Los Angeles Dodgers stella Shohei OhtanI said that the upcoming Major League Baseball season opener against the San Diego Padres in Seoul, South Korea, he will take with him “great memories” for him and his wife, but he will not forget his work.
Ohtani spoke to reporters alongside some of his Dodgers teammates at a packed news conference Saturday, a day after arriving in Seoul with his wife, Mamiko Tanaka. If you haven’t noticed, at the end of February, Ohtani, 29, posted on Instagram that he was married to “a normal Japanese woman” who he had known for three or four years.
Shohei Ohtani’s wife Mamiko Tanaka’s true identity has been revealed as a Japanese basketball star
However, he hadn’t said who he was until another Instagram post with a photo of him and Tanaka just last Thursday. Tanaka, 27, is a former professional basketball player who played for the Fujitsu Red Wave in the Japan Women’s Basketball League from 2019 to 2023.
“[She] he comes with me to a game like this,” Ohtani said through a translator. “So I think it’s going to be great memories for both of us.
“But like I said before, I have a job to focus on: baseball.”
When do the Padres and Dodgers play in Seoul?
There will be the Dodgers-Padres games on March 20 and 21 Ohtani’s debut with the Dodgers and will be the first MLB regular season games in Seoul.
In December, Ohtani signed a record 10-year, $700 million contract to join the Dodgers. He had surgery on his right elbow in September and will not pitch this season.
He will be used as a designated hitter and there is a chance he could play in the outfield and with all eyes on him, he is aware of the pressure.
“I appreciate all the attention,” Ohtani added. “Obviously the attention is always great, being a baseball player and being able to play with these great guys [Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman] close to me. I’m very excited.
“I’m very used to attention, but I just try to focus on what’s in front of me, whatever it is.”
Ohtani was welcomed despite the South Korean rivalry
South Korean media ran stories about it Ohtani, mostly in a positive tone, with social media full of messages of support and praise for the Japanese sensation and members of his fan club in South Korea putting up welcome posters Ohtani’s I arrive at Incheon International Airport on March 15th.
This is not South Korea’s usual treatment of Japanese celebrities, given the strong rivalry between the two countries in sports and other fields, mainly due to Japan’s past colonization of the Korean Peninsula and their actions during the Second World War. World War.
“Japan and Korea have always had a strong rivalry when it comes to sports,” Ohtani continuous. “I have always watched Japan-Korea matches and have always respected and admired the Korean team and Korean players.
“So, to be accepted and welcomed like that is a very nice feeling. And I want to put on a very good show for everyone.”
2024-03-17 02:17:42
#beautiful #memories
