Dodgers Plan to Launch Fan Clubs in Japan
Japan’s love for the Los Angeles Dodgers is no secret.
Los Angeles has become a hotspot for Japanese-born stars to flourish in their MLB careers. During their first season with the Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto won the first World Series title of their career.
Signing starting pitcher Roki Sasaki only amplified Japan’s support for the franchise. The country’s support for the team may have contributed to his decision to join Los Angeles.
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The Dodgers revealed a plan to create fan clubs in Japan to unite the franchise’s international supporters. The development of these Japan fan clubs has yet to begin.
“We’re working on some experimental things with adding fans and fan clubs,” Stan Kasten, the president and CEO of the Dodgers organization, said. “That stuff hasn’t started yet.”
International fan clubs are not common in Major League baseball. Many professional soccer leagues like the Premier League have already launched fan clubs for their international fan base.
“That is something that Premier League and European soccer leagues already do, amassing international fans,” Kasten said. “We’re doing a pilot program to start that and see how it does.”
It has yet to be reported when these Dodgers’ fan clubs will open in Japan. But, the fan clubs will undoubtedly gather a large number of people in Japan, who already follow the Dodgers.
Japanese fans will get an opportunity to watch the Dodgers play in-person at the Tokyo Dome on March 18-19. The Dodgers will face the Chicago Cubs in a two-game series to open the MLB regular season.
The Tokyo Dome is less than an hour away from the ZOZO Marine Stadium, where Sasaki played four seasons with the Chiba Lotte Marines.
Sasaki, Ohtani, and Yamamoto played there during the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
The trio of Japanese stars in Los Angeles is not only good for the Dodgers, but also for the growth of the game. As Dodgers’ fan clubs emerge in Japan, it’s another indication of MLB’s development overseas.
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Photo Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
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