Current:Home > StocksShohei Ohtani gifts manager Dave Roberts toy Porsche before breaking his home run record -PrimeWealth Guides
Shohei Ohtani gifts manager Dave Roberts toy Porsche before breaking his home run record
View
Date:2025-04-19 11:34:19
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! (4952)
Related
- How to watch new prequel series 'Dexter: Original Sin': Premiere date, cast, streaming
- This week on Sunday Morning (July 23)
- Habitat Protections for Florida’s Threatened Manatees Get an Overdue Update
- Special counsel's office contacted former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey in Trump investigation
- Residents worried after ceiling cracks appear following reroofing works at Jalan Tenaga HDB blocks
- To Stop Line 3 Across Minnesota, an Indigenous Tribe Is Asserting the Legal Rights of Wild Rice
- The Fires That Raged on This Greek Island Are Out. Now Northern Evia Faces a Long Road to Recovery
- Biden reassures bank customers and says the failed firms' leaders are fired
- Moving abroad can be expensive: These 5 countries will 'pay' you to move there
- Stanford University president to resign following research controversy
Ranking
- The FTC says 'gamified' online job scams by WhatsApp and text on the rise. What to know.
- Deer take refuge near wind turbines as fire scorches Washington state land
- By 2050, 200 Million Climate Refugees May Have Fled Their Homes. But International Laws Offer Them Little Protection
- Oppenheimer 70mm film reels are 600 pounds — and reach IMAX's outer limit due to the movie's 3-hour runtime
- 'No Good Deed': Who's the killer in the Netflix comedy? And will there be a Season 2?
- BET Awards 2023: See the Complete List of Winners
- Here's how much money a grocery rewards credit card can save you
- You're Going to Want All of These Secrets About The Notebook Forever, Everyday
Recommendation
The Super Bowl could end in a 'three
What is the DMZ? Map and pictures show the demilitarized zone Travis King crossed into North Korea
Stocks drop as fears grow about the global banking system
Teen Mom's Catelynn Lowell and Tyler Baltierra Share Rare Family Photo Of Daughter Carly
Meta releases AI model to enhance Metaverse experience
Will the Democrats’ Climate Legislation Hinge on Carbon Capture?
Pollution from N.C.’s Commercial Poultry Farms Disproportionately Harms Communities of Color
Stranger Things' Noah Schnapp Shares Glimpse Inside His First Pride Celebration