Baseball star Shohei Ohtani, of the Los Angeles Dodgers, appeared at City Hall on Friday, May 17, where the L.A. City Council proclaimed the day as Shohei Ohtani Day.
May 17 was chosen as the date for Shohei Ohtani Day because it coincides with Asian American Pacific Islander Month and 17 is Ohtani’s jersey number.
“I’m incredibly honored and humbled by the recognition that I’m receiving today,” Ohtani, through his translator, said during the council meeting.
He also thanked all the “people of the city of L.A.”
Ohtani, a pitcher and designated hitter, is playing in his first season with the Dodgers after signing a record $700 million, 10-year contract.
The councilmembers – many of whom wore blue in honor of the Dodgers – took turns praising the baseball player.
Councilmember John Lee, who is Korean American, thanked Ohtani for helping bring Asian representation to the world of sports.
“As someone growing up in the city who loves sports, wanting to see Asian players, wanting to see someone who look like me, and now, to have the best player in baseball not only look like someone like me, but playing for the Dodgers, it’s such a privilege,” Lee said. “We have people in politics, we have people in entertainment … and now we have someone in sports.”
Councilmember Nithya Raman, who is South Asian, echoed similar sentiments, noting that her son is a huge fan of Ohtani’s.
“As an 8-year-old playing Little League – he’s Indian American – and to see that an Asian is the face of baseball here in the city, that every single person in Los Angeles knows Ohtani’s name, it’s really exciting,” Raman said in an interview after the council presented the athlete with a framed copy of a resolution declaring Friday as Shohei Ohtani Day.
Ohtani signed with the Dodgers during the offseason after six years with the Angels. Since the season began, his on-field performance has been somewhat overshadowed by the firing and subsequent criminal charges against the slugger’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara.
Mizuhara is accused of stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani’s bank account to pay off illegal gambling debts and personal expenses such as dental work and purchasing baseball cards. The former interpreter is expected to plead guilty next month to bank fraud and filing a false tax return.
Ohtani also made news in the offseason relating to his personal life, confirming on social media his marriage to Mamiko Tanaka, a former Japanese professional basketball player.
City News Service contributed reporting.
