1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:06,400 Speaker 1: Buenos Dias fanaticos, Hello, fans, go on, Nietzsche wa fon, 2 00:00:06,480 --> 00:00:16,000 Speaker 1: though minasan thanks for listening. Dodger Blue Dream is a documentary. 3 00:00:16,640 --> 00:00:20,000 Speaker 1: It's a chronicle of the Los Angeles Dodgers twenty twenty 4 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:24,800 Speaker 1: four baseball season from start to finish. You never know 5 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:29,120 Speaker 1: what's going to happen in baseball ergo ipso facto. You 6 00:00:29,200 --> 00:00:31,800 Speaker 1: never know what's going to happen on this show. It's 7 00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:36,760 Speaker 1: Suey generous, very special, one of a kind. And this 8 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:40,479 Speaker 1: is just the first episode made in spring training and 9 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:43,040 Speaker 1: up through opening day, where as you'll see at the end, 10 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:46,159 Speaker 1: took a bit of a turn. So it's a long season, 11 00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:49,560 Speaker 1: one hundred and sixty two games, spring into summer, summer 12 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:53,680 Speaker 1: into fall. We'll see what happens. That's the fun of it. 13 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:57,600 Speaker 1: And now, as the Great Vince Scully was known to say, 14 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:13,839 Speaker 1: let's get back to this one. It came out of nowhere. 15 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:23,840 Speaker 1: A text app screenshot in Japanese characters overlaid with an 16 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:27,399 Speaker 1: image of sho hey Otani's dog, posted to Instagram in 17 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:30,560 Speaker 1: the wee hours of the morning, California time. Later the 18 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:31,920 Speaker 1: next day in Japan. 19 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:34,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, good morning. Maybe I should just change my last 20 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:37,840 Speaker 2: name Doatani and let everyone think that I'm his new wife. 21 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:42,920 Speaker 1: But before dawn, a Fox eleven reporter was in front 22 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:45,119 Speaker 1: of Dodger Stadium to deliver the news. 23 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:51,960 Speaker 2: He has lots of titles MVP, Gazillionaire, superstar, but husband 24 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:54,600 Speaker 2: had eluded him until now, and he made the announcement 25 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:56,080 Speaker 2: where else but on social media. 26 00:01:56,600 --> 00:01:57,680 Speaker 3: Just a few hours ago. 27 00:01:57,720 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 2: He posted to. 28 00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:02,160 Speaker 1: All my friends and fans throughout. Read the English caption, 29 00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:05,160 Speaker 1: not only have I began a new chapter in my 30 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:08,280 Speaker 1: career with the Dodgers, but I also have began a 31 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:09,040 Speaker 1: new life. 32 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:11,240 Speaker 2: From my son of country of Japan, who is very 33 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:14,000 Speaker 2: special to me, and I wanted everyone to know I 34 00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:14,840 Speaker 2: am now married. 35 00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:22,720 Speaker 1: Quite he is getting married. Television stations interrupted programming to 36 00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:26,079 Speaker 1: break the news. In Japan, women excuse themselves from work 37 00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 1: for the rest of the day, too heartbroken to go on, 38 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:32,840 Speaker 1: and fans from Nagoya to North Hollywood took to social 39 00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:40,360 Speaker 1: media to express their shock and woe. In this video, 40 00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:43,600 Speaker 1: an adorable little girl has tears welling up in her 41 00:02:43,639 --> 00:02:47,840 Speaker 1: eyes and running down her cheeks. She wants to know 42 00:02:47,919 --> 00:02:54,640 Speaker 1: the name of Otani's new bride. When an adult tells 43 00:02:54,639 --> 00:03:02,000 Speaker 1: her she doesn't know. The girl starts wailing and the 44 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:07,000 Speaker 1: video cuts off. She's so relatable. One person tweeted. 45 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:09,400 Speaker 2: Shohey o, Tani didn't say who the woman is or 46 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:11,959 Speaker 2: give any other details to a huge mystery, and he 47 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:14,600 Speaker 2: asks the media to refrain from reaching out to his 48 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:15,880 Speaker 2: family and friends. 49 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 3: So we'll just have to see live at Dodger Stadium. 50 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:28,000 Speaker 3: Christy Otani listening back to you, Listen. 51 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:29,560 Speaker 4: You wouldn't be working here anymore if that were the 52 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:30,400 Speaker 4: actual case. 53 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:34,399 Speaker 2: Well, you know, it was gonna say, my husband would 54 00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 2: probably have a problem with you love the Dodgers more 55 00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:40,200 Speaker 2: than me, so maybe he would be Okay, I. 56 00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:48,400 Speaker 1: Don't know, that's funny. Love it all right, Christy? Thank you. Normally, friends, 57 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:52,360 Speaker 1: we dismiss news about a player's personal life as mere gossip, 58 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:56,960 Speaker 1: but Shohio Tani's surprise marriage announcement on Instagram provides a 59 00:03:57,000 --> 00:04:00,960 Speaker 1: real window into the Otani effect and the superstar player 60 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:04,120 Speaker 1: at the center of the Los Angeles Dodgers story. In 61 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:19,680 Speaker 1: twenty twenty four, Welcome to Dodger Blue Dream. I'm Richard Parks. 62 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:24,680 Speaker 1: I'm a writer, podcaster, and diehard Dodger fan. Born and 63 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:28,240 Speaker 1: raised in Los Angeles. I was also drafted number two 64 00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:31,159 Speaker 1: overall in my little league, but that was a long 65 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:36,560 Speaker 1: time ago. The Los Angeles Dodgers are the story of 66 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:40,839 Speaker 1: the twenty twenty four baseball season. This is a documentary 67 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:48,000 Speaker 1: about a year we will never forget Ititch time for 68 00:04:48,680 --> 00:05:14,159 Speaker 1: Dodger base Today's episod normal Japanese woman. If you know 69 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:20,760 Speaker 1: anything about show Hey Otani, you know the dude's just different. 70 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:27,560 Speaker 1: On a team of superstars that includes Sherbet Hall of 71 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:32,240 Speaker 1: Famers and MVPs like Clayton Kershaw, Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts, 72 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:37,760 Speaker 1: Otani san shines brightest of all high drive straight away 73 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:41,680 Speaker 1: center field. He hits towering home runs. That is God 74 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:45,840 Speaker 1: headway God Joey Otani on top of the potters of 75 00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:49,720 Speaker 1: Otani's ready and as a pitcher, Drout's ready. He's an 76 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:55,800 Speaker 1: ace free two Hey stroke him out o Tani strikes 77 00:05:55,800 --> 00:06:00,200 Speaker 1: out Trout. They call him a two way player. It's 78 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:03,000 Speaker 1: a turn that was pretty much coined specifically to describe 79 00:06:03,040 --> 00:06:06,599 Speaker 1: Otani because no other player in baseball history has ever 80 00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:09,719 Speaker 1: had this ability. For the closest comparison, you have to 81 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:12,360 Speaker 1: go back more than one hundred years to around the 82 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:14,839 Speaker 1: time a young left handed pitcher for the Boston Red 83 00:06:14,880 --> 00:06:17,760 Speaker 1: Sox was traded to the New York Yankees and started 84 00:06:17,839 --> 00:06:21,600 Speaker 1: hitting home runs at a historic rate. His name was 85 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:24,880 Speaker 1: Babe Ruth, but Ruth quit pitching in order to hit. 86 00:06:25,279 --> 00:06:29,280 Speaker 1: Otani has a career where he excels it both simultaneously. 87 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:34,840 Speaker 5: Because we saw Shoani once again, perhaps Babe Ruth. 88 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:36,920 Speaker 1: He is now has the most. 89 00:06:36,720 --> 00:06:39,279 Speaker 4: Strikeout among a player to hit at least one hundred 90 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:40,040 Speaker 4: home runs. 91 00:06:46,839 --> 00:06:51,640 Speaker 1: He is a global celebrity bigger than baseball itself. This offseason, 92 00:06:51,720 --> 00:06:54,680 Speaker 1: in addition to appearing on the cover of GQ magazine 93 00:06:54,720 --> 00:06:59,800 Speaker 1: and accepting his second unanimous MVP award, Otani signed the 94 00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:06,120 Speaker 1: biggest contract in the history of sports, seven hundred million 95 00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:09,920 Speaker 1: dollars to come play baseball for the Los Angeles Dodgers. 96 00:07:12,360 --> 00:07:16,960 Speaker 1: The Dodgers were already a good team without Otani, they 97 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:20,080 Speaker 1: were great. They won one hundred games last year, one 98 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:23,200 Speaker 1: hundred and eleven games the year before that, and they've 99 00:07:23,200 --> 00:07:28,960 Speaker 1: made the postseason for eleven consecutive years. But the Dodgers 100 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:33,679 Speaker 1: have won the World Series only once in that time period, 101 00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:37,239 Speaker 1: in twenty twenty, and due to COVID precautions that year, 102 00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:43,480 Speaker 1: La didn't even get a parade, just one championship and 103 00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:48,720 Speaker 1: no parade. The Dodgers ownership and players alike have started 104 00:07:48,760 --> 00:07:53,520 Speaker 1: to characterize this as an organizational failure. Otani, who has 105 00:07:53,520 --> 00:07:56,200 Speaker 1: spent his entire career so far in the major leagues 106 00:07:56,240 --> 00:07:59,320 Speaker 1: on the Angels, has never appeared in a postseason game. 107 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:03,240 Speaker 1: He said he plans to bring multiple parades to the city. 108 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:09,920 Speaker 1: Everybody wants to see baseball's biggest star on baseball's biggest stage. 109 00:08:10,280 --> 00:08:13,840 Speaker 1: This is the top story in baseball in twenty twenty four. 110 00:08:14,200 --> 00:08:18,200 Speaker 1: What are the new Los Angeles Dodgers capable of doing? 111 00:08:19,080 --> 00:08:22,440 Speaker 1: All eyes are on this team, and especially so on 112 00:08:22,520 --> 00:08:29,200 Speaker 1: their new superstar show, Hey Otani. Dodger Spring training is 113 00:08:29,240 --> 00:08:32,600 Speaker 1: normally a pretty sleepy affair, about a dozen reporters or so, 114 00:08:32,720 --> 00:08:36,040 Speaker 1: but this year with Otani, they were more like eighty. 115 00:08:36,800 --> 00:08:41,679 Speaker 1: The media spotlight has never been brighter, and yet, as 116 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:50,000 Speaker 1: his marriage announcement shows us, we know relatively little about him. 117 00:08:50,160 --> 00:08:53,560 Speaker 1: As day broke at Camelback Ranch, the Dodgers' spring training 118 00:08:53,600 --> 00:08:57,520 Speaker 1: facility in Arizona, the media coverage of Otani's Instagram posts 119 00:08:57,559 --> 00:09:03,480 Speaker 1: continued and the mystery deepened. Nobody not even Otani's closest 120 00:09:03,520 --> 00:09:08,040 Speaker 1: baseball colleagues seemed to know anything about this. Dodgers manager 121 00:09:08,120 --> 00:09:11,400 Speaker 1: Dave Roberts told reporters he had been surprised and equipped 122 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:13,520 Speaker 1: that he hadn't had time to get Otani a gift. 123 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:15,920 Speaker 1: I was everybody. I think everybody's surprised. 124 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:17,000 Speaker 3: True. 125 00:09:17,040 --> 00:09:18,800 Speaker 2: I didn't know he had to go for the re 126 00:09:18,880 --> 00:09:19,360 Speaker 2: league team. 127 00:09:19,760 --> 00:09:22,240 Speaker 1: I didn't even know he had a girlfriend. That's Otani's 128 00:09:22,240 --> 00:09:26,959 Speaker 1: longtime teammate, fellow superstar Mike Trout. I thought he was 129 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:32,400 Speaker 1: in baseball. Baseball, Yeah, me too. To ask you about 130 00:09:32,400 --> 00:09:36,079 Speaker 1: a non baseball thing. Congrats, I'm getting married. When did 131 00:09:36,080 --> 00:09:37,880 Speaker 1: that happen? And sort of what can you tell us 132 00:09:37,920 --> 00:09:42,439 Speaker 1: about you know, your new wife. When Otani himself finally 133 00:09:42,480 --> 00:09:45,400 Speaker 1: faced the scrum of media that trails his every move, 134 00:09:45,600 --> 00:09:49,000 Speaker 1: with his translator, Ipe Mizuhara, he revealed little. 135 00:09:49,160 --> 00:09:53,800 Speaker 2: He and I and I took him. 136 00:09:56,080 --> 00:09:58,840 Speaker 1: He didn't say when he was married, he didn't say where, 137 00:09:58,960 --> 00:10:01,760 Speaker 1: and he wouldn't say his life's name. He described her 138 00:10:01,840 --> 00:10:12,000 Speaker 1: only this way. That reaction you hear is from the 139 00:10:12,080 --> 00:10:17,040 Speaker 1: Japanese reporters. Here's the translation. If she's a normal Japanese woman, 140 00:10:18,640 --> 00:10:34,080 Speaker 1: normal Japanese woman. That's it, and that's not much. We're 141 00:10:34,080 --> 00:10:38,680 Speaker 1: accustomed to knowing things about baseball players' lives, particularly in 142 00:10:38,720 --> 00:10:43,040 Speaker 1: the media saturated, celebrity focused culture of Los Angeles. It's 143 00:10:43,120 --> 00:10:46,560 Speaker 1: normal and expected for Dodger wives to share part of 144 00:10:46,559 --> 00:10:50,440 Speaker 1: the spotlight with their husbands. They help run prominent charities 145 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:53,959 Speaker 1: in the community, a longstanding Dodger tradition. You see them 146 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:57,480 Speaker 1: regularly on television or leading the cheer in the stands 147 00:10:57,559 --> 00:11:01,120 Speaker 1: during games. They host podcasts, and they post to big 148 00:11:01,160 --> 00:11:05,520 Speaker 1: followings on social media. The more famous and successful the player, 149 00:11:05,920 --> 00:11:08,240 Speaker 1: the more we tend to know. And there is no 150 00:11:08,440 --> 00:11:12,920 Speaker 1: more famous and successful baseball player on planet Earth than 151 00:11:12,960 --> 00:11:18,040 Speaker 1: show Hey Otani, So why announce something like this and 152 00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:22,360 Speaker 1: then be so vague about it. Otani never speaks to 153 00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:26,720 Speaker 1: the media without his translator. During postgame interviews, news cameras 154 00:11:26,760 --> 00:11:29,319 Speaker 1: frame the duo in a two shot with their lights 155 00:11:29,320 --> 00:11:33,959 Speaker 1: illuminating both faces equally. Show He answers the questions in Japanese, 156 00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:37,560 Speaker 1: but it's Epe who actually is doing the communicating, so 157 00:11:37,920 --> 00:11:41,360 Speaker 1: Epe gets the reaction from the reporter or the laugh. 158 00:11:41,920 --> 00:11:44,720 Speaker 1: And as a fan, even when you're watching for show Hey, 159 00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:48,080 Speaker 1: it's often Epe's face you find yourself looking at in 160 00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:50,960 Speaker 1: these moments, his voice you're listening to on the radio. 161 00:11:51,280 --> 00:11:54,520 Speaker 1: The reason that why I chose the team. Of course, 162 00:11:54,559 --> 00:11:56,760 Speaker 1: the biggest goal is to win that World Series. And 163 00:11:57,080 --> 00:11:59,080 Speaker 1: I mean it was a postseason. I'm not sure what 164 00:11:59,080 --> 00:12:01,360 Speaker 1: it's called, because I'll you talked to my doctor about that. 165 00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:04,000 Speaker 1: This is a normal Japanese woman. 166 00:12:04,760 --> 00:12:05,600 Speaker 3: You guys known each other. 167 00:12:05,920 --> 00:12:06,280 Speaker 1: Congrats? 168 00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:08,000 Speaker 3: By the way, how long have you guys known each other? 169 00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:10,360 Speaker 3: Look going on? 170 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:14,480 Speaker 1: You might be wondering if, in addition to pitching and hitting, 171 00:12:14,640 --> 00:12:18,319 Speaker 1: show Heo Tani you can also speak English. He can 172 00:12:19,679 --> 00:12:20,400 Speaker 1: thank you, Dessie. 173 00:12:20,920 --> 00:12:23,480 Speaker 2: I appreciate the introduction in that kind of word. 174 00:12:24,040 --> 00:12:27,080 Speaker 1: When he accepted his MVP award at the Baseball Writers 175 00:12:27,160 --> 00:12:30,320 Speaker 1: Association of America gala in New York in the off season, 176 00:12:30,600 --> 00:12:33,480 Speaker 1: he gave his acceptance speech in English to the writers, 177 00:12:34,720 --> 00:12:37,160 Speaker 1: thank you. And A quick search of YouTube turns up 178 00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:40,000 Speaker 1: a video of show Hay chatting with Harold Reynolds, the 179 00:12:40,080 --> 00:12:43,120 Speaker 1: former player and MLB analyst. Looks like they're at an 180 00:12:43,160 --> 00:12:45,960 Speaker 1: All Star game talking about show hayes bat. What are 181 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:49,240 Speaker 1: you sweating? Thirty four thirty four and a half and 182 00:12:49,360 --> 00:12:52,240 Speaker 1: thirty two, thirty two, and then a type or not. 183 00:12:53,559 --> 00:12:56,880 Speaker 1: But it's still typical for foreign players to use a translator, 184 00:12:57,000 --> 00:13:00,760 Speaker 1: especially those from Asian countries. Actually the term is interpreter. 185 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:04,480 Speaker 1: Every Major League Baseball team, for example, has two Spanish 186 00:13:04,559 --> 00:13:08,240 Speaker 1: language interpreters on staff right now. But as an observer, 187 00:13:08,800 --> 00:13:13,000 Speaker 1: this increases the distancing effect and the overall mysterious vibe 188 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:16,760 Speaker 1: around Otani. It's like a normal baseball player who speaks 189 00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:19,200 Speaker 1: English who you typically don't get a lot from anyway, 190 00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:23,760 Speaker 1: except on steroids. I'm not saying he's on steroids. Let's 191 00:13:23,840 --> 00:13:28,280 Speaker 1: keep this thing on track. What is a normal Japanese 192 00:13:28,360 --> 00:13:32,280 Speaker 1: woman anyway? It seemed to be a case of lost 193 00:13:32,320 --> 00:13:35,800 Speaker 1: in translation. Luckily I'm not the only guy on the 194 00:13:35,880 --> 00:13:39,880 Speaker 1: Dodgers beat and the Los Angeles Times, Dylan Hernandez published 195 00:13:39,880 --> 00:13:42,360 Speaker 1: a piece that helped unpack a lot of the very 196 00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:46,880 Speaker 1: plausible cultural reasons for Otani's vagueness and mysteriousness. On the 197 00:13:46,920 --> 00:13:54,120 Speaker 1: topic of his wife, Hernandez, who is half Japanese, drew 198 00:13:54,160 --> 00:13:58,640 Speaker 1: a comparison between Otani and Olympic gold medalist Yuzeruhanyu, who 199 00:13:58,640 --> 00:14:01,679 Speaker 1: announced his own marriage on social media last year, only 200 00:14:01,720 --> 00:14:04,240 Speaker 1: to follow up a couple months later with another post, 201 00:14:04,440 --> 00:14:09,400 Speaker 1: this one announcing his divorce. The reason Japanese tabloids uncovered 202 00:14:09,400 --> 00:14:13,400 Speaker 1: the identity of Hanyu's wife and the athlete said quote 203 00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:16,880 Speaker 1: his family was harassed and became the unwonted subjects of 204 00:14:16,960 --> 00:14:21,520 Speaker 1: media inquiries and reports. Otani said he wed a normal 205 00:14:21,640 --> 00:14:26,080 Speaker 1: Japanese woman. Hernandez wrote, so the expectation is that she 206 00:14:26,160 --> 00:14:29,440 Speaker 1: will attempt to stay in the shadows. This is what 207 00:14:29,560 --> 00:14:35,440 Speaker 1: is meant by normal Japanese woman. Even if Otani is famous, 208 00:14:35,480 --> 00:14:39,040 Speaker 1: his wife doesn't have to be seems reasonable, right. But 209 00:14:39,440 --> 00:14:42,440 Speaker 1: this deserves a little bit more attention because the way 210 00:14:42,480 --> 00:14:46,520 Speaker 1: Otani did this, posting it to Instagram himself in the 211 00:14:46,560 --> 00:14:49,240 Speaker 1: middle of the night, late in the week to minimize 212 00:14:49,280 --> 00:14:54,600 Speaker 1: the attention right before the season begins. It's so unusually calculated, 213 00:14:54,880 --> 00:14:58,640 Speaker 1: and Otani's marriage announcement wasn't the first time we've seen 214 00:14:58,720 --> 00:15:01,400 Speaker 1: him operate this way. In fact, he seems to have 215 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:08,080 Speaker 1: become quite accustomed to breaking his own news. Over the offseason, 216 00:15:08,560 --> 00:15:13,160 Speaker 1: the biggest story in baseball was Otani's highly anticipated free agency. 217 00:15:13,640 --> 00:15:16,720 Speaker 1: Where would he sign and for how much money? The 218 00:15:16,760 --> 00:15:20,720 Speaker 1: widely shared expectation was that he would sign the biggest 219 00:15:20,720 --> 00:15:25,840 Speaker 1: contract in baseball history for upwards of five hundred million dollars, 220 00:15:26,160 --> 00:15:28,760 Speaker 1: but nobody knew which team he would sign with or win. 221 00:15:29,880 --> 00:15:33,960 Speaker 1: Every one of Major League Baseball's thirty franchises was thought 222 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:38,000 Speaker 1: to be bidding on the game's biggest talent, but Otani's agent, 223 00:15:38,320 --> 00:15:42,320 Speaker 1: Nez Bilello, required that all meetings be kept secret and 224 00:15:42,400 --> 00:15:46,920 Speaker 1: not shared with the media. For months, reporters chased Otani's 225 00:15:46,960 --> 00:15:51,720 Speaker 1: shadow speculation ran amuck and reached a fevered pitch. On 226 00:15:51,800 --> 00:15:54,680 Speaker 1: December eighth, Well, like this has been going crazy online 227 00:15:54,680 --> 00:15:55,960 Speaker 1: for like twelve hours. 228 00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:58,960 Speaker 2: Someone on Twitter found that there's a flight chartered flight 229 00:15:59,160 --> 00:16:02,280 Speaker 2: going from Adami to Toronto. Well, it turns out show 230 00:16:02,280 --> 00:16:04,800 Speaker 2: Hey that's the plane he usually charged. 231 00:16:04,880 --> 00:16:07,240 Speaker 1: Let's first take a look at the radar. Is this 232 00:16:07,680 --> 00:16:11,400 Speaker 1: Sho hey O Tani's airplane right there on a flight 233 00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:14,280 Speaker 1: from Orange County that left about thirty minutes ago. His 234 00:16:14,400 --> 00:16:16,840 Speaker 1: rumors that shoe was en route to Toronto and a 235 00:16:16,880 --> 00:16:19,800 Speaker 1: private plane went viral, and then a reservation at a 236 00:16:19,840 --> 00:16:22,760 Speaker 1: sushi restaurant near the Blue Jays Ballpark was clocked as 237 00:16:22,800 --> 00:16:26,480 Speaker 1: his destination for a celebratory dinner that night. As fans 238 00:16:26,520 --> 00:16:30,160 Speaker 1: online tracked the plane's flight status across the continent. Throngs 239 00:16:30,160 --> 00:16:34,200 Speaker 1: of sports reporters, photographers, and fans descended on a special 240 00:16:34,240 --> 00:16:38,120 Speaker 1: area of Pearson Airport reserved for vip landers to await 241 00:16:38,160 --> 00:16:41,400 Speaker 1: the star's arrival. Sho hey O Tani was going to 242 00:16:41,480 --> 00:16:44,800 Speaker 1: be a Toronto Blue Jay. The plane pulls up on 243 00:16:44,880 --> 00:16:51,440 Speaker 1: the tarmac and out walks the host of the television 244 00:16:51,480 --> 00:16:58,480 Speaker 1: show Shark Tank, and then the next day, out of nowhere, 245 00:16:58,640 --> 00:17:02,200 Speaker 1: Shohi dropped his own news on his Instagram. To all 246 00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:04,760 Speaker 1: the fans and everyone involved in the baseball world, I 247 00:17:04,840 --> 00:17:08,200 Speaker 1: apologize for taking so long to come to a decision, 248 00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:12,280 Speaker 1: Otani wrote, I've decided to choose the Dodgers as my 249 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:18,119 Speaker 1: next team. Ten years, seven hundred million dollars, the largest 250 00:17:18,200 --> 00:17:26,400 Speaker 1: contract in sports history. Generally, this type of breaking baseball 251 00:17:26,480 --> 00:17:29,280 Speaker 1: news is reported by a national beat writer, one of 252 00:17:29,320 --> 00:17:34,000 Speaker 1: baseball's insiders, like John Hayman, Jeff Passen or Ken Rosenthal. 253 00:17:34,520 --> 00:17:37,800 Speaker 1: But not this time. It's another thing that's unique about 254 00:17:37,800 --> 00:17:42,000 Speaker 1: this very unique athlete and celebrity. He is, to an 255 00:17:42,040 --> 00:17:47,040 Speaker 1: impressive and unusual extent in any context, in control of 256 00:17:47,119 --> 00:17:50,840 Speaker 1: his own story. Like we said in the beginning, He's 257 00:17:51,040 --> 00:17:58,440 Speaker 1: just different on this side. Show Hayes interpreter mostly Show 258 00:17:58,480 --> 00:18:02,199 Speaker 1: Hayes's best buddy, close friend an Ipe Mizuhara. At an 259 00:18:02,240 --> 00:18:05,720 Speaker 1: introductory press conference held shortly after he signed his contract 260 00:18:05,760 --> 00:18:08,919 Speaker 1: with the Dodgers, Otani was asked where he was on 261 00:18:08,960 --> 00:18:13,719 Speaker 1: December eighth, the day his mysterious whereabouts became the obsession 262 00:18:13,800 --> 00:18:17,920 Speaker 1: of the baseball world for an entire news cycle. Oh, 263 00:18:17,960 --> 00:18:20,760 Speaker 1: I was at home on my couch chilling with my dog. 264 00:18:21,119 --> 00:18:24,320 Speaker 6: Kyle kraskobit foxl A thank you for the opportunity the dog. 265 00:18:24,920 --> 00:18:28,200 Speaker 6: Ever since the Most Valuable Player Award presentation. 266 00:18:27,920 --> 00:18:29,960 Speaker 1: Before the wife, we had wondered about the dog. 267 00:18:30,240 --> 00:18:31,840 Speaker 6: The whole world has wanted to know. 268 00:18:32,240 --> 00:18:33,480 Speaker 1: Nobody even knew his name. 269 00:18:33,600 --> 00:18:36,520 Speaker 6: What is the name of your dog? There's been speculation 270 00:18:37,560 --> 00:18:40,760 Speaker 6: that it's Dodger. What is the name of your dog? 271 00:18:41,280 --> 00:18:42,120 Speaker 6: Could a sign. 272 00:18:44,359 --> 00:18:48,159 Speaker 1: Decoy? The dog's name is Decoy, which is funny on 273 00:18:48,200 --> 00:18:51,920 Speaker 1: its own, But the dog has a Japanese name too. 274 00:18:52,560 --> 00:18:53,760 Speaker 2: That's a Japanese name, and. 275 00:18:54,440 --> 00:19:00,479 Speaker 1: In Japanese, deco pen means to flick one's forehead. I 276 00:19:00,480 --> 00:19:02,760 Speaker 1: had to admit that my forehead felt a little bit 277 00:19:02,800 --> 00:19:05,439 Speaker 1: flicked when just as I was putting the finishing touches 278 00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:09,040 Speaker 1: on this episode, the first ever episode of my new series. 279 00:19:09,240 --> 00:19:12,480 Speaker 1: Sho hey Otani took to social media yet again, this 280 00:19:12,640 --> 00:19:17,480 Speaker 1: time to post a photo of himself with his wife. Yeah, 281 00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:20,440 Speaker 1: there they were, with Epe and his wife and Yoshinobu 282 00:19:20,520 --> 00:19:23,920 Speaker 1: Yamamoto and his translator standing on the tarmac in front 283 00:19:23,920 --> 00:19:26,880 Speaker 1: of a chartered plane about to take off for South 284 00:19:26,960 --> 00:19:30,439 Speaker 1: Korea where the Dodgers were opening the season. Which is 285 00:19:30,480 --> 00:19:32,119 Speaker 1: the next thing I felt a little flicked in the 286 00:19:32,119 --> 00:19:37,600 Speaker 1: forehead about because it is two thirty am South Korea 287 00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:41,240 Speaker 1: is in a different time zoned in California opening day, 288 00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:43,640 Speaker 1: so the day that I was supposed to launch this show, 289 00:19:43,680 --> 00:19:44,919 Speaker 1: I had to get up in the middle of the 290 00:19:45,040 --> 00:19:47,639 Speaker 1: night to watch the first game of the season. And 291 00:19:47,760 --> 00:19:49,919 Speaker 1: this was happening in Asia in large part because of 292 00:19:49,960 --> 00:19:52,560 Speaker 1: Sho Hayes's influence around the world. By the way his 293 00:19:52,640 --> 00:19:56,960 Speaker 1: first hits A Dodger comes against you Darvish in Seul, Korea, 294 00:19:57,280 --> 00:20:00,520 Speaker 1: and then during the broadcast there she is is bribe 295 00:20:00,560 --> 00:20:03,880 Speaker 1: by Miko. He's on his first hitting Dodger Blue. They're 296 00:20:03,920 --> 00:20:06,520 Speaker 1: cutting away to her more than Taylor Swift at an 297 00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:09,000 Speaker 1: NFL game and you know, it turns out that she 298 00:20:09,240 --> 00:20:12,680 Speaker 1: is like a known basketball player in Japan. So I'm like, well, 299 00:20:12,680 --> 00:20:15,159 Speaker 1: now you're got to update the podcast again. Kind of 300 00:20:15,359 --> 00:20:18,520 Speaker 1: undermines the entire episode that I've been building. Got to 301 00:20:18,560 --> 00:20:22,000 Speaker 1: move my whole day around, you know, so much for sleep, right, 302 00:20:22,240 --> 00:20:25,880 Speaker 1: and my forehead is feeling thoroughly flicked at this point. 303 00:20:26,119 --> 00:20:28,679 Speaker 1: But Shohy gets his first hit, and he gets his 304 00:20:28,760 --> 00:20:31,840 Speaker 1: first steal, and he gets his first RBI as a Dodger, 305 00:20:32,080 --> 00:20:35,400 Speaker 1: and there's this great exciting eighth inning and the Dodgers 306 00:20:35,440 --> 00:20:37,960 Speaker 1: win the first game of the year, and so you know, 307 00:20:38,040 --> 00:20:43,439 Speaker 1: I'm happy. I guess the point is that baseball is 308 00:20:43,480 --> 00:20:55,760 Speaker 1: a sport that is fundamentally speaking about storytelling. Sho Heyo 309 00:20:55,920 --> 00:21:05,679 Speaker 1: Tani seems very acutely aware of this. And then I 310 00:21:05,760 --> 00:21:09,000 Speaker 1: learned that the word deco pene in Japanese connotes not 311 00:21:09,160 --> 00:21:11,800 Speaker 1: just a flick to one's forehead, but a playful flick 312 00:21:12,040 --> 00:21:14,919 Speaker 1: between friends. And I felt like I'd gotten closer to 313 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:17,760 Speaker 1: show Hey over the course of making this episode, and 314 00:21:17,800 --> 00:21:23,359 Speaker 1: that felt like a really good place to end. But then, 315 00:21:23,680 --> 00:21:26,120 Speaker 1: as I was just about to hit publish on this 316 00:21:26,280 --> 00:21:31,200 Speaker 1: episode on opening day, all. 317 00:21:31,160 --> 00:21:33,720 Speaker 5: Right, now, to the La Dodgers showing their star players 318 00:21:33,800 --> 00:21:37,000 Speaker 5: right hand man the door it Paim Mazuhara, interpreter for 319 00:21:37,080 --> 00:21:39,719 Speaker 5: the Dodgers Duel Threat show, Hey Otani, was fired by 320 00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:44,040 Speaker 5: the organization on Wednesday. His dismissal comes after Otani's reps 321 00:21:44,040 --> 00:21:46,600 Speaker 5: alleged the player had been the victim of a massive 322 00:21:46,720 --> 00:21:47,639 Speaker 5: theft of money. 323 00:21:48,119 --> 00:21:51,720 Speaker 4: ESPN reported. Mizuhara initially said in an interview Tuesday that 324 00:21:51,840 --> 00:21:55,760 Speaker 4: Otani had agreed to transfer money to payoff gambling debts, 325 00:21:56,040 --> 00:21:58,200 Speaker 4: but then a day later I told the network Otani 326 00:21:58,280 --> 00:22:01,440 Speaker 4: had no knowledge of them, citing sources, Both The La 327 00:22:01,520 --> 00:22:05,840 Speaker 4: Times and ESPN reported the payments involved a California bookmaker 328 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:10,160 Speaker 4: under federal investigation, and that the money transfers total millions 329 00:22:10,160 --> 00:22:10,760 Speaker 4: of dollars. 330 00:22:12,280 --> 00:22:15,960 Speaker 1: Hang on to your hats, everybody, It's going to be 331 00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:23,880 Speaker 1: a long season. Oh and the Dodgers split the Soul 332 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:27,760 Speaker 1: series with the Padres so one in one. Yamamoto's gonna 333 00:22:27,800 --> 00:22:35,560 Speaker 1: be fine. It was just a crazy game. Dodger Blue 334 00:22:35,640 --> 00:22:39,160 Speaker 1: Dream is written and produced by me Richard Parks. Music 335 00:22:39,240 --> 00:22:42,960 Speaker 1: by Angeline the Mandolin, joined here by Carmen the Accordion. 336 00:22:43,160 --> 00:22:46,040 Speaker 1: Special thanks to Caitlin esh and my puppy dog Blue 337 00:22:46,400 --> 00:22:49,920 Speaker 1: new decoys here. Dodger Blue Dream is a totally independent show, 338 00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:52,320 Speaker 1: so if you like it, please help spread the word. 339 00:22:52,680 --> 00:22:54,960 Speaker 1: Thanks again for listening, See you next time.