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Dodgers’ Ohtani-Yamamoto Double Play Seen As A Win Overseas
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Dodgers' latest recruit, plays Team Mexico during the 2023 World Baseball Classic Semifinals, which Japan won.
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Travel agent Yoshi Miyajima says his Torrance-based agency is gearing up to book trips and hotel rooms for Japanese baseball fans coming to Dodger Stadium.
“Even more people are interested now since two players are coming,” Miyajima said.
Miyajima is referencing the second blockbuster deal the Los Angeles Dodgers have made this month with a Japanese player. On Thursday night, news broke that ace pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto has reportedly signed a 12-year, $325 million contract — less than two weeks after two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani announced a record-breaking 10-year, $700 million deal .
The acquisition of Ohtani and Yamamoto brings the total number of Japanese-born players who have put on Dodger blue to 11, starting with Hideo Nomo in 1995 — or 12 if you count Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who was born in Okinawa.
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Japanese-born Dodgers
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2024-)
- Shohei Ohtani (2024-)
- Yoshi Tsutsugo (2021)
- Kenta Maeda (2016–2019)
- Yu Darvish (2017)
- Hiroki Kuroda (2008–2011)
- Takashi Saito (2006–2008)
- Norihiro Nakamura (2005)
- Hideo Nomo (1995–1998, 2002–2004)
- Masao Kida (2003–2004)
- Kazuhisa Ishii (2002-2004)
*Manager Dave Roberts is Okinawan-born.
Miyajima said the recruitment of two of Japan’s most famous athletes is generating even more excitement abroad in the Dodgers. While his agency arranged trips to Anaheim for Japanese tourists to watch Ohtani play for his former team, the Los Angeles Angels, Miyajima said that the Dodgers are on another level.
He described the Dodgers as locked in a popularity contest with another iconic MLB franchise. The New York Yankees once boasted legends Ichiro Suzuki and Hideki Matsui on their roster.
“But right now, no Japanese pitchers on the Yankees,” Miyajima said.
In Japan, pitchers tend to get more TV time and media attention, said Nicholas Watanabe, who teaches sports management at the University of South Carolina. He recalls watching MLB games during the Ichiro era while living in Japan, when sportscasts would dip into a game to see the star outfielder at-bat, then cut away to another game when he was done.
With two Japanese pitchers on the mound — for Ohtani, not until 2025 because of recent elbow surgery — the cameras will be fixed on the Dodgers.
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Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts, seen here at an Angels-Dodgers game at Dodger Stadium on July 7, 2023, will be teammates next year.
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“So a lot more people are going to be watching,” Watanabe said. “Of course, that means more brands, more businesses, advertisers all want to be part of that.”
The newcomers will debut with the Dodgers in Asia, when the team opens its 2024 regular season in Seoul against the San Diego Padres. When they return to L.A., there should be no shortage of Dodgers fans wearing Ohtani and Yamamoto jerseys in the stands.
Los Angeles-based enterprises beyond the Dodgers will benefit from the down-the-line impact of international interest in the team, said Alex Medina, spokesperson for the non-profit Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp.
Shohei Ohtani tries on his No. 17 Dodgers jersey. In the first 48 hours after the Ohtani jersey dropped online, sales surpassed those for Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
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“From the hotel operators, the restaurants around the stadiums, and those vendors who supply the stadiums with what they need, whether that’s the food, whether it's lighting vendors, this is going to have a great impact on our economy,’ Medina said.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
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