LOS ANGELES (AP) — Although Shohei Ohtani 's first trip to the World Series is a global sports event, it's particularly big in Japan — and for Japan. Fans from Ohtani's home nation bought more World Series tickets for the first two games than from anywhere outside North America, according to ticket broker StubHub. Dodger Stadium was packed to the rafters Friday night for the start of the Los Angeles Dodgers ' showdown with the New York Yankees.
“Ohtani’s first season with the Dodgers drew big international appeal, especially from his home country of Japan," StubHub spokesperson Adam Budelli said. "At the beginning of the season, buyers from Japan accounted for 22% of all tickets sold for Dodgers games. This momentum for the expected MVP has carried into the World Series, where outside of North America, Japan leads ticket sales for games in Los Angeles.
” That’s no surprise, given Ohtani’s ascent to a position of becoming an avatar for national identity occupied by only a few athletes in world history, like Lionel Messi in Argentina or Wayne Gretzky in Canada. Ohtani was already a Japanese icon before his six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, but his fame and celebrity has even grown since he joined the powerhouse Dodgers as a free agent and promptly put up a 50-50 season to earn his first major league playoff appearance — and probably his third MVP award. Ohtani is bigger than any athlete, but the Dodgers are in an even brighter spotlight in Japan because of.
