The beloved slugger had the time of his life during the Los Angeles Dodgers World Series run. The swig of tequila during the parade, not so much. Shohei Ohtani is having the time of his life.
The international Los Angeles Dodgers superstar has become much more comfortable in the spotlight, as was evident by his brief speech at the World Series celebration, in which he spoke English. Maybe he built up the (liquid) courage to address the stadium full of adoring fans thanks to his teammate, pitcher Jack Flaherty.
Nov 1, 2024: Dodgers manager Dave Roberts introduces designated hitter Shohei Ohtani to speak to fans. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
During the parade, an unsuspecting Ohtani innocently imbibes in a huge swill of tequila. The 30 year old designated hitter, and hopefully next season Flaherty’s fellow starting pitcher, reacted like someone who’s never done a shot of hard liquor before. And that could very well be the case.
Jack Flaherty giving Shohei Tequila 😂😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/ZmTyoQidaG
— shobae 大谷翔平 ¹⁷ Ohtani Shohei ¹⁷ 🐶 (@shoheisaveus) November 4, 2024
The camaraderie of this Dodgers team was special, and even while they might have been less talented than other recent Boys in Blue squads, it was that bond that brought the World Series Commissioner’s Trophy back to Los Angeles over the Evil Empire New York Yankees, and it silenced all the haters that the 2020 Covid crown was compromised. (For Ohtani personally, he also had to overcome all of the trolls that didn’t believe he was an innocent victim, getting $16 million stolen from him.)
Now rumors are swirling that pending free agents like Kike Hernandez could be headed to rivals like the San Diego Padres. Ohtani might not ever experience a group as special as this one, so if a disgusting shot was the worst experience of his Dodgers celebration, than it was a magical season indeed.
Oct 31, 2024: Shohei Ohtani celebrates in the locker room after the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in the 2024 MLB World Series. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
No matter what happens for the rest of his Dodgers career, Ohtani has already become a Los Angeles legend. Cheers to that!
