The wife of Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani had a surprising reaction to fans of the Toronto Blue Jays trolling her husband at the World Series.
Ohtani, 31, was serenaded with chants of “We don’t need you!” during multiple at-bats during Game 1 between the Dodgers and Blue Jays at Toronto’s Rogers Centre on Friday, October 24.
When asked about his thoughts on the taunting from Blue Jays’ fans, Ohtani mentioned his wife, Mamiko Tanaka.
“It was a really great chant, and my wife really appreciated it,” Ohtani joked through team interpreter Will Ireton during a team workout at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium on Sunday, October 26.
Fans in Toronto were referencing the free agent cycle in 2023, when Ohtani reportedly narrowed his choice down to the Dodgers and Blue Jays. Ohtani ultimately signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with Los Angeles in December 2023, the largest deal in professional sports history.
Ohtani and Tanaka got married in February 2024, and Tanaka was on hand for Game 1 in Toronto, as evidenced by a photo shared by the Dodger Wives Instagram account.
“WS game 1… let’s go dodgers!!! ⚾️🎉💙,” the post read, showing Tanaka standing in the back of a group that included Freddie Freeman’s wife, Chelsea Freeman, and Haeley Snell, the wife of Game 1 starting pitcher Blake Snell.
Tanaka was absent from the Dodger Wives’ picture from before Game 2 in Toronto, and it’s not clear if she was in attendance.
The Dodgers’ lost Game 1 by a score of 11-4, though Ohtani did hit a two-run home run in the 7th inning as chants from Blue Jays fans rained down.
Los Angeles bounced back with a 5-1 win over Toronto in Game 2 on Saturday, October 25 to even the best-of-seven series at 1-1. The series shifts to Los Angeles for Games 3, 4, and 5, starting on Monday, October 27.
If necessary, the series would head back to Toronto for potential Games 6 and 7.
Blue Jays manager, John Schneider, addressed the taunting of Ohtani during his postgame press conference after Game 1.
“I just wanted to get the third out. I love energetic fan bases,” Schneider, 45, told reporters. “It happens in different ways and shapes and forms in every stadium. We saw it just the last series in Seattle [against the Mariners in the ALCS]. Kind of heard it, but it’s tough to talk about a player like that, to be honest with you.”
Schneider continued about Ohtani, “He’s special. I’m glad that the home run that he hit came when it came and we had a little cushion. But I love that our fans are passionate about our team.”
Blue Jays star George Springer heard the chants loud and clear — and laughed off the implication before focusing back on his own squad’s pursuits.
“I mean, that’s Shohei Ohtani,” he said after Game 1. “That’s one of the best baseball players ever and he’s still got 15 more years to go. He’s an unbelievable talent, but this is who we are as a team. This is us.”
