OHTANI MEANS HALLELUJAH FOR LOS ANGELES, HELL FOR ALL THE OTHERS
Of course, The Sho is in Hollywood, where he pursues slug-and-pitch history that reminds all but a few competitors that none of his $700 million comes from the Saudi-generated Public Investment Fund
Under blue and white skies, where the weather at Dodger Stadium was 73 and sunny Saturday, Shohei Ohtani will make $700 million for the next 10 seasons. He’s the highest-paid athlete in history, bigger than Lionel Messi, and his annual $70 million overtakes recent Opening Day payrolls of two Major League Baseball teams and almost four others. This is a halcyon day for a franchise that plays in a shallow canyon near downtown Los Angeles.
For me, a dope who hops to Chavez Ravine from Santa Monica via the 10 and 110 and Stadium Way, it means I see the sport’s most prolific 1-2-3 hitters when I choose. In 2025, I’ll see a dominant starting pitcher, too. For a curious eyewitness such as myself and those who root for the Dodgers, it’s hallelujah … and konnichiwa.
This is an ode to the double-edged creature who pursues history that only Babe Ruth has achieved, way back when, with an organization that broke a color line and provided a golden voice. Perhaps now, fans will stop counting at one when World Series champions the last 35 years are mentioned. Better, they can watch Ohtani and say they’ve experienced the abnormal, a six-year period wasted by an Angels team that will fade off in Orange County. The Sho is in Hollywood, where he always should have been.
“And to all Dodgers fans,” Ohtani wrote in his first public words in months, “I pledge to always do what's best for the team and always continue to give it my all to be the best version of myself. Until the last day of my playing career, I want to continue to strive forward not only for the Dodgers but for the baseball world.”
It also reminds four-fifths of their competitors that no financial shreds were obtained from the Public Investment Fund, the Saudi-generated purse dividing pro golf on Earth. The Dodgers are owned by mostly nameless, faceless billionaires — controlling partner Mark Walter wouldn’t be recognized if he ran nude on a Malibu beach — and they paid Ohtani his astronomical amount simply because, well, they could when nearly all other ballclubs could not. With another 3.8 million fans last season, drawing 47,371 per game in their expansive playground from late March to (oops) early October, management further pockets an $8.35 billion broadcast deal in southern California.
All they have to do is raise season-ticket prices. More crazies will come. Unless we’re counting the sea, the Dodgers and Lakers are the only sources of identity in a massive region with humans coming from elsewhere. Ohtani only adds to the allure, with his powerful and mysterious attraction as the one player in our 21st-century midst who can slug and pitch with eternal eminence. The only concern over the next decade is whether he’ll be injured again, yet it was his idea to pay his contract in unique deferrals, allowing the team to ease payroll and add MORE stars to what he clearly wants now: Rule baseball in the autumn, which he did earlier this year in leading Japan to the World Baseball Classic title.
If you happen to have the money, you pay Ohtani. If you don’t have the money, you crap on the World Series. You can be the Arizona Diamondbacks and luck out, in a world where the better Dodgers and Atlanta Braves fell shy, but in a widespread kingdom, the behemoths that spend will contend and win the most. “When you’re committing this type of length and dollars, we’re all in on the person,” manager Dave Roberts said. “I think that we’re willing and excited to make that bet and hopefully it comes to pass.”
You’ll be happy to know Roberts, who spoke openly about the team’s meeting with Ohtani, continues to keep his job despite concerns Ohtani preferred privacy. When Shohei posted his Instagram, Roberts becomes the first skipper leading him to the playoffs, surely next fall. “To all the fans and everyone involved in the baseball world, I apologize for taking so long to come to a decision,” Ohtani said.
Never mind that he rankled baseball writers, not announcing his decision during the winter meetings last week. You think agent Nez Balelo didn’t tack on an extra $100 million or so while suggesting Ohtani was courting other teams — say, the Toronto Blue Jays? What would he accomplish up there? Become another country’s asset and show up here when he approaches a record? The joke was on an MLB Network reporter — nice sleuths, Rob Manfred — who posted Ohtani had boarded a Bombardier Global 5000 from Orange County to Toronto’s Pearson Airport. A celeb was on board Friday, but wrong guy. A Canadian from the TV circles — Robert Herjavec from “Shark Tank” — had fun phoning the Blue Jays when he heard about Ohtani. He’ll head back to cheering on Vlad Guerrero Jr.
“This is a unique, historic contract for a unique, historic player,” Balelo said. “Shohei is thrilled to be a part of the Dodgers organization. He is excited to begin this partnership, and he structured his contract to reflect a true commitment from both sides to long-term success. Shohei and I want to thank all the organizations that reached out to us for their interest and respect, especially wonderful people we got to know even better as this process unfolded. We know fans, media and the entire industry had a high degree of interest in this process, and we want to express appreciation for their passion and their consideration as it played out.”
Before he leaves Anaheim, Ohtani wished he’d accomplished more than hug Mickey Mouse. He had nice words for owner Arte Moreno, who should place his team up for sale, once and for all. Isn’t he the one who had Ohtani and Mike Trout and couldn’t reach the postseason? Isn’t he the Harry Frazee of his time? “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone involved with the Angels organization and the fans who have supported me over the pat six years, as well as to everyone involved with each team that was part of this negotiation process,” Ohtani said. “Especially to the Angels fans who supported me through all the ups and downs, your guys' support and cheer meant the world to me. The six years I spent with the Angels will remain etched in my heart forever.”
For now, Ohtani already was on the minds of employees at his new team store. When workers know his number, one said, they’ll stitch his name and numeral on a jersey and send it to millions around the world. It should remain No. 17. The deal qualifies the Los Angeles Dodgers as a global team in Asia, America and far beyond.
Everyone else, from Kansas City to Denver to Chicago’s South Side and almost all the rest, should just give up.
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Jay Mariotti, called “without question the most impacting Chicago sportswriter of the past quarter-century,’’ writes general sports columns for Substack while appearing on some of the 1,678,498 podcasts and shows in production today. He is an accomplished columnist, TV panelist and talk/podcast host. Living in Los Angeles, he gravitated by osmosis to film projects.