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Dodgers get to see first hand just how popular they’ve become in Japan – San Bernardino Sun

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The Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani, left, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, center, and Roki Sasaki, right, pose for photographs during a press conference on Friday, March 14, 2025, in Tokyo, as the Dodgers prepare to play their season-opening games against the Chicago Cubs at Tokyo Dome next week. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

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TOKYO — As the Dodgers pursued, recruited and signed Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki over the past two winters, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and others involved in the process professed a desire to make every baseball fan in the trio’s native country a Dodger fan.

Now they are all getting a chance to see just how close they’ve come.

“I think our mission was accomplished, painting the country of Japan in Dodger blue,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts proclaimed as the team worked out at the Tokyo Dome on Friday.

Security precautions prevented the thousands of fans who showed up to greet the Dodgers at the airport from actually seeing the team. But Roberts said he was aware of the reception.

The Dodgers worked out in private at the stadium after their arrival on Thursday then enjoyed a team dinner and sumo event. They got their first up close look at their popularity in Japan on Friday.

MLB put tickets on sale for Friday’s workouts at the 55,000-seat facility known as “The Big Egg” and capped the crowd at approximately 10,000. Tickets priced at 2,000 yen (about $13) were gone within an hour and 10,507 showed up to watch their favorite team – say it in your best Allen Iverson voice – practice.

The Dodgers’ Tokyo Series opponents, the Chicago Cubs, worked out earlier in the day Friday in front of a much smaller crowd. For the Dodgers’ workout, the fans showed up, indeed painting the lower level of the seating area in Dodger blue.

A group of Japanese fans seated behind the Dodgers’ dugout were so ardent in their support they called out the names of players as they jogged out of the dugout onto the field, regardless of their stature – from All-Star outfielder Teoscar Hernandez to relief pitcher Anthony Banda.

Even 7-year-old Charlie Freeman had fans calling his name when he ran out to shag balls during batting practice.

“I didn’t hear that,” first baseman Freddie Freeman said of his son’s international notoriety. “I’m sure he was loving every second of it.”

The fans certainly seemed to be loving the opportunity to cheer for the Dodgers – even if it was just practice. Home runs were applauded and fans clapped politely as each hitting group finished.

“I don’t usually hit batting practice home runs, but I felt like we had to today,” Freddie Freeman said. “That was pretty cool. This is a great experience. I mean, it’s practice and we had almost a full stadium.”

When the star of the show, Ohtani, emerged from the dugout to do some running drills – he rarely takes batting practice on the field and didn’t Friday – his appearance drew a gasp from the crowd and then loud applause. His every move on the field during his brief appearance was shown on the large video board in center field.

“I really feel the excitement of the country with the games being played here,” Yamamoto said.

As the most recent of the three Japanese stars to sign with the Dodgers, Sasaki offered a different perspective.

“I literally was in Japan a couple months ago,” he said. “So for me, it’s about being able to pitch in a different uniform and for a different team and making sure that I do perform at my best.”

But Sasaki acknowledged he did see a rise in Dodgers fandom in Japan over the past year – but he didn’t give Ohtani and Yamamoto all of the credit.

“I think it did help that the Dodgers went to the World Series,” he said.

PITCHING PAUSE

Friday’s press conference at the Tokyo Dome Hotel was the first time Ohtani spoke with the media since the decision was made to pause his pitching rehab. Ohtani threw four bullpen sessions in the first weeks of spring training but has not thrown off a mound since Feb. 25, limiting his work as a pitcher to playing catch in the outfield.

He described it Friday as “a breather” and said the smooth progress of his rehab from Tommy John surgery in September 2023 and left shoulder surgery last November afforded him the opportunity to do this.

“I wanted to prioritize the hitting aspect as we’re getting into the season, to get a little breather mentally and physically on the pitching side of things,” he said through his interpreter. “This is according to plan and I’m quite pleased with how things are going.”

Ohtani did not offer an estimate for when he will make his pitching debut this season. He is expected to resume throwing bullpen sessions after the Dodgers return to the United States and, at some point, face hitters in simulated games.

EXHIBITION GAMES

The Dodgers will use the first exhibition game against the Yomiuri Giants (Saturday, 3 a.m. PT) as “a bullpen day,” Roberts said. The second game against the Hanshin Tigers (Saturday, 8 p.m. PT) will be started by Blake Snell with Tyler Glasnow following.



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