SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Shohei Otani The couple arrived in South Korea on Friday along with their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates. season opener They will play the San Diego Padres next week.
Wearing a black tracksuit and cap on backwards, Ohtani was the first Dodgers player to arrive at the arrival gate at Incheon International Airport west of Seoul. his wife, Mamiko Tanakawalked a few steps behind him.
As many fans wearing Dodgers uniforms shouted Ohtani's name and slogans of support, Ohtani waved briefly and Tanaka smiled, but neither said anything before boarding the limousine bus. Fans held up placards saying things like “GOATANI (Ohtani is the greatest of all time) GO'' and “Ohtani, the genius of baseball.''
Before leaving for South Korea, Ohtani, a two-way Japanese phenomenon, posted a photo with former professional basketball player Tanaka on his Instagram account, revealing his wife's identity. Japanese media had already speculated that Ohtani's wife was likely Tanaka.
Tanaka, 27, played for the Fujitsu Red Wave of the Japan Women's Basketball League from 2019 to 2023.
In late February, 29-year-old Otani announced in a post on his Instagram that he had gotten married. “Ordinary Japanese woman” He had known for three or four years. However, he did not say exactly who his wife is.
Otani's Instagram post included a photo of him and teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto in front of a plane with Tanaka.dodgers Posted a photo of Otani and Tanaka Next to the couple on the team's X (formerly Twitter) account is Mookie Betts and his wife.
The upcoming Dodgers-Padres game will be Ohtani's debut with the Dodgers. In December, Ohtani, formerly of the Los Angeles Angels, signed a record 700 million dollarsJoined the Dodgers on a 10-year contract.
Otani underwent surgery on his right elbow in September last year. I won't throw This season. He is scheduled to be used as a designated hitter and may play as a fielder.
Social media in Japan and South Korea is abuzz with messages talking about Ohtani and his wife.
One X user said in Japanese, “I was very moved when I saw Otani open up about his new wife Mamiko Tanaka.''
“Ohtani's wife is really beautiful. They were both made for each other,” one X user said in Korean. Another message in Korean read: “Their future child will be a super athlete.”
The Padres arrived early Friday. The two consecutive games, to be played at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on March 20th and 21st, will be the first Major League Baseball regular season games in South Korea.
Meanwhile, airport police announced that a South Korean man was arrested on suspicion of throwing an egg near Dodgers manager Dave Roberts at the airport. Police said they were looking into the motive for the man's actions, but family members told investigators the man, who was in his mid-20s, had a history of mental illness.
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Associated Press writer Jiwon Song contributed to this report.
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