In addition to press conference backdrops, Funai will have a presence behind home plate at Angel StadiumTWITTER
The MLB L.A. Angels on Wednesday announced the first "significant financial windfall" from pitcher/outfielder Shohei Ohtani's presence, signing a deal with Japanese electronics company Funai, which will "sponsor the backdrop at Angels press conferences and some advertising at Angel Stadium," according to Jeff Fletcher of the ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER. The Angels are "clearly capitalizing on the eyeballs certain to follow Ohtani's every move." Ohtani this week arrived at spring training in Tempe, Ariz., and on Wednesday held a press conference "packed with about 200 media members" (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 2/15). In L.A., Mike DiGiovanna reported Funai will "receive advertising on the home-plate rotational sign in Angel Stadium and Tempe Diablo Stadium" (L.A. TIMES, 2/15). Meanwhile, the L.A. Times' Pedro Moura said that Ohtani's personal endorsements are "going to skyrocket" with his arrival in the U.S. Moura: "He was already taking in several million a year in Japan. That's only going to increase here in the U.S." MLB Network's Chris Russo said, "He has to play well, though, to get the endorsements. If he pitches lousy and doesn't hit, nobody's going to care." Moura: "If in four months he proves to be a 4.00 ERA guy and just kind of an average pitcher, then yes, I would imagine that's going to cost him. At the same time, if he did that in Japan, it would've cost him in two years, too" ("High Heat," MLB Network, 2/14).