Toronto Blue Jays followers let Shohei Ohtani hear it earlier than and through Sport 1 of the World Collection, their disapproval of him not choosing their staff in free company in 2023 clearly nonetheless evident Friday night time at Rogers Centre.
Earlier than signing a $700 million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the two-way star met with Blue Jays officers on Dec. 4, 2023, on the staff’s spring coaching complicated in Dunedin, Florida. Toronto supervisor John Schneider joked Thursday that he needed Ohtani to return a Blue Jays hat and a jacket for his canine, Decoy, that he took after that assembly.
Blue Jays followers took a extra pointed strategy at Ohtani on Friday night time, booing him loudly throughout pregame introductions.
They then chanted “We do not want you!” whereas he batted within the ninth inning. He walked in that at-bat, then was practically picked off a second later by left-hander Eric Lauer with two outs. Ohtani was dominated secure after a video assessment however was finally stranded on the bases as Toronto closed out the 11-4 win.
“Do not poke the bear,” Blue Jays pitcher Chris Bassitt warned in regards to the Ohtani chants.
Toronto third baseman Ernie Clement mentioned it was all in good enjoyable.
“I could not assist however chuckle,” he mentioned. “We now have the fellows now we have, and the fellows now we have have finished a hell of a job. I do not assume we’d like any extra of what now we have proper now.”
Toronto’s George Springer mentioned all people heard the mantra.
“On the finish of the day, Shohei Ohtani is an unbelievable baseball participant. Any staff that he can be on, it will be superior. However he is over there and never right here,” Springer mentioned. “He is one one of the best baseball gamers ever, and he is received 15 years to go.”
Ohtani did present followers in Toronto what they’re lacking.
With the Dodgers trailing 11-2 within the seventh inning, he hit a hovering two-run homer to proper area off Braydon Fisher. It was his fourth homer in two video games after connecting 3 times and putting out 10 as a pitcher in a Sport 4 win to clinch the Dodgers’ NL Championship Collection in opposition to the Milwaukee Brewers.
Info from The Related Press was used on this report.