Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani Reveals Conversation With Dave Roberts That Helped Him Settle Down
Shohei Ohtani hit his first regular season home run as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday night. Friday in Chicago, he hit another. The Dodgers’ designated hitter is beginning to look like the player fans saw in spring training — the global superstar who justified a $700 million contract in December.
Many Dodger fans were waiting for the breakout from Ohtani, who has struggled with his slugging at the plate through the Dodger’s first nine games of the season.
That monkey is finally off his back, and it’s a massive relief for everyone involved — including the 29-year-old. Maybe this could be when we see Ohtani become the player we had seen the previous six years in the big leagues. This could be a turning point, and it could all be traced back to a conversation he and manager Dave Roberts had Wednesday morning.
Dodgers Nation’s Doug McKain shared the minutiae of the conversation via X.
A conversation with the ninth-year manager could be all it takes to turn things around for Ohtani. It’s another small iota of proof that Roberts remains the right fit for the Dodgers. He does the little things behind the scenes that outsiders looking in can’t observe.
Yes, the Dodgers surrounded him with talent that only money could buy, but more importantly, people in the clubhouse trust him. Players in the clubhouse genuinely care about Roberts and are happy to go to war with him. The results with Roberts at the helm aren’t ideal — at least in October — but no other manager can boast Roberts’ sustained success over the past nine years.
Ohtani might not be used to being a part of a world-class organization. In due time, he’ll get a sense of how things run and operate in Los Angeles. One home run could be the start of something even Dodger fans will be amazed by.
Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
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