It wasn’t a direct slight to the Angels, the team that employed Shohei Ohtani for his first six seasons in Major League Baseball, but the Dodgers’ star sure had to wait to achieve a goal Thursday.
Ohtani made it clear in the moments after the Dodgers’ 7-2 victory over the San Diego Padres clinched the National League West title exactly why he signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers last December.
Winning the division, Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton, “is the reason why I’m here.”
Ohtani’s dream of winning a division title — and ultimately a World Series — predated even the rookie contract he signed with the Angels in Dec.