Current:Home > MarketsShohei Ohtani gifts manager Dave Roberts toy Porsche before breaking his home run record-InfoLens
Shohei Ohtani gifts manager Dave Roberts toy Porsche before breaking his home run record
View Date:2025-01-10 03:52:09
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! (99)
Related
- Ready-to-eat meat, poultry recalled over listeria risk: See list of affected products
- Lala Kent Details Taylor Swift Visiting Travis Kelce on Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity? Set
- New York State Police suspend a trooper while investigating his account of being shot and wounded
- Taylor Swift plays goodbye mashups during last US Eras Tour concert
- Stocks soared on news of Trump's election. Bonds sank. Here's why.
- Chris Martin falls through stage at Coldplay tour concert in Australia: See video
- Hurricane season still swirling: Rafael could threaten US later this week
- Spurs coach Gregg Popovich sidelined indefinitely with undisclosed illness
- Brian Austin Green’s Fiancée Sharna Burgess Celebrates Megan Fox’s Pregnancy News
- Abortion rights at forefront of Women’s March rallies in runup to Election Day
Ranking
- Roy Haynes, Grammy-winning jazz drummer, dies at 99: Reports
- Kenyan man is convicted of plotting a 9/11-style attack on the US
- Horoscopes Today, November 2, 2024
- The Best Dry Shampoo for All Hair Types – Get Clean & Refreshed Strands in Seconds
- Kennesaw State football coach Brian Bohannon steps down after 10 seasons amid first year in FBS
- The adult industry is booming. Here's what you need to know about porn and addiction.
- Pennsylvania election officials weighing in on challenges to 4,300 mail ballot applications
- Remembering Quincy Jones: 10 career-spanning songs to celebrate his legacy
Recommendation
-
NBC's hospital sitcom 'St. Denis Medical' might heal you with laughter: Review
-
RHOBH's Teddi Mellencamp & Edwin Arroyave's Date of Separation Revealed in Divorce Filing
-
Your Election Day forecast: Our (weather) predictions for the polls
-
Under lock and key: How ballots get from Pennsylvania precincts to election offices
-
RHOBH's Kyle Richards Shares Reaction to BFF Teddi Mellencamp's Divorce
-
RHOBH's Teddi Mellencamp & Edwin Arroyave's Date of Separation Revealed in Divorce Filing
-
Penn State, Clemson in College Football Playoff doubt leads Week 10 overreactions
-
3 dead, including infant, in helicopter crash on rural street in Louisiana