The star-studded Los Angeles Dodgers are today to ramp up their bid for a rare World Series repeat on the MLB’s day of aces, with two of the best opposing each other in California.
While it would be Opening Day for the Detroit Tigers, the Dodgers are beginning their domestic schedule after a pair of victories against the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo last week.
The Dodgers are aiming to become the first team to successfully defend their MLB title since 2000, when the New York Yankees won the last of a hat-trick of Fall Classics following championships in 1998 and 1999.
Photo: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / USA Today
Another big moment today would be when the Dodgers receive their World Series rings during a pregame ceremony.
Already one of the most lavishly talented teams in baseball, with a fearsome batting lineup led by Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers face the Tigers in their home opener looking even more formidable.
National League Most Valuable Player (MVP) Ohtani returned from off-season shoulder surgery to hit a home run during the Japan Series. The two-way star is to return to the mound later this season after elbow surgery in 2023, leaving him to concentrate on his offense until at least May.
“I know Shohei puts his pants on just like we all do, one leg at a time, but if there’s ever a superhero, I think Shohei just seems like a superhero,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after Ohtani homered in Japan. “In the biggest of games or the biggest of moments, he seems to always deliver.”
After defeating the Yankees 4-1 in their heavyweight World Series showdown last year, the Dodgers wasted no time in bolstering their pitching resources during the offseason with the acquisition of several elite arms.
Two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell was brought in on a five-year US$182 million contract, while the Dodgers also snagged the services of Roki Sasaki, the Japanese prodigy who would link up with compatriots Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Yet the Dodgers’ recruitment has not come without controversy. Several rival teams and commentators have complained that the deep-pocketed Californian giants are “ruining baseball.”
The Dodgers appear to be indifferent about the criticism.
“I don’t think anybody in the clubhouse cares — haters are going to hate, right?” new pitching recruit Yates said.
Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman — the MVP of last year’s World Series victory — said the team was reaping the rewards of its success on and off the field.
“I’ve been told about the ‘ruining baseball’ and all this,” Freeman said. “Like I’ve told you before, to be part of an organization that puts a contending team on the field year in and year out, and what I mean by that is fans are pouring their hard-earned money into us when they come to Dodger Stadium, and to see an organization put it back into the team, I think that’s why everyone is so happy.”
“There’s a buzz around here. There was a buzz last year when we got Shohei, and there is a major buzz here now,” he said. “That’s a testament to our organization, our fans, our front office. Players want to come here.
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