The Dodgers will open their season this week against the Padres in South Korea and before their first full workout in preparation, P/DH Shohei Ohtani, 1B Freddie Freeman and RF Mookie Betts held a pre-series news conference, which was the "latest reminder of the intense attention Ohtani attracts," as "dozens of photographers captured every moment the trio spent behind the mic." Camera flashes "continuously illuminated their faces." Betts said, “It’s kind of what comes when you get somebody like this, an international star.” Hoards of fans “lined the terminal as they walked through the concourse” (L.A. TIMES, 3/16).
Ohtani may be South Korea’s “most-beloved Japanese athlete, a testament to his charm in softening any lingering animosity between the two neighbors.” Many of Ohtani’s South Korean supporters say that they “like him because of what they call his good manners as well as his baseball excellence” (AP, 3/17). South Korean media have “churned out stories on Ohtani, mostly positive tone” (AP, 3/16).
In L.A., Jack Harris wrote under the header, “What steps did Dodgers take to acclimate quickly to South Korean time?” The Dodgers will scrimmage today and Monday against a couple of Korean teams (L.A. TIMES, 3/15).
