Shohei Ohtani touched down in Japan on Thursday night but was whisked away before any of the several hundred fans who made the trip to Tokyo¡®s Haneda Airport could see him or any of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Baseball¡¯s biggest star finally appeared on Friday afternoon at Tokyo Dome, where a sizable crowd showed up to watch the Dodgers practice ahead of the Tokyo Series. The fans got their first look at him just before 4:30 p.m., when he jogged onto the field to cheers from the stands.
The MLB season-opening matchup between the Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs will feature five of Japan¡¯s biggest stars. Still, in many ways, the series feels like a celebration of Ohtani, who receives the vast majority of attention from fans and media.
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