$700 million man Shohei Ohtani made Dodgers manager Dave Roberts wish come true. Only not in the way he expected.
Roberts recently joked that Ohtani should gift him a Porsche when he broke his Dodgers record for most home runs by a Japanese-born player. Roberts was born in Naha, Okinawa, Japan, to a Japanese mother and American father. He hit seven home runs for the Dodgers from 2002 to 2004.
Ohtani surpassed Roberts’ mark on Saturday during the third inning of Saturday’s 11-3 win against the Braves.
But before Friday’s game, anticipating the inevitable, Ohtani gifted Roberts a purple toy model Porsche. in his office. Roberts said the car is sitting on his desk.
“He did buy me a car. I guess I didn’t specify what type of car,” Roberts said before the game. “So I can’t say he never gave me anything.”
Ohtani gifted Ashley Kelly, the wife of Dodgers pitcher Joe Kelly, a Porsche for Kelly giving up No. 17 when Ohtani signed with the Dodgers in December. Ashley Kelly had lobbied on social media for Ohtani to sign with the Dodgers, promising her husband’s number as incentive.