Dave Roberts Thinks Shohei Ohtani on the Dodgers is Great for the Game of Baseball
The Dodgers signing two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani signaled the end of a long pursuit for this franchise. The team had been trying to land Ohtani since he was in high school, so it was 10 years in the making.
However, the Dodgers will gladly take Ohtani now, and he instantly has become the face of the organization. He is the biggest show in the sport, and the Dodgers are now at the center of the baseball world, both domestically and globally.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts believes that Ohtani joining L.A. is great for the game of baseball.
“It’s a great market, it’s got a great story, great history, and you got the greatest talent to ever put on a baseball uniform wearing a Dodger jersey. It’s pretty special.”
Ohtani is the biggest star in the game today, and his popularity around the globe is unmatched. Now adding that with the brand of the Dodgers should only help the sport grow even more, and the impact of this move can’t be overstated.
The sport of baseball has fallen below where it used to be in terms of popularity around the United States, and Ohtani has helped draw in more intrigue. His two-way abilities have allowed fans to want to tune in, just to see him do things that nobody else has ever done before.
Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten agreed with what Roberts said, which was a driving factor behind L.A. being aggressive in landing Ohtani.
“This will not just cement it, it will propel, I think, our popularity and all of baseball’s popularity, putting our two pieces together: The Dodgers and Shohei.”
The Dodgers’ signing of Ohtani wasn’t strictly a baseball decision, but rather a broader transaction that will impact the organization from top to bottom.
L.A. understands how large of a draw Ohtani truly is, especially over in Japan, so this move was multi-faceted. The hope is that Ohtani and the Dodgers can win multiple World Series titles together, cementing one of the greatest careers in the history of sports.
Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
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