- Ohtani had two singles and two fielder’s choices in his first four at-bats
- He signed a $700 million contract in the offseason and married Mamiko Tanaka.
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It took Shohei Ohtani just two appearances in a Dodgers uniform to get his first hit with his new team, much to the delight of his new wife attending the season opener at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Wednesday.
Facing the San Diego Padres in the Major League Baseball Seoul Series, the Japanese sensation fired a slider over countryman Yu Darvish in right field for an easy single.
ESPN cameras quickly filmed his new wife, Japanese basketball player Mamiko Tanaka, who was seen exchanging high fives with a few women seated around her, all of whom were wearing Dodgers hats and jerseys.
“She’s a big story like Shohei was in some circles,” ESPN’s Karl Ravech said of Tanaka, whose identity was a closely guarded secret until last week, when Ohtani posted a photo of the couple on Instagram.
In February, Ohtani revealed that he had been married, but neglected to say anything about his new wife other than calling her “a Japanese woman,” who is “very special to me.”
It only took Shohei Ohtani two appearances in a Dodger uniform
Mamiko Tanaka, Ohtani’s wife, is a Japanese basketball player who played for the country.
Mamiko Tanaka, wife of Shohei Ohtani, is seen before the Seoul Series 2024 match
Mamiko Tanaka, wife of Shohei Ohtani, laughs with her friends in the crowd during Wednesday’s match
Shohei Ohtani fired a slider over fellow countryman Yu Darvish in right field for an easy single
Ohtani’s debut with the Dodgers wasn’t perfect.
As manager Dave Roberts’ designated hitter, Ohtani established himself as a fielder’s choice in the first and fifth innings of his first game since being lured away from the Angels on a $700 million contract. dollars over 10 years largely deferred.
Later, however, Ohtani would get his first RBI with the Dodgers by driving in Gavin Lux on a single to left to give Los Angeles a 5-2 lead in the top of the eighth.
Ohtani underwent offseason elbow surgery, which will likely keep him from pitching in 2024, but baseball’s biggest star since Babe Ruth remains the sport’s top attraction in the Pacific.
Wednesday’s match is likely the first time Tanaka has seen Ohtani play in the majors, although it’s hard to say when their relationship officially began.
Ohtani played for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters from 2013 to 2017, when he signed with the Angels, for whom he played six seasons while winning two American League MVP awards.
“So I think it will be really good memories for both of us. But like I said earlier, I have work to focus on. It’s baseball,” Otani said through an interpreter Saturday.
