Reporting to Camelback Ranch
Pitchers and catchers reported to Spring Training, and Ohtani joined despite not being a pitcher this season.
Ohtani traveled from Los Angeles, where he’s been working out at Dodger Stadium, to Arizona, where the Dodgers are having Spring Training to prepare for the 2024 MLB regular season that is over a month away.
Pitchers & Catchers Report
Thurs Feb 8
This week, pitchers and catchers reported to Spring Training camp.
For the Dodgers, this takes place at Camelback Ranch in Arizona.
“The 141 acre Sonoran Desert-inspired facility, shared with the Chicago White Sox, features more than just top-quality playing fields; the grounds also feature picturesque walking trails, one-of-a-kind fan photo opportunities and a five acre lake that separates the Dodgers and White Sox practice areas.”
There's even a new facility – temporarily being called "The Lab" – with indoor batting cages, a space for pitcher/catcher workouts, big screens to review swings, and more.
Thursday was the official report day, with big names like Ohtani arriving.
Dylan Hernández of the LA Times noted there were about 40 Japanese reporters here who were waiting in the parking lot since 6am.
“We can’t even go to the bathroom,” they told him, unable to risk missing the unicorn.
Ohtani arrived around 10am local time on Thursday to Dodgers Spring Training for the first time, into the training grounds.
Just a reminder, Ohtani is coming from an Angels organization that has hardly been top tier. In fact, a former Angels official told The Athletic last year that: “It’s the oldest and worst facility in Arizona. I would imagine it’s probably the worst in all of spring training.”
Here’s a few more tidbits, via reporting from Sam Blum in The Athletic (Sept 2023):
“Spring training is sometimes divided into two groups who use different facilities entirely: the major leaguers and the minor leaguers. For the last three springs, Angels major leaguers have trained at the facility intended for minor-league use, because of planned renovations on the Tempe, Arizona-based big-league facility. (As of Spring 2023, those renovations still had not begun)”
In May 2022, “a group that later became the MiLB Players Association reported that the Angels were just one of three teams that did not offer pay at extended spring training and did not offer solo bedrooms for players at affiliates.”
There’s history here, too. Former Angels pitcher C.J. Wilson tweeted last August that at the Angels’ Spring Training in 2012, "there was no breakfast served until the second week. And no weight room until 2013." (To note: They were offering meals as of 2023)
So just as two teams who may be called Los Angeles are run totally different ways, so are their two different facilities in Arizona.
Ippei was not far behind Ohtani as they entered “The Lab” and into a new era.
The reporters could finally take their breaks, Ohtani had arrived.
The main priority that day for all players was just getting physicals done and a workout in the training room, but mostly that was it.
Talkin’ To The Media
Friday Feb 9
The next day, Ohtani did speak to the media. There 70 reporters, many of whom had been out there since 7am to wait for a 10-minute press conference a few hours later.
Kirsten Watson of SportsNetLA interviewed Ohtani amidst the press scrum, and started by asking him his focus for the year after his elbow procedure.
“I’m on a brand new team, so I’m going to act like I’m a rookie,” Ohtani said through Ippei, saying he just wants to get to know and get along with his teammates.
In regards to his progression with his hitting, Ohtani said his swing (effort-wise) is about 100% and his next step is facing live pitching.
When another reporter asked how challenging it was going to balance rehabbing as a pitcher and getting ready for the season as a hitter, Ohtani was not phased.
“This is not my first time rehabbing while getting ready for a season,” he said. “I did it in ‘19, so I kind of know how to do it. I feel like it’ll be easier the second time around.”
When asked if any interactions stood out from other Dodgers players Ohtani’s been able to meet so far, Ohtani first stated that there’s a lot of guys he’d still like to meet (who he was for the first time this week).
So far though, Ohtani said, he’s been working out with Walker Buehler and Gavin Lux at Dodger Stadium over the past couple months and got to know them well already.
Andrew Freidman, Dodgers GM, talked to reporters and also touched on that topic.
Freidman talked about the fact that they keep Dodger Stadium open in the winter – including facilities to work out, team chef’s preparing meals, training and performance staff on-site, and more available to players.
So with Ohtani’s transition to a new team, Freidman believes this helped give that some more runway so that Ohtani could better get to know the big stadium now (instead of at the beginning of the season).
And, as Ohtani mentioned, teammates all have the opportunity to use the facilities so you get some guys who are able to come work out and bond in the process – like what happened with Ohtani, Buehler, and Lux.
When Freidman was asked about what he noticed in Ohtani since coming to the team, he commented on the attention to detail in his commitment.
“Obviously we knew his work ethic was top shelf. But to see how deliberate everything he does is… our training staff has commented they’ve never seen a guy returning from surgery who is so intentional about every single thing they do.”
Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic wrote an article titled The Ohtani Effect: Dodgers embrace ‘learning curve’ in dealing with extra attention.
He writes: “When Ohtani arrives at the Dodgers spring training facility each morning, his movements are tracked by the sound of dozens of cameras snapping photos. When he began his warmup routine within sight of reporters Saturday, videographers jogged over to get as much footage as they could before Ohtani slipped into the organization’s new indoor batting cage.”
The general increase of media appearances Ohtani will make this season has been noted by several reporters. Bob Nightengale noted in his USA Today coverage: “The Dodgers don’t want Roberts (manager) and Ohtani’s teammates to constantly be asked about Ohtani without expressing his own feelings.”
Yamamoto & Kershaw
Ohtani’s locker in the clubhouse has been confirmed as between two important players on the team.
One is Mookie Betts, fellow All-Star and team leader – who won’t be reporting until next week since he’s a position player.
The other is Yoshinobu Yamamoto, new Japanese pitcher and fellow Japan WBC teammate. They played together for the 2023 championship team, and are now reunited in the same clubhouse – this time for MLB.
Dylan Hernández wrote in his LA Times article that when Ohtani asked what kind of presence Yamamoto was to him, Ohtani joked, “Right now? He’s a teammate.”
After the laughter, Ohtani clarified with a more serious answer: “Because he’s Japanese, it’s easier to communicate with him, but he’s one teammate. Regardless of whether they’re Japanese, everyone here is a teammate.”
For Yamamoto, who is making his transition to the United States for the first time and going to his first ever Spring Training, it has to be a major comfort. To have someone you know, someone who speaks your language (literally), someone who has a true understanding of where you’re from, someone you’ve played with before, someone you won a WBC championship with.
On top of that, Ohtani’s media attention lessens the pressure on Yamamoto.
Another teammate Ohtani was getting to know this week is Clayton Kershaw, the veteran All-Star pitcher who signed a deal on Tuesday to come back to the Dodgers – ending rumors of retirement or a Rangers move.
As a flashback for those who don’t remember, Ohtani in the 2022 All-Star game said (with a smile) before facing Kershaw to start the game: “First pitch, first swing, that’s it” – Ohtani did indeed get a first pitch hit after being 0 for 8 vs. Kershaw before that. Although then Kershaw picked him off at first base after.
Going back to the present time in 2024, Kershaw is back in his second week of throwing in his rehab process after getting shoulder surgery this offseason (by the same doctor who did Ohtani’s procedure, Dr. Neal ElAttrache). Kershaw said he expects to be ready to pitch again sometime in July-August.
“This offseason’s been pretty amazing to watch. There’s definitely a part of me that wanted to be part of that, part of this team,” Kershaw said.
“Obviously winning an offseason doesn’t mean anything, but it’s a pretty good clubhouse of guys. The talent is probably the best I’ve ever been a part of. So I’m hopeful I can be part of it, too.”
Everyone on the Dodgers seems to be excited about Ohtani being there, and are embracing the media circus that comes with him.
Another veteran, outfielder Jason Heyward, told reporters: “It’s pretty special to be part of. We’ve got stars. We’ve got future Hall of Famers. And, of course, we’ve got the biggest international star in the game in Ohtani. He’s an ambassador for the entire sport and we get to play with him.”
Ohtani’s intense work ethic seems to be the most common compliment.
Final Notes
🇰🇷 As a heads up, the Dodgers will technically kick off the season in South Korea this year, facing the San Diego Padres abroad. It goes down March 20 and 21, a week ahead of the official MLB Opening Day (March 28) for the whole league. The two game set will be the first ever regular season games in Korea.
🧳 Shoutout as always to Ippei Mizuhara – not only a translator and cameraman, but apparently a main bag-carrier right now during Spring Training it seems.
(The meme refers to Ohtani’s joking comment at DodgersFest: “We're not friends or anything, just business partners”)
In the second image, Ippei does look like he’s questioning life a little bit.
🙏🏼 Shoutout to all the great Ohtani stan accounts for always being a great resource for clips and info – including some of our favs like @shoheisaveus, @ohtanishoheiday, @jell_ni, and more on Twitter.
🎨 Thank you to 冷し中華 (hiyachu) - @hiyashichuka17 for drawing our email banner design and @saitoh_katsuo for drawing the Ohtani name on our sign-up page.
😛 Someone sure seems happy to be on a new team…
