On Wednesday night, Los Angeles Dodgers took on the rival San Francisco Giants and pulled off the 5-4 win behind an epic home run from superstar Shohei Ohtani.
It was an exciting moment for Dodgers fans. Though Ambar Roman, the woman that caught Ohtani's blast, and her husband Alexis Valenzuela ended up feeling that she was ‘taken advantage‘ of, per Sam Blum of The Athletic:
“They really took advantage of her,” Valenzuela said. “There were a bunch of (security) guys around her. They wouldn’t let me talk to her or give her any advice. There was no way for us to leave. They had her pretty much cornered in the back.”
Roman says that she was quickly surrounded by Dodgers security and subjected to strongarm tactics, per Blum's article:
“As is customary with significant home run balls, there is a give-and-take negotiation between the team and the fan who catches it. The player will generally trade memorabilia and a meet-and-greet with the player in exchange for a ball that represents a meaningful personal achievement.
In this case, though, Roman and Valenzuela say the security staff separated them, pressured them, and left them little choice but to hand over the baseball for a low-ball offer. The Dodgers initially dangled two caps signed by Ohtani in exchange for a ball that an auction house representative told The Athletic would be worth at least $100,000.
Roman said the hardball tactics by team officials included the threat of refusing to authenticate the baseball if she decided to take it home. This was no trivial matter: A lack of authentication would render the ball worthless, all but forcing her to accept the trade.”
Roman and Valenzuela ultimately left the Dodgers game with two signed hats, a signed bat and ball, a slight increase after the opening offer of two signed hats. They also say that they never met Ohtani, despite his claiming through an interpreter that he’d met the fan after the game.
Shohei Ohtani makes Dodgers immediate World Series favorites
The Dodgers made arguably the most monumental move of the offseason when they signed Shohei Ohtani to a $700 million contract.
Ohtani took $680 million in deferred money that doesn't kick in until 2034. It was an unprecedented deal that broke all records when it comes to deferred money.
Ohtani stated that he wanted to allow the Dodgers to bring in as much talent as possible. By backloading his deal, Los Angeles had significantly more room to add to their roster while he is still playing.
Los Angeles immediately took advantage, signing pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a $325 million contract. They continued adding throughout the offseason, bringing in players such as Tyler Glasnow, James Paxton and Teoscar Hernandez – all of whom have already contributed this season.
While Ohtani is considered one of, if not the, best player in baseball, he wanted to focus on winning rather than an immediate payout.
So far, so good.
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