Nobody in the Dodgers organization knew that their star player had a girlfriend, much less that he had come to spring training already married.
Brett Phillips went through a range of emotions when he discovered this morning that Los Angeles Dodgers sensation Shohei Ohtani, a former teammate, had announced his marriage on Instagram. He was delighted for his pal. He wanted to know more about the wedding. Most of all, he questioned whether he had been a poor teammate.
Phillips states, “I do feel horrible that I was unaware he had a girlfriend.”
With the Chicago White Sox, Phillips shouldn’t feel too awful. Star Los Angeles center fielder Mike Trout, who spent six years with Shohei Ohtani, was unaware that he had only played with him for a portion of a season.
For a man who can make the top page of every newspaper in his native Japan just by walking outside his house, 29-year-old Ohtani keeps as little information public as possible. Japanese reporters at the Dodgers camp on Thursday said that Ohtani’s marriage was announced on every television station in Japan, which isn’t something they generally do except to alert the public to impending natural catastrophes or war. Some newspapers also produced special versions of the story.
Shohei Ohtani won’t discuss his residence or the type of elbow surgery he suffered last year. (According to The Los Angeles Times, it was a follow-up Tommy John procedure.) It is said that he threatened to use any information leaked about the process against teams who were interested in signing him as a free agent this winter. He even gave his close friends and family instructions not to tell anyone this winter what his Dutch kooikerhondje’s name is. (Ohtani, after six weeks of, uh, hounding, eventually revealed the dog’s name, Decoy, during the press conference announcing his historic agreement with the Dodgers.)
He made baseball history on Thursday by being the first player to reveal his marital status at a press conference. Speaking through interpreter Ippei Mizuhara, he remarked, “I felt like it was good timing [for the announcement] because it was before the season.” When the season first began, I didn’t want any interruptions. Additionally, I would have liked to make the announcement sooner, but the entire process was delayed by some bureaucratic concerns. Thus, it concluded the matter.
Just words and a picture of Decoy were posted on Instagram, where he described his wife as “someone from my Native country of Japan who is very special to me”. Shohei Ohtani claimed on Thursday that he has known his wife for three or four years, and she is a “normal Japanese woman.” He said that he proposed the previous year. He refused to provide anything regarding her identity, the wedding’s date, or the list of attendees. Ippei Mizuhara, a longtime friend and interpreter for Shohei Ohtani, says he is unable to comment on whether or not he went.
Shohei Ohtani could have afforded a lavish celebration, even though he has deferred 97% of the 10-year, $700 million contract he signed with the Dodgers before this season. It doesn’t seem like he invited any of his new teammates to the party if he hosted one. While that might not be the ideal way to start, none of the athletes that Sports Illustrated polled admitted to feeling offended by being left out.
Dodgers outfielder Chris Taylor, who celebrated his wedding in December 2022, adds, “It’s cool.” “He wasn’t asked my party.”
Utilityman Enrique Hernández says he needs to know the answers to a few more questions before he can make up his mind on the matter. He claims, “He just shared a photo of his dog.” “So, may I inquire if he wed his dog?”
Smiling Manager Dave Roberts expresses his offense, but he also expresses his disappointment at not being invited to my wedding. (I note that it happened in June. He had a lot going on. This argument does not seem to sway Roberts.)
A Dodgers executive acknowledges that the team was unaware
Although Shohei Ohtani dismissed Phillips’ inquiry, Phillips believes he made it once. Phillips remarks, “That’s more under wraps than, like, spoilers for The Bachelor.” “Jeez!”
That he even had a girlfriend, which, considering the organization’s dedication to him, is a pretty amazing intelligence-gathering gaffe. Perhaps they need to do some thinking, just like Phillips.
