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Shohei Ohtani Gifts Dave Roberts a Porsche
Los Angeles – Shohei Ohtani, the Japanese-born slugger for the Los Angeles Dodgers, recently made headlines not only for his record-breaking home runs but also for his generous gift to manager Dave Roberts. Roberts jokingly suggested that Ohtani should gift him a Porsche when he breaks the Dodgers’ record for most home runs by a Japanese-born player. To everyone’s surprise, Ohtani fulfilled this request in a whimsical way.
Before a recent game against the Atlanta Braves, Ohtani presented Roberts with a purple toy model Porsche in his office. Roberts was taken aback by the thoughtful gesture and now proudly displays the miniature car on his desk as a token of Ohtani’s accomplishment.
Ohtani’s eighth home run, a solo shot to right-center during a game, surpassed Roberts’ previous record. Reflecting on the gift, Roberts humorously remarked, “He did buy me a car. I guess I didn’t specify what type of car. So I can’t say he never gave me anything.”
It wasn’t just Roberts who received a Porsche from Ohtani. Ashley Kelly, the wife of Dodgers pitcher Joe Kelly, was gifted a Porsche by Ohtani as well. This gesture came as a thank you to Kelly for giving up jersey No. 17 when Ohtani signed with the Dodgers in December. Kelly’s wife had shown support for Ohtani during his free agency decision on social media, promising him the number and all the associated gear.
Roberts, who was born in Naha, Okinawa, Japan, to a Japanese mother and an American father, had hit seven home runs for the Dodgers from 2002 to 2004. On the other hand, Ohtani has an impressive 179 career home runs in the majors, surpassing Hideki Matsui earlier this month for the most by a Japanese-born player. Matsui held the previous record with 175 home runs during his ten-year career.
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