How can anyone possibly dislike Ohtani as a person or as a player unless you are one of those ball clubs that failed to sign him.

As someone who has absolutely no interest in baseball and literally only know shohei ohtani, for the first time ever I've been checking up on this dodgers off-season moves so yes this is GREAT for baseball 😂👍🏻

From the time Ohtani was in Japan, no one who had met him in person had a bad word to say about him. Those close to him praised his personality. The only people who say bad things about Ohtani are people who are far away and have never met him.

It’s nice to have connections! So happy for you! I’ve been a fan of Ohtani for 3 years. A Giants fan for over 40 years. SHOHEI is finally being paid what he’s worth. And he’s super humble and accommodating. 🦄

Dodgers fans are happy with this deal

” He is un dislikable " from a Japanese baseball fan in Bangkok. Thanks with respect.

Humble superstar 🙏

Yankees/Red Sox have done it 10-20 yrs. ago, Mets signed big name pitchers last year, and Padres went on a spending spree. No one said anything about them

Once in a lifetime type of talent Ohtani is beast

Shohei makes whole MLB ground to Manga features and we can't be more enjoyable about it!

I was conflicted in the WBC when Japan was wrecking my Australian Team. I was going for Australia, but it was my favorite player who was destroying them.

It’s great for the sport. People are talking baseball during week 16 of the nfl. Dodgers are doing something right.

The hate is misdirected. They should be mad at their teams, not at the Dodgers. You can either be inspired or become jealous. The former makes you better. The latter gets you nowhere.

Ohtani plays for the Angels: "This is bad for baseball. Baseball needs the best player at a big market team. Ohtani should be on a winning team and be in postseason. Angels are idiots for not splurging and building around the best player. Ohtani plays for the Dodgers: "This is bad for baseball. Dodgers are unfair for splurging and building around the best player. smh

Thank you for sharing the photo🥹🙏 With this contract, I learned more about Ohtani commitment to winning. He gives everything to baseball. I felt strongly that I would like to continue to support Ohtani.

Making weaker teams stronger is one of the ideals expected of a baseball player, so there will probably be criticism for not doing so. But Otani has a bigger idea in mind. At his joining press conference, he said, “I will work hard not just for the Dodgers, but for the baseball world.”He recently also said, “ I am nearing the end of my career since started playing baseball in elementary school. “ Now, he earned the highest annual salary in MLB and has become the face of baseball. He must have counted backward from his retirement date, and asked himself,”What can I do for baseball before my retirement?” And, he probably concluded that helping the prestigious Dodgers was the best choice for the baseball world. He doesn't have time to play around with the Angels, who don't spend money, don't take risks, and don't have a strategy to win.

Baseball needs this.

The balls of a Yankees fan to ask this question lol

Never been a fan of baseball. I'm definitely following it now and rooting for the Dodgers.

Rich, this is rich coming from a Yankees fan. This would sound a little different if the Yankees signed Ohtani and Yamamoto.

We are still talking about baseball in December. This has to be a good thing. It is wonderful that you had chance to meet Shohei and now you sound like a fan boy. Thank you for the lovely story.

Doesn't sound like it could possibly be bad for baseball. Sounds like a collection of superstars who can save the sport from its relative irrelevance, by being the heros, not the villains.

Not a dodgers fan at all. But can’t wait to see them when they come to town

It’s hilarious that Yankees fan Rich is asking this question. I’m sure it was fine by him when the Yankees were the team buying everyone

I’m an O’s fan, and can’t hate the Dodgers, but that’s mostly because we’ve drafted ourselves to a top tier team. Good for the Dodgers for outsmarting, outspending, and outcompeting the winter signing stage. Now, will they do it when it counts? We won’t find out for 10-11 months. So many likable guys, this might be the most liked super-team ever… until IF those titles do start pouring in! Lol kudos to you guys for the nostalgic Anaheim/California memories of those Mo Vaughn/Jim Edmonds days.

Imagine a negotiation situation. For example, if Judge, Trout, and Ohtani were sitting at the same table as you and asked to play together, which player would say no? And if the Dodgers were to have all three of the Dodgers' MVPs, including Ohtani, attend the free agent negotiations that begin next year, other teams would have no choice as a result.

They waited and waited for this moment and spent on special talent. Add the fact that the Dodgers are a class organization. Other teams offered the same deals and Ohtani and Yamamoto chose wisely.

The Braves had the early 90s, Yankees after that. The Giants had the early 2010s. Astros after that. It's the Dodger's turn to have a dynasty. Everyone loves a great underdog story to knock off the best team. Rays, Marlins, Royals, Indians (Guardians), Red Sox, Rangers. It's great for baseball.

Of course it's good for baseball! What's not good for baseball is owners who worry about how much money they can horde and aren't willing to truly make their team more competitive by going after the top tier players. Every team out there had an equal chance to get these top players but weren't willing to pay the price! These "smaller market" teams would be more competitive if ownership would get better players, better coaching, upgrade their stadiums and in return they'd draw more fans, get better endorsements and more lucrative TV deals.

Amazing that Ohtani was on a team 30 minutes away from LA and he didn’t get this kind of exposure the entire time he was there. The Dodgers are powerful and own SoCal. Now go WIN! we expect it.

It's absolutely great for baseball. When everyone can band together to hate one team, it's a must watch TV. Diamondbacks vs rangers were the least watched World Series ever. You put the Dodgers in the World Series ratings are sky high!

Hell yeah. This is the most covered baseball news after a while

I'm an Angels fan but think it's a good thing for the sport, I want ohtani to succeed but I'd prefer this then what the pirates, and A's for instance are doing

Nobody is talking about why the Dodgers were able to spend $1 billion on Ohtani & Yamamoto. The Dodgers have led MLB in attendance for the last 12 years with average attendance of over 47,000/game last season (Dodger Stadium capacity is 56,000). This level of attendance generates not only ticket revenue, but also tv revenue, ad revenue, merch revenue, etc due to fan engagement un the stands and watching on tv. Now add to that these two premier players from Japan and the Dodgers effectively added Japan’s population of 126 million to their fan base. For Ohtani’s press conference every tv channel in Japan broadcast it and US viewership was 70 million (vs. World Series viewership of less than 10 million per game). With is type of engagement, the Dodgers will make far more over the next 10-12 years due to revenue these players will generate than the club will pay them under their contracts. Broadcasters in Japan are in a bidding war to get the broadcast rights to Dodger games. Just the merch sales alone in Japan will pay for these two contracts. Ad rates within Dodger Stadium are going through the roof because advertisers know millions will see those ads at the stadium and on tv worldwide during every home game (there will probably be more ads in Japanese than English within the stadium). The international broadcast rights fees and merch sales outside of the team store will be split equally among all 30 teams, so the other 29 teams will owe the Dodgers thanks for that windfall they will receive, but the stadium ad revenue stays with the Dodgers, as well as naming rights to the field (not the stadium, which will always be Dodger Stadium). But the club will sign a huge money contract with a major Japanese company to name the field (which the Dodgers have never done before) to something like, Honda Field at Dodger Stadium. With millions of eyeballs worldwide seeing that corporate name on the grass behind home plate and in view on tv for every pitch, the right to name the field will generate tens of millions annually because that field within Dodger Stadium will be like a temple that the two biggest Japanese icons will grace every home game. Right now the first game at Dodger Stadium is sold out with limited standing room only tickets selling for $900 (face value). Every home game at Dodger Stadium next season will be virtual sell outs, but that equates to only 9,000 more in per game attendance compared to 2023 ave. attendance. More importantly, ticket prices will be whatever the Dodgers want to charge for them and Dodger fans won’t be complaining. The Dodgers had all of this way more figuted out than any other team, which is why they made sure they wouldn’t lose out in signing both players. Every other team and fans are looking at these two contracts as costs compared to the Dodgers’ view of these contracts as investment opportunities. Any other team could have been in the same situation if they had signed both players, but they tapped out because they didn’t fully understand the revenue that would be generated with both players on the same team. The team ownership, Guggenheim Partners, is in the business of making money for their clients and they fully understood the investment opportunity that these two players will yield. The isn’t big market think nor snall market thinking, but rather, that is smart business thinking. And the ability to view these two contracts as investment opportunities vs. costs/expenses is due to the stability and security that leading MLB in attendance year-in-and-year-out with near sell out for every home game. Knowing the fans will always be there supporting the team in every way gives the club the ability to make bold investments.

When the Rangers added Seager/ Semien + and won the WS were people this upset? They spent $ and got a WS What's different now?

I mean If you ask The younger Rich. He probably say. Yankees do that 1st. there's a reason why Yankees are being hated by everyone. They outbid everyone for the best player in the market. Dodgers only do it these year. Yankees in the the past do that every year. Rich eisen probably agree to this.

It’s cool when the Yankees and Red Sox do it, but when others team do it’s a problem

It can only be a good thing. Because it makes baseball mainstream again.

How can you hate a team when other teams are offering the same amount, can’t blame the dodgers when players decide who they want to play for!

As an Anaheim native, ABSOLUTELY no denial that both Anaheim & LA are 2 totally different areas. No comparison!

It's one of your lifetime treasure with Shohei,right? And I know you love Shohei.

Thats great man!

People are gonna look mighty dumb if they boo him and then rush to get his autograph and getting pictures and videos

I'm happy for you, Rich and Cooper!

Rich: "How can you hate these guys?" Me, a Giants fan: Individually, no I don't hate them. But they collectively play for the Dodgers, so I have no choice but to root against them. Life is cruel. 😢

THE SWEET PRINCE SHOHEI😍😍😍

It is the same GD thing they said about the Yankees. The Dodgers are a solid organization. Also: thank you Boston for Mookie Betts

Some very good points here, Rich. It's hard not to like the Dodgers players personally. Most of them are good clubhouse players and character guys. I've heard so many complaints from podcasters of other teams especially the Giants, Padres, Yankees, and Mets. The Dodgers worked within the rules of the CBA.

Been a Dodgers and Wolverines fan over 40 years. As Harbaugh once asked, "who has it better than us?"

Getting a Dodger's Ohtani jersey.

yes bro it’s good for baseball.. more people will tune in more than ever 😊

Yeah that's very sweet of him

As a DODGERS fan & 9ER Fan I 💯💪 am enjoying my teams assembling The way they are doing it I'll be Ecstatic if they both end up Champion's

Walker Buehler and Bobby Miller are now their #3 and #4 pitchers. This is how you protect a kid in your rotation who is brand new to the league as well as a guy coming back from a long injury. Losing Urias was a major loss for them- now pitching is their strength. Good moves by the Dodgers.

Yes it is good for baseball. Yankees did it in '09 and won. Evil empire and all, public enemy #1 just gives more attraction to fans all over the world. Imagine Dodgers visiting Tampa or KC, guaranteed it would be packed.

Love love love Ohtani San🦄😍🤟

Let’s Go Dodgers, Raiders, Lakers😁😁😁

Dynasty is something that was missing in baseball over the last 20 plus years. I do wish to see it again, whether that comes from Dodgers or the Yankees, I do want to see that dominance in a team that was in the 90s.

Love the die hard reference

The SF Giants did 3 World Championships in 5 years. And, were underdogs every year.

lol i wonder if he complained when the red sox and yankees were doing it to win

It’s fine when the Yankees do it. Why wouldn’t it be fine now when the Dodgers do it?

I wish I could get a pic with Otani too… yeah you should totally use Cooptani 😂

individually, it's definitely hard to root againts the dodgers since all their players are relatively likeable guys. BUT i've always thought this trait is their greatest weakness. the lack of emotion, toughness, and grit i think was missing every time they choke in the playoffs. they need a dog on their team..or a few of them at least.

Best comedy ever, inside of the love of sports.

As a Dodgers fan, last year was a miracle breaking 100 plus wins without (urias , Bueller , maye , gonsolin) Best thing was to lose to the D-backs Ohtani saw a team that needed him .

Good for baseball, bad for the fans of every team that couldn’t sign him

It is good for baseball. As it was good when the Mets and Padres did it. It's always good when a team invests and tries to raise the bar because it makes other teams better, it's good to set examples (whether they work or not it's a good experience that'll help other teams), it's also good because it draws atention (new fans) to the sport, and in addition it's good because it makes more unsustainable the lack of a floor cap wich allow owners to keep not caring about their team's and fanbases.

George's Evil Empire had no problem w/ jealousy resenful fans, it was good for baseball.

Us Padres fans are always pissed

We are happy! 😂

It's GREAT for their bottom line

People are talking baseball right now. Of course it’s good for the sport.

Pretty ironic coming from a Yankee's fan. 🤯

It's good for baseball, because once ever 15 or 20 years, every sport needs to find some way to allow for a team to go all out in acquiring talent. We NEED to see what is possible for one team to do. I'm tired of parity, with the best players all being evenly distributed across 30-something teams. I want to see just how dominant a team can truly be. We know about the Murderer's Row Yankees, the 60's and 70's UCLA Bruins, and the 70's Montreal Canadiens, 80's Oilers and Lakers, 90s Bulls. It's not QUITE the same as the Dodgers buying a billion plus worth of players in the last week, but it was easier to assemble and keep your good players back in the day. When watching those teams, you just KNEW you were seeing as close to optimal as could be expected. The best teams had a good chunk of the top ten or fifteen players in the league, often a couple of the best players EVER. You knew when those teams got beat (or when they beat themselves), you knew you'd just witnessed something special. How much less interesting is it that Patrick Mahomes doesn't have any elite wide receivers or running backs on his team? Imagine, just IMAGINE, Patrick Mahomes with the weapons Brock Purdy has. Or that Kurt Warner had. You can have your parity. Give me a once-a-generation utter dominance!

Rich.. with all do respect The Angels played and started in Los Angeles before the Dodger arrived. It’s in the name.. Los Angeles “City of Angels” They were the first Los angeles based sports team, in the Los Angeles California league.

Nobody cared when padres, redsox, Yankees, rangers have had huge spending sprees in recent years. Dodgers do it with still a team mostly developed by them and everyone looses their minds.

The Mets and Padres 'stockpiled' talent for the 2023 season too. How did that work out?

If it was the Yankees, then Rich would not be asking this question...

Don't hate on the Dodgers hate the owners who refuse to splurge on their teams.

Like how the NY Giants/ Jets play in New Jersey(across State Lines). Think about it…

Mr. Eisen, this is an extraordinary event. For the past several years, Ohtani has not responded to any Japanese gold medalists, soccer players, popular entertainers, or Hollywood actors who have come to Angel Stadium. Your son has gained a treasure for life.

The real question is was his 17 Rams jersey Nacua or Ohtani at the game?

Sports is about the story. And it's easy to have a story that's compelling with a villain and they will be the biggest villain since the Yankees were dominant. Maybe even more so now

I’m a Dodgers fan in Braves country. The tears right now are delicious

Rich know you are a New Yorker but MLB needs the Dodgers in WS. Just hope the Yankees can make it.

GREAT JOB DAD!

It was good for baseball when the Yankees did it in the late 90s. Why wouldn’t it be good for baseball now? And this is coming from a giants fan swinging at the air like Cuba Gooding in Boyz 😂😂

Doyers are just having retail therapy due to the 3-0 thumping that the D-Backs did on them in the 2023 NLDS. Sweeps cost nearly $1B? Sheesh.

Jesus. The other guy believes you're justified to dislike/hate people based on what uniform they wear. Have some substance, man.

I guess.. Rich Eisen didn't have a problem, when George Steinbrenner (for years) was buying up ALL the top talent in baseball? 🤔 I guess THAT'S what he's NOT USED TOO.

I’m surprised they didn’t went for Soto as well.

“How dare u” got me LOL ❤Cooptani BFF hoary🎉

The day Ohtani meets Coop-tani has arrived!!! 🎉🎉🎉

Honestly I'll be happy with 1 championship. I know they can get 2 or 3 but wining in the postseason is hard. And it's not easy.

Actually id be cool with the Dodgers winning. Glasnow is my favorite player. Ohtani, Yamamoto, Freeman, betts, chris taylor , manny margot etc. Are all very likeable players and would be happy if they win too. Id start rooting against them after they win once or twice

of course its not good for the league but its sure as hell good for the dodgers no one was complaining when the astros, yankees, red sox or braves were doing it

We can still count on choketober for the Dudgers....every...single...year. Like taxes....

it's great for baseball, people now have so much to talk about ⚾

COOPTHANI welcome to Dodger Nation.