese capital with the World Series champion Dodgers to open the Major League Baseball season with two games against the Chicago Cubs next week.</p><p>The 30-year-old was in action as the Dodgers took on Japan&#x27;s Yomiuri Giants in a warm-up game at the Tokyo Dome, which was packed to its 45,000-capacity rafters.</p><p>He gave the crowd what they were looking for, smacking a huge home run in the third inning.</p><p>Yurie Sakamune, who was at the game with her husband Junji, told AFP that the couple had entered 10 times into a lottery to buy tickets and had paid 50,000 yen ($335) in total after snagging a pair.</p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s like a dream,&quot; said the 30-year-old, dressed in a Dodgers uniform with Ohtani&#x27;s name and number 17 on the back.</p><p>&quot;I&#x27;ve been working every day to see Ohtani and I&#x27;ve put up with all the tough times for this. It&#x27;s become like a life goal to see him.&quot;</p><p>A huge cheer went up as Ohtani stepped to the plate to open the game, drawing a walk from Giants starting pitcher Shosei Togo.</p><p>It was Ohtani&#x27;s first game in Japan since he helped his country win the World Baseball Classic two years ago in Tokyo.</p><p>But it was his first ever appearance in an MLB uniform in his home country, having left Japan for the Los Angeles Angels in 2018 before joining the Dodgers in late 2023.</p><p>&quot;Shohei, to be quite honest, in the last seven years has represented almost single-handedly the people of Japan,&quot; Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before the game.</p><p>&quot;So for him to come back here in person, it&#x27;s going to be an emotional night for a lot of people.&quot;</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2024/11/22/ohtani-judge-are-unanimous-choices-for-mlb-mvp-awards-1117">READ: Ohtani, Judge are unanimous choices for MLB MVP awards</a></div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2025/3/5/japanese-baseball-fans-enjoy-immersive-dodger-stadium-experience-in-tokyo-exhibition-0119">WATCH: Japanese baseball fans enjoy immersive Dodger Stadium experience in Tokyo exhibition</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>- Excitement building -</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QjpHRp4olbE?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></div><p>Excitement has been building for Ohtani&#x27;s visit, with around 500 fans waiting for the Dodgers to arrive at Tokyo&#x27;s Haneda airport on Thursday.</p><p>Thousands more paid 2,000 yen ($13) each to watch the team practice the following day, with Ohtani emerging for a brief work-out lasting about 10 minutes.</p><p>The slugger, who has been described as a modern-day Babe Ruth, gave fans more for their money against the Giants.</p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s really cool,&quot; said American Dodgers fan Michael Artukovic, who travelled from his home in San Francisco just to watch the game.</p><p>&quot;A lot is going on in our country where we&#x27;re becoming insular.</p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s great to see this where people from all over the world are coming to a baseball game in another country.&quot;</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/2024/9/20/ohtani-makes-mlb-history-with-first-50-homer-50-steal-season-1409">READ: Ohtani makes MLB history with first 50-homer, 50-steal season</a></div><p>The Dodgers play another warm-up game against Japan&#x27;s Hanshin Tigers on Sunday, before starting their two-game series against the Cubs on Tuesday.</p><p>The vast majority of fans at the Tokyo Dome were wearing Dodgers uniforms, although there was also a smattering of support for the Giants, Japan&#x27;s most successful team.</p><p>Atsuko Onuma told AFP she was rooting for the Giants but said she had also come to see Ohtani.</p><p>She confessed she would have &quot;mixed feelings&quot; if he were to hit a home run.</p><p>&quot;I want to see it but I also want to suppress that feeling,&quot; she said.</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div>

<p>Shohei Ohtani fever in Tokyo reached boiling point Saturday as the Japanese baseball superstar hit a home run in his first game in a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform in his home country.</p>

Shohei Ohtani fever in Tokyo reached boiling point Saturday as the Japanese baseball superstar hit a home run in his first game in a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform in his home country.

MLB: Ohtani fever heats up in Dodgers' Tokyo exhibition game

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MLB: Ohtani fever heats up in Dodgers' Tokyo exhibition game

Agence France-Presse,

Andrew McKirdy

Published Mar 15, 2025 08:04 PM PHT

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