Shohei Ohtani's impact with the Dodgers is already immense. The Nippon has undoubtedly already brought millions of dollars to his club.
And what's more, he plays wingman. He is trying to convince Yoshinobu Yamamoto to sign with LA and he talked to Tyler Glasnow to convince him to accept a contract extension to be traded to the Dodgers.
Just a few days ago, it was Ohtani himself who was the player the Dodgers were targeting. And clearly, they too needed help signing it.
We can only imagine everything they put in place to ensure his services.
But now Jeff Passan has written a text to teach us a little more about the techniques used to sign the pitcher/batter.
And it involves Kobe Bryant.
Obviously, during his playing career, Bryant was one of the best in his profession. He shone with the Lakers and became a basketball legend.
Like Ohtani, Bryant is (still) known for his unparalleled work ethic. #MambaMentality
But even though he died, he still had an impact in Shohei Ohtani's decision in 2023. What do you mean?
Because the Dodgers fan recorded a video six years ago to show Ohtani the first time he landed in North America.
He told him there was no better place to win than Los Angeles.
This took Ohtani by surprise…and so did his translator. Ippei Mizuhata grew up in Los Angeles and understands the impact of the basketball legend.
I already had my doubts, but now I'm almost sure: if the hitter of choice had been universal over time, Ohtani would never have signed with the Angels.
He would have gone straight to the Dodgers.
