bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

Associated Press

Shohei Ohtani’s team manager Dave Roberts has been reminded that his player still owes him a car – thanks to a promise made by the Japanese superstar that he would do so were the Los Angeles Dodgers to win baseball’s World Series.
Which is exactly what happened, when the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees more than a month ago to win their eighth pennant.
Visiting Tokyo on Wednesday and speaking to mostly Japanese reporters, Roberts was reminded that Ohtani had given teammate Joe Kelly a new Porsche when Kelly agreed to hand over his No 17 shirt after he joined the Dodgers from the Angels.
Subsequently, Ohtani gave Roberts a toy Porsche and then, according to Roberts, hinted the real thing might still be coming.

“Where’s my real car?” Roberts recalled asking.
According to Roberts, Ohtani replied; “If we win the World Series, maybe we’ll talk about it.”
Well, Roberts suggested, he told Ohtani he was ready to talk, even if it is only in jest.
“So we won the World Series,” Roberts said. “I don’t know. Good question.”
Roberts said Ohtani – who has won three MVP awards – could get even better at the plate.
“I think with Shohei there were some parts of his season where he was a little too aggressive swinging,” Roberts said. “And I think there’s still room in there for him to be a little more disciplined at the plate. We can make him potentially even better.”
The Dodgers and Cubs open the Major League Baseball season on March 18-19 at the Tokyo Dome. Roberts ruled out Ohtani pitching in that first series.
“I don’t think that’s going to happen. I expect him to be in the line-up as a hitter,” Roberts said. “But as far as the pitching. He hasn’t pitched in over a year. We have to manage how many innings he has for 2025. If we start him in March he won’t be able to sustain that through October.”

Roberts was born in Okinawa to a mother from Okinawa and an American father who served in the United States military. He was headed there on Wednesday to visit family – uncles, aunts, cousins and friends.
He called his mother “my heart” and laughed that he got angry with her at times because he thought she dressed him “like a girl”. He said his father died six years ago.
“He did a great job of raising me,” he said. “I miss him every day.”
Roberts has filmed a television spot for Japanese sponsor Kinoshita Group, an entertainment company. Without giving away much, he said, the message in the spot was that “people need each other” and it matters how you treat others if they are to “reach their potential”.
He said of the spot: “I think it’s going to make an impact.”
He also delved into his interest in mental health, mentioning how emotions were often suppressed when he was growing up in Japanese culture. He talked about being active in Changing Tides, a Los Angeles-based group that promotes mental health in the Asian-American community.
“Emotions in the Japanese culture I grew up in weren’t always shared,” he said. “Everything was always supposed to OK. And we didn’t talk about how we truly felt.”


Meet baseball star Juan Soto’s adorable parents: the outfielder is up for an eye-watering US$765 million contract with the New York Mets, but his dad is still an affirmed Yankees fan

Who is Niki Niwa, and is she dating Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the MLB? The Japanese model and actress attends Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs events, and has beauty collabs with Dior and Valentino

Juan Soto becomes highest-paid athlete ever in staggering US$756 million, 15-year deal with Mets

Japanese reporters remind LA Dodgers manager that Shohei Ohtani still owes him a Porsche

Major League Baseball (MLB)

Shohei Ohtani with his 2024 Porsche Taycan Turbo S. The Japanese star had given teammate Joe Kelly a new Porsche when Kelly agreed to hand over his No 17 shirt. Photo: Porsche

Shohei Ohtani is the first MLB player to achieve 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in one season. Photo: AP

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts speaks during an event in Tokyo on Wednesday. Photo: Kyodo

Arne Slot jokes Mohamed Salah knows Manchester City’s fate after ‘last game’ comment

Liverpool manager Arne Slot (right) has become an expert in side-stepping questions on Mohamed Salah’s expiring contract. Photo: dpa

Mohamed Salah scores from the penalty spot to make it 2-0 against Manchester City on Sunday. Photo: AP

Slot says Liverpool have had to work very hard in every match, including against the likes of Wolves. Photo: AFP

Tampines star back in Hong Kong for ‘bucket-list’ night after Singapore national service

The 22-year-old Jared Gallagher spent around two years in Hong Kong, after living with his family in Shanghai, before being obliged to return to Singapore in 2020 to undertake National Service. Photo: Instagram/redgallagher

Matt Holland is promising a fighting Lee Man as they try claim their first ACL2 points. Photo: Nora Tam

Fabian Hurzeler, 31, is impressing as boss of Premier League Brighton & Hove Albion. Photo: Reuters

Sport

Other Sport

The baseball superstar had promised manager Dave Roberts he would give him a car if the team won the World Series – which they did in October


The baseball superstar had promised manager Dave Roberts he would give him a car if the team won the World Series – which they did in October.
