“Good afternoon, My name is Yoshinobu Yamamoto, from the LA Dodgers.” Those were the first words – in English – of the new jewel of the Dodgers at his introductory conference Wednesday afternoon in Los Angeles.
“I am beyond excited to become a new member of this historic franchise and I cannot express how much it means to me to call Los Angeles my new home,” added Yoshinobu Yamamoto a few hours after being officially signed by the Dodgers. The 12-year, $325 million contract is the most lucrative in baseball history for a pitcher.
From then on, everything Yamamoto said through his interpreter was in the same tone: win with the Dodgers. Words that were similar to those heard weeks ago in the same place behind center field at Dodger Stadium when Shohei Ohtani was introduced.
Said Yamamoto, 25 years old and with amazing achievements in his career in Japan: “Starting today, I promise all LA fans that I will focus everything I have on being a better player and becoming a world champion as a member of the Dodgers.”.
At the event held before a hundred representatives of the media – around a third of those who attended Ohtani’s presentation – and In the presence of senior management of the Dodgers and manager Dave Roberts, the right-hander sounded serious, ambitious and humble at once.
“I’m going to stop simply admiring players I followed and instead strive to become the player that others want to be,” proposed the three-time most valuable player in the Japanese league, where he had numbers of 70- 29 and 1.82 earned runs.
Yamamoto reveals a love for the Dodgers from an early age
Yamamoto, when questioned by reporters, revealed that he liked the Dodgers since he was very young, but admitted that he did not necessarily become a fan of the team. Yes indeed, He said that six years ago he was at Dodger Stadium for a playoff game started on the mound by his compatriot Kenta Maedaone of the 11 Japanese players among other Asians who have worn the club’s jersey and that moment motivated him to seek a future in the Major Leagues.
Yamamoto was the second most coveted free agent this winter only behind Ohtani and now the two will be fundamental pieces for a Dodgers that looks full of talent and will be undoubted favorites to reach the World Series. The team also acquired pitcher Tyler Glasnow, a Tampa Bay Rays ace in recent years.
Yamamoto expressed his appreciation for Ohtani, who by deferring almost all of the money on his historic contract made it easier for the Dodgers to pursue Yamamoto, but made an interesting clarification.
“Even if he had gone somewhere else, I probably would have ended up in LA, as a Dodger. But beyond that, Shohei is not only one of the best Japanese players, but one of the best in MLB, period. And being able to play here next to him means a lot,” she explained.
“Command” in his pitches, the virtue of Yamamoto that the Dodgers fell in love with
Brandon Gomes, general manager of the Dodgers, had indicated minutes before that he and other club representatives saw Yamamoto pitch countless times as part of the process that was completed this Wednesday and praised the pitcher for the way he takes care of his body. Gomes added:
“The command of his pitches is on par with some of the best I have seen in baseball… That command not only allows him to reach the final innings of games, but when he needs it, he has an elite repertoire to make hitters swing.”
Yamamoto accepted that the challenges as a new Dodger include the change of scenery, food, finding his new house, driving to the stadium, etc., but that he is very clear about what he came for.
“It was very important to be with a team that wants to win, not only now, but also in the future,” Yamamoto said.which he later noted when asked another question: “I came here to win, so I hope the fans support me and say, ‘I want him to win, I want him to be successful.’”
Finally, the new star of a rotation that in 2024 will feature men like Walker Buehler, Tyler Glasnow and Bobby Miller, spoke about his first day on the field at Dodger Stadium.
“I think it really is a beautiful stadium and just getting on the mound feels surreal.”
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