Current:Home > MarketsShohei Ohtani gifts manager Dave Roberts toy Porsche before breaking his home run record -Capitatum
Shohei Ohtani gifts manager Dave Roberts toy Porsche before breaking his home run record
View
Date:2025-04-12 02:48:57
Shohei Ohtani has many more records to break over the course of his baseball career, but he may not have any more fun breaking one than he did Saturday night.
Ever since finding out that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is the team's all-time leader in homers by a Japanese-born player, Ohtani and his skipper have enjoyed a running joke as he approached Roberts' grand total of seven. (Roberts was born on a U.S. military base in Okinawa.)
After Ohtani passed Hideki Matsui on April 21 for the most homers in MLB history by a Japanese-born player with his 176th, he deadpanned that he now had his sights set on Roberts' record.
In their back-and-forth with reporters since then, Ohtani and Roberts were both asked about the possibility of the slugger giving his manager a gift to commemorate the historic occasion. Roberts suggested a new car might be appropriate.
Before Saturday's game against the Atlanta Braves − with the pair tied at seven homers apiece − Roberts got the car.
All things Dodgers: Latest Los Angeles Dodgers news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.
Later that evening, Ohtani got the record.
His solo shot in the bottom of the third inning off the Braves' Bryce Elder was his eighth of the season. And the torch was officially passed.
"He said he wanted a car," Ohtani said through translator Will Ireton. "I’m glad he’s happy. He got a car."
So what was the significance of the Porsche?
In this meticulously detailed timeline from MLB.com, we're reminded that when Ohtani signed with the Dodgers, reliever Joe Kelly had Ohtani's preferred jersey No. 17.
As a thank you gift for giving up his number, Kelly and his wife Ashley received a brand new Porsche courtesy of his new teammate.
So even though no one could blame Roberts for trying, he had to settle for a miniature version instead.
"I just want to say congratulations and thank you very much," Roberts said, the toy car in his hand after the game. "This is my car. The difference is Joe’s car doesn’t fit in my office. This car fits on my desk."
veryGood! (5)
Related
- Olympic men's basketball bracket: Results of the 5x5 tournament
- Is that Cillian Murphy as a zombie in the '28 Years Later' trailer?
- Only about 2 in 10 Americans approve of Biden’s pardon of his son Hunter, an AP
- In a First, Arizona’s Attorney General Sues an Industrial Farm Over Its Water Use
- Drones warned New York City residents about storm flooding. The Spanish translation was no bueno
- Man on trial in Ole Miss student’s death lied to investigators, police chief says
- 'Unimaginable situation': South Korea endures fallout from martial law effort
- Aaron Taylor
- Audit: California risked millions in homelessness funds due to poor anti-fraud protections
- Snoop Dogg Details "Kyrptonite" Bond With Daughter Cori Following Her Stroke at 24
Ranking
- Daughter of Utah death row inmate navigates complicated dance of grief and healing before execution
- Gas prices set to hit the lowest they've been since 2021, AAA says
- Small plane crashes onto New York highway, killing 1 person and injuring another
- Austin Tice's parents reveal how the family coped for the last 12 years
- Everything Simone Biles did at the Paris Olympics was amplified. She thrived in the spotlight
- Rebecca Minkoff says Danny Masterson was 'incredibly supportive to me' at start of career
- Biden says he was ‘stupid’ not to put his name on pandemic relief checks like Trump did
- CEO shooting suspect Luigi Mangione may have suffered from spondylolisthesis. What is it?
Recommendation
Sonya Massey's father decries possible release of former deputy charged with her death
Not sure what to write in your holiday card? These tips can help: Video tutorial
Wisconsin kayaker who faked his death and fled to Eastern Europe is in custody, online records show
The Daily Money: Now, that's a lot of zeroes!
New Zealand official reverses visa refusal for US conservative influencer Candace Owens
Finally, good retirement news! Southwest pilots' plan is a bright spot, experts say
Rams vs. 49ers highlights: LA wins rainy defensive struggle in key divisional game
TikTok asks Supreme Court to review ban legislation, content creators react: What to know