Home Sports Letters to Sports: Dodgers’ latest Shohei Ohtani bobblehead giveaway a debacle

Letters to Sports: Dodgers’ latest Shohei Ohtani bobblehead giveaway a debacle

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Los Angeles, California, August 28, 2024. Fans arrive early to receive a bobblehead of Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani before a game with the Orioles at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday. (Skalij/Los Angeles Times)

Fans arrive early Wednesday to get their bobblehead of Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani before a game against the Orioles at Dodger Stadium. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)

The Dodgers are citing budget constraints For sponsors for a “giveaway” item? Really? If you’re charging $131 one night and $36 the next, I’m pretty sure you could find a way to partner with your cash-strapped sponsors who can only afford 40,000 bobbleheads to raise another 13,000 or so for the people you KNOW are going to show up for a Shohei bobblehead. Either that, or refund $95 to every person who shows up after you run out of bobbleheads since you’re not providing what they paid for.

Richard Brisacher
Sea View

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The Dodgers should be ashamed of themselves for not providing every fan in attendance with a free bobblehead or other promotional item.

This is coming from a team that pays its players big bucks and leads the major leagues with nearly 4 million fans year after year.

We think our Dodgers are the real big heads in this one!

Marty Zweben
Palos Verdes Farms

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Instead of charging fans prohibitively high fees for bobblehead night tickets, Shohei Ohtani should buy and give away a bobblehead to everyone in attendance. He can certainly afford it and it would add to his incredible legacy.

Patrick Kelley
Los Angeles

LeBron James is treated like gold, but he is tarnished bronze.

Bill Plaschke You are right about one thing — The championship in the bubble didn’t amount to much. Limited games, limited minutes, no travel. That’s also the reason why LeBron was able to put up statistics in Paris.

James won the MVP award at the Olympics for hogging the ball and making everything revolve around him, as always. Anyone who watched the semifinals and final knows that Steph Curry was the real MVP.

LeBron has held the Lakers hostage for too many years, playing GM, coach, etc. Cut the cord, Lakers.

Gary Caine
Saint Raphael

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LeBron re-signed with the Lakers knowing who was on the roster. This is the same roster that finished the regular season strong last year and advanced to the Western Conference Finals two years ago.

The Western Conference is very strong and challenging. I say you have to be patient with the team.

Robert Stein
San Diego

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Bill Plaschke believes that based on LeBron James’ performance at the Olympics, the Lakers are “wasting” his talent, especially at this advanced stage of his career.

Not so fast, Bill. First of all, LeBron averaged just under 25 minutes per game in the Olympics, which allowed him to play more freely and effectively. Do you really think he can be limited to just 25 minutes with the Lakers? Secondly, he was surrounded by incredible talent. Guys like Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid, and Jayson Tatum, among others, not to mention his Lakers teammate Anthony Davis. Add those other four guys to the Lakers roster, and I think we’d like to have a chance.

Steven Kaye
Oro Valley, Arizona.

Ernest thought

Messrs. Sean McVay and Les Snead:

Why would you do that? Trade Ernest Jones IV, your best tackler and a captainFor very little in return? He was a stalwart defender and deserved a contract beyond his rookie deal. SMH.

Thomas Filip
Moor Park

Lost on the way

The opposite of love isn’t hate, it’s indifference. I’ve followed and loved USC football since Mike Garrett was a running back. I recognize that the college football landscape is changing. However, with NIL, the transfer portal, and especially the Trojans’ move to the Big Ten, I just don’t care.

Roberto Aragon
Duarte

Here are some reviews

At the end of a recent Dodgers broadcast, a 9-8 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, commentator Eric Karros said that starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw had “a good outing” after allowing five runs in five innings, and the bullpen “was a little shaky” after allowing four more runs in the remaining four innings. Orel Hershiser said the other day that the Dodgers “fell a little short” last year in the postseason after being swept in the first round. I hear the same point from Joe Davis and others.

Dodgers broadcasters are generally knowledgeable and pleasant to listen to, but I’ve noticed they’re increasingly afraid to point out weaknesses or bad plays (the one exception being Rick Monday). I’m sure this has something to do with where paychecks come from, but it’s an insult to our intelligence.

Jason Hashmi
Redondo Beach

A call for change

It’s hard to understand how Angels owner Arte Moreno Can provide general manager Perry Minasian with a two-year extension on his contract. Once again, the Angels will miss the postseason and are in last place. The constant change of managers has done nothing to improve the team and the changes Minasian has done little to turn the Angels into contenders. The time has come for Moreno to sell to an owner who is committed to making the right decisions to get the Angels back to contention.

HR Brownell
Orange

Old school

Will anyone do it? Please show Anthony Edwards Some Elgin Baylor videos? Then you might realize that Baylor could do everything Edwards has been doing for over 50 years now. For dessert, show the youngsters videos of Dr. J. If Edwards wants to reach his potential, he needs to learn from the masters.

Neal Rakov
Santa Fe, New Mexico

The cart before the horse

In his analysis of the Big Ten, Nick Saban stated, “USC is a dark horse,” and while that may bode well for the Trojans, it likely comes as a surprise to Traveler.

Steve Ross
Carmel


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