Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani Reveals He Evacuated Due to LA Fires, Didn’t Get to Go to Japan This Offseason
Shohei Ohtani’s offseason hasn’t exactly gone according to plan. The Dodgers star typically goes to Japan every year, but was unable to make the trip back home this winter.
Ohtani revealed on Saturday that the wildfires in Los Angeles forced him, his wife, Mamiko, and dog, Decoy, to evacuate for nearly two weeks.
“I quickly packed up my stuff in the middle of the night,” Ohtani told reporters during the team’s FanFest at Dodger Stadium. “When I returned to pick up something I had left, nearby homes were burning.”
“I just really felt my heart sink when I witnessed the areas and houses that burned down. I had the chance to talk to firefighters and found out that a lot of them didn’t have the chance to go back home,” Ohtani said.
Ohtani spent time with firefighters and paramedics in the Pacific Palisades area on Thursday with teammates Emmet Sheehan and Ben Casparius. They spent time chatting, signing autographs and taking photos with the first responders.
The two-way superstar even gave a small speech in English thanking everyone for their work.
“I want to just say thank you for your dedication,” he said. “Thank you for your hard work. We appreciate it.”
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Before visiting, Ohtani had previously announced he would be donating $500,000 to help firefighters as well as people and pets affected by the wildfires, via Instagram.
“Our hearts go out to all the firefighters who continue to fight for us during the fires in LA,” Ohtani wrote in Japanese which was translated to English by Instagram.
“We’ll be donating $500,000 to help those firefighters and those forced to live in shelter to help animals in need. The Los Angeles Dodgers are also working together with teams from other competitions to help sell T-shirts and more.
“I hope you all will consider this. I hope you recover soon.”
Ohtani joined a growing list of Dodgers to contribute to wildfire relief efforts. Freddie and Chelsea Freeman donated $300,000, while Chris Taylor and Clayton Kershaw have also helped raise funds.
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Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
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