Shohei Otani became a celebrity while being an athlete. Why does his every move off the field attract so much attention? Journalist Tomoya Shimura, who has just published “Shohei Otani as seen by a rice reporter” (co-authored/Asahi Shinsho), says, “It’s the fate of becoming a celebrity in America to have more opportunities to be criticized.”
Photo = Jiji Press Photo
Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani smiles on the bench during a game against the Cardinals on March 28, 2024 in Los Angeles, USA
Becoming the only celebrity in the baseball world
Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the United States, is known as the “Entertainment Capital.” Shohei Ohtani, who moved to the Dodgers, the symbol of Los Angeles, has been attracting more public attention than he did during his time with the Angels, for better or for worse.
In fact, as soon as the series began, he was baptized on the off-field news, and it is said that the true nature of a person is revealed in times of adversity. This year will surely be the year of Otani’s second act.
Let’s take a look back at the time he put on a Dodgers uniform.
Since announcing his transfer on his Instagram in December of last year, Otani has been making a lot of noise before the season.
The contract, worth a total of $700 million (approximately 100 billion yen), the highest in North American sports history, was treated as news that went beyond sports in the U.S. media. Even people who are not interested in sports came to recognize him as a “super rich baseball player.” It may be said that this was the moment when Otani became the only “celebrity” in the American baseball world.
At the end of February, he once again suddenly announced his marriage on Instagram. Although the incident did not cause as much of an uproar in the United States as it did in Japan, it was still featured in local and sports news, which is unusual for the American baseball world.
Difference in temperature between Japan and the US in terms of Otani’s views
Then there was the “Suwon incident” that occurred in the middle of the opening series in South Korea in March. After the first game, in which Otani and Ippei Mizuhara, an interpreter, were seen chatting in the dugout, the shocking news broke that the Dodgers had fired Mizuhara. Three weeks later, the federal district attorney announced charges against Mizuhara. According to the complaint, Mizuhara, who lost more than $40 million (approximately 6.2 billion yen) in illegal sports betting, transferred more than $16 million (approximately 2.45 billion yen) from Otani’s bank account to a bookmaker without permission. It is said that he was doing so.
The suspicion of illegal gambling in Mizuwon, who has been the closest supporter of Otani both in public and private life, is a perfect scandal for Los Angeles, the city of celebrities. It received more coverage in the US media than his transfer to the Dodgers.
There are differences in the reactions to Otani’s topics in Japan and America.
Speaking of marriage, many Americans found it strange that Otani suddenly announced his marriage on social media and did not reveal his wife’s identity even though he held a press conference.
In America, it is considered natural for celebrities to have lovers or spouses, and those involved do not hide it. It is not unusual for people to reveal their private lives on social media. Therefore, even if they get engaged or register, they don’t go out of their way to hold a press conference to announce it.
“Americans might think, ‘What are you hiding? Are you really here? There’s something wrong with you,'” says Dylan Hernandez, a columnist for the Los Angeles Times.
2024-04-17 05:02:03
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