Shohei Ohtani made headlines when he announced he was signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and while many fixated on the zeros in his contract, another number needed to be focused on.
The number on the back of his jersey, that is.
After Ohtani announced he would test free agency after multiple losing seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, a leaguewide scramble for the superstar two-way player began.
Fans from across the country campaigned for Ohtani to sign for their club, but one woman – a fellow MLB player’s wife – may have had the best pitch for the two-time American League MVP.
Dodgers pitcher Joe Kelly’s wife Ashley started her “#Ohtake17” campaign in the hopes that it would catch Ohtani’s attention.
“Take 17” refers to the number worn by her husband during his time in L.A.; not only did Ashley say that Ohtani could have Joe’s jersey number if he signed with the Dodgers, but she even joked in an Instagram video that she changed her seven-month-old baby’s name for the cause.
Ashley’s hard work campaigning for Ohtani’s signature may have paid off, as Shohei Ohtani announced he would be leaving Anaheim for Chavez Ravine on Dec. 9.
To make things even better, she was gifted a brand new Porsche this week, courtesy of Ohtani himself.
“It’s from Shohei, he wanted you to have it,” a man at the door says in a video posted to social media.
She captioned her Instagram post showing her reaction to the car: “Shokai’s beautiful bra-less mom opened the door to one of the coolest days of her life. Thank you @shoheiohtani.”
Kelly, a 12-year MLB veteran, will now wear number 99 for the Dodgers, and said that he didn’t mind switching numbers with Ohtani.
“I wasn’t going to give it up to just anybody,” he told the Associated Press. “If Shohei keeps performing, he’ll be a future Hall of Famer and I’ll be able to have my number retired. That’s the closest I’ll get to the Hall of Fame.”
When asked what he would get in return from Ohtani, Kelly told AP that “there [was] a list, but no comment.”