Major League Baseball's Dodgers' player Shohei Otani appeared in front of fans for the first time since his transfer at a team event, calling out, ``My only goal is to win the World Series, so it would be great if I could fight alongside the fans.'' It helped liven up the venue.
On the 3rd, Otani participated in a fan appreciation event sponsored by the team at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California.
A talk show between players and managers was held on the ground, and when Otani appeared on stage for the last time, many fans gathered to take photos and videos with their smartphones.
On a talk show, Otani was asked by the host what he thought when he saw the crowd filled with fans wearing blue uniforms, and while looking back on his time with the Angels, who wore red uniforms, he said, ``Because it's the complete opposite of red, I finally came to the Dodgers.'' "I feel like I'm part of the Dodgers team."
When asked about his relationship with interpreter Ippei Mizuhara, he jokingly replied, ``We have a business relationship, so we're not friends, we're just friends,'' which drew laughter from the audience.
At the end, he addressed the fans and said, ``My only goal is to win the World Series, so it would be great if I could compete with all the fans,'' and the venue was filled with loud cheers and applause.
In response to an interview with the press, Otani talked about the condition of his right elbow, which he had surgery on last year, and said, ``I feel like I can do tee batting and toss batting 100%.I think I'll start practicing hitting machine balls at camp.'' He revealed that he is making good progress and expressed his desire to return for the opening game, which will be held in South Korea on March 20th, saying, ``If the schedule continues as it is, I think I'll be able to make it in time for the opening game.''
Regarding his pitching, he also talked about his outlook, saying, ``I think I'll start with some light throwing at camp and proceed a little cautiously.''
After this, Otani will prepare for the start of the season at a training camp that begins on the 9th of this month in Arizona.