When the Dodgers landed at Incheon Worldwide Airport, they had been greeted by a barrage of media and followers and handled like celebrities.
The one participant who stood out among the many crowd of keen followers ready to see the Dodgers in particular person was Shohei Ohtani, who’s arguably South Korea's favourite Japanese athlete. Ohtani acquired the love and admiration he acquired from the Korean followers, which solely helped enhance the quantity of help for him and the Dodgers.
Hyung-Jin Kim of the Related Press writes in regards to the quantity of fanaticism surrounding Ohtani in South Korea.
“Our social ambiance has usually made it tough for us to overtly say that we like Japan,” mentioned Lee Jong-Sung, a sports activities tradition knowledgeable at Seoul's Hanyang College. “I feel Ohtani could be perhaps the primary Japanese athlete that we will say we like. Perhaps, some individuals even think about him an honorary Korean citizen.
With Walker Buehler set to begin the season on the injured checklist and with Emmet Sheehan touchdown on the IL to open the season, Gavin Stone will seemingly be the fifth starter for the Dodgers to open the season.
Invoice Plunkett of the Orange County Register wrote about Stone's progress since final season:
“I feel with Gavin, like plenty of our younger pitchers, simply form of sharpening up the command,” Roberts mentioned of the distinction in Stone this spring. “I take advantage of this phrase loads as a result of it is crucial. For Gavin Stone particularly, the low dart, the fastball right down to the knees, the change of it, the cutter to the left. I feel just for me, there’s solely a lot much less to overlook the arm. He was in a position to repeat his supply. So for me, that reveals plenty of progress for him.”