Shohei Ohtani didn’t get the usual pomp and circumstance a special player gets when returning to their old home stadium. Arguably, he got something better: the atmosphere of an actual home game.
The 44,731 people in attendance Tuesday for the first of two games between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Angels at Angel Stadium made sure to let him know how much they appreciated him.
Before his first at-bat, Ohtani received a standing ovation. When he ripped a line drive down the right-field line two innings later, “M-V-P” chants greeted him as he reached third base.