Two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani makes grand slam move, donates 60,000 youth gloves across 20,000 elementary schools in Japan
Shohei Ohtani is currently the most valued free agent in the market. All MLB managers are taking the 29-year-old phenom's name seriously, hoping to get him for their respective clubs. Amid all these, the baseball player took to social media to announce that he has donated 60,000 baseball gloves to 20,000 primary schools in Japan.
"I’m happy to announce that I will be donating approximately 60,000 youth gloves to every elementary school in Japan. That comes out to around 20,000 elementary schools."
MLB fans, analysts, and fellow athletes have been commending him for his philanthropic act. In his post, he mentioned that he wants kids to spend their days happily playing baseball, and he would like to share the field one day with one of these kids who would grow up playing baseball wearing this glove.
"I’m hoping the kids can spend their days happily with a lot of energy through baseball. I’ll be looking forward to sharing the field one day with someone that grew up using this glove!"
Shohei Ohtani's endorsement deal with New Balance
Earlier in 2023, Shohei Ohtani signed an endorsement contract with New Balance. They introduced customized Shohei Ohtani editioned fielding gloves, the ones he donated across schools.
In a YouTube video with GQ, Shohei listed 10 things that MLB stars can't do without, and one of those things was his Asics cleats. He fully credits these shoes for being the primary reason behind his on-field form.
He also has a Japanese custom-made pillow, created by taking measurements of his head, and he carries it everywhere he travels for comfort.
Shohei Ohtani is a Manga fan
The former Angels star, Ohtani, loves manga to the core. In an interview, he admitted his favorite manga of all time is "Slam Dunk', which he reads on his iPad.
In 2023, Ohtani was also featured on the cover of 'MLB THE SHOW 22'. The cover was made in manga style, with Shohei holding a baseball bat and fire around him.
Shohei had elbow surgery a few months ago and hopes to return to the mound in 2025. He missed the last stage of the 2023 season after competing in 135 MLB games during the regular season.