Shohei Ohtani mania descended on Dodger Stadium on Saturday, with fans getting their first in-person glimpse of the two-way superstar wearing blue.
And Dodgers fans embraced him with screams. Men, women and children donned his new jersey at DodgerFest, where fans were charged — $10 each — for the first time to get in.
Concession stands were open, music blared, the team store was loaded with shoppers, and fans crowded the field to get close to the stage where manager Dave Roberts and about 30 players talked up the 2024 season.
Besides Ohtani, who signed a $700 million, 10-year deal in December, the Dodgers reeled in right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto with a $325 million, 12-year contract. They added free agent Teoscar Hernández from Seattle on a $23.5 million, one-year contract.
“It’s staggering,” Roberts said of the team’s offseason spending. “Stuff like this doesn’t happen, so I’m glad it happened to the Dodgers.”
Betts and Freeman drew the loudest cheers outside of those for Ohtani.
