As Shohei Ohtani strode to the plate in the top of the first inning during Friday night’s game, Toronto Blue Jays fans let out five months of pent-up frustration after the two-time MVP passed on signing north of the border.
The Rogers Centre faithful let out a round of boos as the Los Angeles Dodgers star dug into the batter’s box to face off against Blue Jays starter Chris Bassitt.
However, Ohtani immediately silenced Blue Jays fans, taking the third pitch of the at-bat, 360 feet into the right-field bullpen.
It wasn’t the first time the fans let their thoughts be heard on Ohtani’s off-season pursuits, as the Dodgers’ two-hole hitter was booed when his name was announced pre-game.
Of course, Ohtani signed in Los Angeles after false reports placed him on a plane headed to Toronto the day before he inked a 10-year, $700-million contract with the Dodgers. This came shortly after Ohtani visited the Blue Jays’ Player Development Complex in Dunedin, Fla., during MLB’s winter meetings.
Before the series, Toronto manager John Schneider said he hoped the fans would give the 29-year-old a tough time when the Dodgers came to town.
“Hopefully, they give it to him a little bit,” Schneider said. “But shoot, man, he’s a hell of a player. He’s a great player. You don’t like watching him from the other side of the dugout, but you have to appreciate how good he is. But, yeah, it’ll be interesting to see how the fans welcome him.”
Ohtani entered play Friday with a 1.089 OPS, six home runs, 14 doubles, 16 RBI and five stolen bases in 27 games with his new club, ranking as one of the most valuable players in baseball, despite only being able to hit while recovering from elbow surgery.
You can catch the rest of Toronto’s series opener against Ohtani and his Dodger teammates on Sportsnet ONE and Sportsnet+.
