From a corner of the clubhouse, Dodgers owners Mark Walter and Todd Boehly smiled as they watched the chaos unfolding in the room.
In front of them, Shohei Ohtani was closing his eyes as manager Dave Roberts emptied a beer on his head. Soon, Ohtani and Roberts were hopping up and down together on the alcohol-soaked carpet, now with Roberts throwing back his head and Ohtani pouring Budweiser into his open mouth.
While clutching a beer of his own, Walter said of Ohtani, “I’m so happy we’ve been able to take him from never going to the playoffs to the World Series.”
The Dodgers advanced to play the New York Yankees in the World Series with a 10-5 victory over New York’s other team in Game 6 in the National League Championship Series.
Ohtani will play in a World Series.
“Finally,” Ohtani said in Japanese.
Walter thought back to his team’s negotiations over the winter with Ohtani, who was a free agent after six seasons with the downtrodden Angels. Walter thought about when Ohtani suggested the team pay him only $2 million a season and defer the remainder of his annual $70-million salary.
“That was what Shohei did to help us be able to make sure we could put the best team around him on the field,” Walter said. “I felt we owed him to do the best we could and get him there.”
Ohtani will be paid $20 million over the 10 years of his contract. He will receive the other $680 million over the decade that follows.
“He wants to be the most amazing baseball player in the history of the world,” Boehly said. “How do you do that? You win World Series. And how do you win World Series? You help figure out how to make the club that much better. He made the club that much better when he came to that decision.”
Ohtani basically handed the Dodgers a blank check to fortify their roster. The Dodgers made some questionable investments, particularly with injury-prone Tyler Glasnow, who was shut down before the postseason. But they also made some less expensive commitments that helped Ohtani reach the stage on which he dreamed of playing from the time he was a boy on the northern part of Japan’s mainland.
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The Dodgers signed outfielder Teoscar Hernández, who has driven in eight runs in these playoffs. They signed Ryan Brasier, who became a key member of their trusted bullpen. At the trade deadline, they were able to take on the salaries of Jack Flaherty, Michael Kopech and Tommy Edman. Flaherty became their most trusted starting pitcher and Kopech their most dependable reliever. Edman drove in 11 runs in the NLCS and was the series’ most valuable player.
“I was hoping this would happen,” Ohtani said.
Ohtani wasn’t just along for the ride. He batted .364 in the NLCS. He homered in two of his team’s wins. He drew nine walks and was on base in more than half of his plate appearances. He drove in six runs and scored nine more.
For Game 6, he changed his walk-up song from Lupe Fiasco’s “Show Goes On” to Michael Bublé’s “Feeling Good.” Bublé’s song was featured in a popular Japanese movie.
Asked what inspired the change in music, Ohtani replied, “Nothing in particular. I chose it because the feeling was good.”
The Dodgers were behind by a run when Ohtani stepped into the batter’s box for the first time. On the mound was Mets left-hander Sean Manaea, against whom Ohtani was 0 for three with two strikeouts in a Game 2 loss.
Ohtani singled to center and reached third base on a hit by Teoscar Hernández. Ohtani and Hernández scored on a double by Edman to move the Dodgers in front, 2-1.
Ohtani drove in a run in the sixth inning with a single to center against right-hander Ryne Stanek, extending his team’s advantage to 7-3. He is batting .667 (six for nine) in the postseason with runners in scoring position.
He drew a walk and scored in the Dodgers’ three-run eighth inning that placed the game out of the Mets’ reach.
His reward was another booze-fueled locker room celebration — or, as the Japanese call it, a Champagne fight.
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“I think it’s a really good thing, no matter how many times I do it,” Ohtani said. “I’d like to finish the year doing this one more time.”
His next opponent will be the New York Yankees, for whom one of his childhood heroes played. Ohtani was in middle school when Hideki Matsui was the MVP of the 2009 World Series.
“I’ve watched the highlights a number of times,” Ohtani said.
Now, Ohtani will take his turn playing in the championship series of the world’s most competitive baseball league. His blank check is about to be cashed.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
