Shohei Ohtani signing affects more than his new team

Because the sweepstakes for Shohei Ohtani is beginning to dwindle as the choice comes nearer, there are some things which can be sure along with his new contract. Will probably be the most important in American sports activities historical past, the staff that indicators him will get the perfect participant on the planet on their roster, and reporters who cowl him for his or her dwelling nation of Japan must transfer to wherever he lands.

The media in Japan have adopted Ohtani carefully, from his time taking part in there to his transfer to California to hitch the Angels.

“We want Ohtani,” Taro Abe, a reporter for Japanese newspaper Chinuchi Shimbun advised the LA Occasions. “He’s not only a baseball participant. He’s a rock star. Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber. Younger, previous, they love him. Everyone talks about Ohtani every single day.”

For these Japanese reporters, not solely will they’ve to maneuver to Toronto or wherever Ohtani indicators whether it is out of the state of California. Reporters must get visas, which is a prolonged course of that would take months to play out. Lots of the reporters interviewed within the LA Occasions’ article point out that they’ve households, wives, and kids, a few of whom haven’t moved from Japan but to be with their husbands. Others have youngsters enrolled in class within the Los Angeles space. Not solely might they transfer to a brand new nation, however they might should uproot their households too.

“I don’t know if I can dwell in Canada,” Nobuhiro Saito, one other journalist mentioned. “I’m unsure.”

Ohtani does a lot for baseball and all that falls into that umbrella, but additionally for the economic system of each the U.S. and Japan. It’s estimated that he generated 1.7 billion yen final yr from jersey gross sales, assist excursions, and showing in commercials. It’s estimated his entire economic system is price 45 billion yen.

“I talked to my boss and if Ohtani goes to Toronto or Chicago or one other metropolis, I believe I’m going to maneuver,” Abe mentioned. “I’m 80 %, 90 % positive.”