The Dodgers’ first recreation of 2024 is within the books. Formally, 15,952 followers attended the primary common season Main League Baseball recreation in South Korea between the Dodgers and San Diego Padres.
That’s spectacular, nevertheless it’s a small measure of the Dodgers’ worldwide enchantment.
Between the top of the 2023 season and the start of 2024, the Dodgers dedicated greater than $1.2 billion in future contracts. In line with The Athletic, baseball’s different 29 groups mixed to spend lower than $2 billion this offseason. Now, the Dodgers are relying on their $700 million star — Japanese-born two-way participant Shohei Ohtani — to ship on the sector and off.
Crew president Stan Kasten instructed Dodgers Nation’s Doug McKain the Ohtani Period is off to a powerful begin.
“We’re a world model. Proper on the high close to the highest of all sports activities manufacturers world wide. If you mix that with the model of Shohei, which is perhaps proper now on the high of athlete manufacturers, that’s a strong mixture. I can’t quantify it fairly but. However the little proof we’ve to date is highly effective. It’s going to be a lot greater an affect, each for (the Dodgers) and Main League Baseball on the whole, than we even projected.”
— Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten, through Dodgers Nation
In December, the Los Angeles Instances estimated Ohtani “may simply internet the membership $50 million yearly in extra advertising and promoting revenues.” One agent instructed the Instances the Dodgers may achieve an additional billion {dollars} throughout Ohtani’s tenure by merely investing the $680 million in deferred wage that Ohtani agreed to when he signed his 10-year, $700 million deal in December.
That sum is other than the added gate attraction of Ohtani and any promotional activations (assume: bobblehead giveaways) he brings to Dodger Stadium.
“We’re the Dodgers. We perceive what that model means. I can inform you what it means to followers: it means greater than all of us who’re working with the workforce.”
— Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten, through Dodgers Nation’s Doug McKain
May the Dodgers’ subsequent step be a regular-season recreation in Japan in 2025? That’s been speculated within the media, nevertheless, nothing has been confirmed by MLB.
Given Ohtani’s enchantment in his homeland it might be silly for the league to not ship the Dodgers to Japan in some unspecified time in the future within the subsequent decade. For his half, Kasten mentioned “I don’t learn about subsequent yr. We are able to’t go yearly.”
Ohtani is greater than only a model, after all. Kasten marveled at “how devoted and critical (Ohtani) is about his preparation, and the way regular and funky and humorous he’s within the locker room across the guys.” That persona ought to endear Ohtani to Dodger followers close to and much for the following 10 years and past — and make new Dodger followers the place none exist as we speak.
Picture Credit score: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports activities
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