City of Los Angeles pronounces May 17 as 'Shohei Ohtani Day' to celebrate the Japanese star
The city of Los Angeles cannot get enough of Shohei Ohtani. The two-time American League MVP has brought a new level of excitement to the sprawling metropolis.
One of the most famous athletes in the world, Ohtani has been granted a unique honor that's incredibly rare, especially considering the amount of time he has been in the city.
"No. 17. The city of Los Angeles will officially recognize May 17th as “Shohei Ohtani Day”. - @Dodgers
The superstar has been honored by the city of Los Angeles with "Shohei Ohtani Day." The Dodgers slugger was present at Los Angeles City Hall on Friday as the council proclaimed May 17 as the day to honor the Japanese superstar.
Ohtani was joined at City Hall by many important members of the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. Some of those executives included President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman and Los Angeles Dodgers CEO Stan Kasten.
The MLB world went into a frenzy this past offseason when the former Los Angeles Angels superstar decided to move across town, signing a $700 million contract with the Dodgers. Immediately following his free agent move, murals of the two-way sensation went up all across the city as the excitement for the new star became palpable.
Shohei Ohtani bobblehead night sent Dodgers fans into a frenzy
As if having a day honoring his namesake wasn't evidence enough that Los Angeles has grown deeply attached to the superstar, Thursday night's game does. During the Los Angeles Dodgers game against the Cincinnati Reds, the team held one of their most popular promotions ever.
The team hosted an Ohtani bobblehead giveaway to the first 40,000 fans in attendance. A total of 1,700 bobbleheads were a unique variation, something that fans and collectors were hoping to get their hands on.
"Tonight's attendance of 53,527 on Shohei Ohtani Bobblehead Night is the largest at Dodger Stadium since Sept. 20, 2019, and is the largest of any MLB game this season." - @DodgerInsider
The promotion brought out a whopping 53,527 fans to Dodgers Stadium, which was the most since 2019. That jack-packed crowd is also the highest number of fans in a single game this season. It's safe to say that the Ohtani Era is underway in the city of Los Angeles.