For the first time as a visitor, Shohei Ohtani returned to Angel Stadium on Tuesday night.
Ohtani spent six years with the Los Angeles Angels before joining the Dodgers this offseason. The Freeway Series is happening in Anaheim this week.
On Tuesday, the Dodgers beat the Angels 6-2 in 10 innings, and Ohtani received a warm welcome from Angels fans. They gave him a standing ovation before his first at-bat, chanted “MVP!” when he tripled in the third inning, and booed when he was intentionally walked in the tenth inning.
“The biggest part of all of this is really being able to play at this stadium in front of the Anaheim fans. That was the part that was special for me,” Ohtani said after the game through an interpreter (via ESPN). “… As a player, I feel very supported and appreciative of all the fans that are in front of me, in front of the team. It makes a difference that they’re out here.”
The Angels didn’t honor Ohtani with any special video or tribute on Tuesday, just showed his accomplishments on the scoreboard. According to The Athletic, they have no plans to honor him this week. Fans might think it’s unfair because he’s one of their best players ever.
Why Ohtani Chose Dodgers:
Ohtani joined the Dodgers for better competition and financial reasons. The Angels had a chance to match his contract offer but chose not to do so. Who can blame him? In his six seasons with them, they never had a winning record or made it to postseason games while Dodgers are always contenders.
The two teams will play again Wednesday night. Currently, Dodgers hold baseball’s best record at 84-55 while Angels are struggling at 57-81 and already face their ninth straight non-winning season.
Ohtani is having an incredible year with .292/.377/.617 stats including 44 home runs and 46 stolen bases! He reached 40-40 faster than anyone else ever has and might even become baseball’s first-ever 50-50 player.
What do you think about how Angels treated Ohtani’s return?
