For diehard Ohtani fan, LA Dodgers
Korea trip is a blessing
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[March 15, 2024]
By Hyun Young Yi and Daewoung Kim
SEOUL (Reuters) - Shohei Ohtani superfan Jake Lee finally laid eyes
on his hero on Friday after the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar
arrived in South Korea for next week's MLB season opener.
After loading up his Porsche with clappers and placards, Lee drove
to Incheon International Airport and was among some 100 fans
screaming, cheering and waving as the Japanese two-way threat walked
through arrivals.
Some fans held up placards declaring: "Goatani Go" and "Welcome
Baseball Genius Ohtani". One sign welcomed "Face Genius Ohtani", a
term South Koreans use for someone with a stunning appearance.
Wearing a Dodgers hat and a hoodie, Lee, the leader of a South
Korean Ohtani fan club with about 530 members, said seeing his
believing.
"I love him and support him but I had doubts whether that king of a
human being really existed, but now my eyes saw him, so those doubts
are gone," added Lee, who published a book titled, "I Drive Porsche
like Ohtani" about his fandom last year.
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The Dodgers will play two exhibition games before facing the San
Diego Padres in two games at Gocheok Sky Dome in their 2024 MLB
regular season openers.
Ohtani, 29, won his second Most Valuable Player award last year
after leading the American League with 44 home runs and notching 10
wins as a pitcher.
In December, he signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los
Angeles Dodgers after six years with the Angels.
The player's visit to South Korea felt like divine intervention,
said Lee.
"It's like the prayers I've been offering for years are finally
being answered," the 48-year-old radio producer added.
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![](../images/031524PIX/sports25.jpg)
South Korean Jake Lee, a fan of Los Angeles Dodgers' Japanese
baseball star Shohei Ohtani, speaks during an interview with Reuters
in Seoul, South Korea, March 14, 2024. REUTERS/Kim Daewoung
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Putting aside the bitter history between South
Korea and Japan, Lee said that while Ohtani was an international
sports star and a hero in Japan to him he was an idol who had shown
strength and courage to overcome challenges.
"I used to live my life avoiding challenges that seemed too hard,
thinking they were impossible," Lee told Reuters.
"Shohei Ohtani represents a revered figure who has taught me the
true meaning of challenge and courage. He never gives up."
Lee's dedication to Ohtani is evident in every corner of his study
room, with everything from signed baseballs, to photos to autograph
cards worth $20,000 vying for pride of place.
Lee said he has spent more than 500 million won ($376,110) on buying
two Porsche cars - Ohtani is a brand ambassador for the carmaker -
and collecting some 500 items of memorabilia including a ball thrown
by Ohtani in a game.
"Ohtani's saliva might have been on it. I grab that ball when I feel
tired," he said.
($1 = 1,329.4000 won)
(Writing by Ju-min Park; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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