The most expensive superstar of all time, Shohei Ohtani (29, Los Angeles Dodgers), will play his first official game not in the United States or Japan, but in South Korea.
With Ohtani’s arrival, Seoul, which will host the official opening game of the 2024 Major League Baseball (MLB), has garnered a lot of attention from baseball fans around the world.
The MLB office announced in July that the 2024 regular season opener will be held in Seoul on March 20-21, 2024.
MLB has been holding opening games around the world to globalize baseball and promote MLB, and next year, Seoul was chosen.
Depending on the cold weather, Seoul’s Gocheok Sky Dome, the country’s only dome ballpark, is the likely venue. MLB officials visited Gocheok this summer to take a closer look at the facility.
The matchup was also decided early.
The San Diego Padres, where Kim plays, and the Dodgers, who have many ties to Korean players such as Park Chan-ho and Ryu Hyun-jin, will be in Korea.
The opening game of MLB Seoul, which seemed to be the stage for Kim Ha-seong’s golden homecoming, gained tremendous momentum with Ohtani joining the Dodgers.
Ohtani, who became a free agent after playing for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, signed a 10-year, $700 million ($920 million) contract with the Dodgers on Tuesday.
Ohtani will play his first “official game” in Korea with the Dodgers.
Ohtani, a two-hitter, will not take the mound at Gocheok-dome.
Ohtani is coming off a season-ending right elbow injury in 2023 that will require surgery and more than a year of rehabilitation.
Ohtani will not be pitching, but will be a designated hitter.
There’s plenty to be excited about. Ohtani could face San Diego starter Darvish Yu in a Japanese two-hitter.
The Japanese media coverage would be incredible.
San Diego is another possible destination for Lee.
The Padres recently traded two of their top outfielders to the New York Yankees and are looking for new resources. Lee Jung-hoo is one of the most likely candidates.
It is increasingly likely that a feast of Asia’s top players, including Oh, Lee, Lee Jung-hoo, and Kim Ha-seong, will unfold in Seoul. 온라인카지노
