Ohtani gifts Roberts a toy Porsche before breaking club mark for most HRs by a Japanese-born player
By JOE REEDY
Posted 5/4/24
Dave Roberts recently joked that Shohei Ohtani should gift Roberts a Porsche when Ohtani breaks his Dodgers’ record for most home runs by a Japanese-born player. Ohtani obliged, just maybe not in …
You must be a member to read this story.
Join our family of readers for as little as $5 per month and support local, unbiased journalism.
Current print subscribers can create a free account by clicking here
Otherwise, follow the link below to join.
To Our Valued Readers –
Visitors to our website will be limited to five stories per month unless they opt to subscribe. The five stories do not include our exclusive content written by our journalists.
For $6.99, less than 20 cents a day, digital subscribers will receive unlimited access to YourValley.net, including exclusive content from our newsroom and access to our Daily Independent e-edition.
Our commitment to balanced, fair reporting and local coverage provides insight and perspective not found anywhere else.
Your financial commitment will help to preserve the kind of honest journalism produced by our reporters and editors. We trust you agree that independent journalism is an essential component of our democracy. Please click here to subscribe.
Need to set up your free e-Newspaper all-access account? click here.
Non-subscribers
Click here to see your options for becoming a subscriber.
Register to comment
Click here create a free account for posting comments.
Note that free accounts do not include access to premium content on this site.
I am anchor
Ohtani gifts Roberts a toy Porsche before breaking club mark for most HRs by a Japanese-born player
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, of Japan, watches the action from the dugout during the second inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Posted
By JOE REEDY
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dave Roberts recently joked that Shohei Ohtani should gift Roberts a Porsche when Ohtani breaks his Dodgers' record for most home runs by a Japanese-born player.
Ohtani obliged, just maybe not in the way Roberts imagined.
Before Friday's game against the Atlanta Braves, the Dodgers' slugger gifted Roberts a purple toy model Porsche in his office.
“This is my car,” Roberts said proudly as he showed it to reporters. The difference is Joe's car (pitcher Joe Kelly) doesn’t fit in my office. This car fits on my desk. So thank you. Shohei."
Ohtani gifted Ashley Kelly, the wife of Joe Kelly, a Porsche for Kelly giving up No. 17 when Ohtani signed with the Dodgers last December. Kelly's wife took to social media while Ohtani was weighing his free agency decision promising him that he could have the number and all the gear associated with it.
Roberts, born in Naha, Okinawa, Japan, to a Japanese mother and American father, hit seven home runs for the Dodgers from 2002-04.
“I’ve received different gifts from players but this is right at the top, for sure,” Roberts said.
More than anything though, the gift shows off Ohtani's sense of humor along with how much fun he is having in his first season with the Dodgers after signing a 10 year, $700 million contract.
“I like to make people laugh and I’m hoping to do more of these," Ohtani said.
Ohtani is sixth in the majors with a .345 batting average. That is also his best average through 34 games in his seven years in the big leagues. His best average at this point with the Los Angeles Angels was .319 during his rookie season in 2018.
The Dodgers have won 10 of 12. During that stretch, Ohtani has gone 15 of 47 with four home runs and 11 RBIs. That includes three hits and two RBIs in Saturday's game.
“I think with Shohei it just speaks to how comfortable he feels here with the Dodgers. How excited he is to play winning baseball,” Roberts said. "I think that the way he’s been received, the way he’s melded with our ballclub and how much the fans have embraced him, he feels it.
I do believe that it translates into performance. I think he’s having as much fun as he’s ever had, and the play shows."
Ohtani does have 179 career home runs in the majors. He surpassed Hideki Matsui for most by a Japanese-born player earlier this month. Matsui had 175 during a 10-year career.
However, one does wonder what it would take for Ohtani to buy Roberts a real Porsche?
“If we win the World Series. I’ll think about it,” Ohtani said.