Shohei Ohtani is going to give us the Angels-Dodgers rivalry we all deserve
The Dodgers-Angels rivalry is going to be on point in 2018 after Japanese ace Shohei Ohtani snubbed the Los Angeles Dodgers in favor of the Los Angeles Angels.
Los Angeles is known these days for having things in duplicate when it comes to sports. Two NFL franchises. Two NBA franchises. Two MLB franchises. It’s the latter that will surely yield one heck of a rivalry in the City of Angels after the Los Angeles Angels landed Japan’s standout double threat pitcher-hitter Shohei Ohtani. While the Dodgers enjoy multiple rivalries across the NL West and beyond, the LA-LA Land Rivalry is going to be particularly intense in 2018.
When Shohei Ohtani was shopping for a MLB team, franchises across the nation rolled out the red carpet to land him. It wasn’t long before he zeroed in on seven clubs, all of which are based on the West Coast – with the exception of the Chicago Cubs and the Texas Rangers. A West Coast team made sense for Ohtani, as it places him closer to Japan.
The Dodgers had been courting Ohtani for quite a while, dating back seven or so year to when the now 23-year-old was starting high school. With the team’s success in 2017, the Dodgers believed they had a very good chance landing the double threat phenom, so they rolled out the red carpet for him during their meeting in December. To improve their odds, the Dodgers’ front office brought Clayton Kershaw, Justin Turner and Chris Taylor to meet with him in hopes that they could sway him in their favor.
Later, Turner described the meeting thusly: “I felt like it was a waste of my time.”
Kershaw agreed: “Just a gigantic waste of time.”
It wasn’t long after that meeting that Ohtani decided to sign with Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles Angels.
Despite the fact that Ohtani was looking at both National League and American League teams, Ohtani’s insistence to be both a hitter and a pitcher gave a discernible advantage to the AL teams that could give him a shot as the designated hitter.
Southern California is where Ohtani wanted to be, but he wanted to be with the Angels, not the Dodgers.
At first pass this might not seem like a big deal. After all, the Dodgers have an incredibly talented squad and a proven starting rotation backed by a solid bullpen. They don’t need Shohei Ohtani. But they wanted him. And having him choose the Angels stings more than just a little bit.
Meanwhile, the Angels are bending over backwards to make sure Ohtani has what he needs to be successful, something the Dodgers only do for Clayton Kershaw. The Angels are planning on a six-man rotation with Albert Pujols starting at first base just so that the DH will be open and available for Ohtani, who will benefit from the extra day of rest. It’s a lot of work for one player, but the Angels believe that it will pay off in dividends later.
Next: Top Starting Pitcher Of All-Time From Every MLB Team
The LA-LA Rivalry will be intense because Dodgers fans won’t forget that they were left jilted at the altar while the Angels ran away with the bride.They won’t like that the Angels got the shiniest new toy in all of Major League Baseball. They will want to beat the Angels to prove how much they didn’t really need him anyway. He’s the one who missed out.
City rivalries are always fun, but keep your eyes on Los Angeles in 2018. There’s a good chance we could see a World Series featuring cross-town rivals soon enough, and that would be something to see.