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| LA Dodgers Rocky visits CryptoCom Arena to watch the NBA game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Washington Wizards on the 22nd (Korea time) and shakes hands with Lakers star LeBron James. Photo =L.A. Lakers club official X account |
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| LA Dodgers Rocky expresses his feelings at the joining ceremony held at Dodger Stadium on the 23rd (Korea time). AFP Yonhap News |
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| Director Dave Roberts (right) and President Andrew Friedman dress Sasaki with a jersey top. AFP Yonhap News |
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Sasaki Rocky officially wore the LA Dodgers uniform.
The Dodgers held a press conference for joining Sasaki at the Dodger Stadium press room on the 23rd (Korea time). It has been five days since Sasaki directly announced on his SNS on the 18th that he signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Dodgers' leadership, including CEO Stan Casten, President Andrew Friedman, General Manager Brandon Gomes, and Manager Dave Roberts, participated in the joining ceremony. Sasaki posed in the top of the uniform handed over by Roberts. The number is 11.
However, it was belatedly known that Shohei Ohtani played a decisive role in Sasaki's joining the Dodgers.
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| Sasaki and Ohtani participated as part of the Japanese national team in the 2023 WBC. AP Yonhap News |
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According to local media, Otina not only actively recommended going to the Dodgers at a meeting with Sasaki, but he also moved his mind with the sincerity of the Dodgers club.
Sasaki received a warm reception at his home in Bell Air, a rich town in western Los Angeles, at the invitation of Dodgers co-owner Peter Guber during the second negotiating tour of the New Year. At this time, the second round of negotiations had already been completed with the San Diego Padres and the Toronto Blue Jays. He was the last of the three finalists to face the Dodgers.
Guber called Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts and the so-called MVP trio, and invited Japanese chef (食) to serve dinner. After the meal, Guber also played a video that introduced the message that Dodgers players who could not attend the meeting wanted to convey to Sasaki, that is, the atmosphere of the team and Dodger Stadium clubhouse.
In other words, the decisive moment that Sasaki decided to go to the Dodgers was the owner's home dinner. Ohtani, who received a 'confirmation' from Sasaki on the spot, texted the Dodgers' leadership. In English, 'We got Sasaki' was a three-word message.
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| Sasaki Rocky poses with manager Dave Roberts, president Andrew Friedman, general manager Brandon Gomes and CEO Stan Casten at the joining ceremony. AP Yonhap News |
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| LA Dodgers Rocky is holding a press conference to join the team. AFP Yonhap News |
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After that, Sasaki's agent Joel Wolf notified the San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays of his intention to join the Dodgers, respectively.
Sasaki signed a minor league contract to receive $6.5 million in the Cyning Bonus because he is an international amateur FA under the age of 25. The Dodgers' international sinning bonus pool set this year is only $5.146,200, and the Dodgers have canceled contracts with two players from Latin America who have already agreed to join the team to increase it, and have been receiving bonus pools by sending minor league outfielder Dylan Campbell to the Philadelphia Phillies and Analdo Lantigua to the Cincinnati Reds, respectively. If Sasaki is included in the opening roster this season, he will receive the lowest major league salary of $760,000.
Ohtani met with Freeman, Betts and Will Smith in person when Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who was on a posting negotiation tour a year ago, visited Dodger Stadium. Yamamoto signed with the Dodgers on a 12-year, $325 million pitcher's highest ever treatment. The conditions of the Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, and San Francisco Giants, who were rivals at the time, were no less than the Dodgers.
Sasaki's trip to the Dodgers can be viewed like this. In terms of the pitcher development system, which he saw as the most important criterion, the presence of pitcher coach Mark Prior, who began to be considered a master pitching trainer, NPB-style six-man rotation, more than expected, and direct favors from Dodgers players including Ohtani.
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| LA Lakers forward LeBron James. AP Yonhap News |
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The Dodgers were not the only ones who welcomed Sasaki. LeBron James, the star of the NBA's prestigious Los Angeles Lakers, also gave Sasaki a welcome handshake.
Sasaki, who has been staying in LA and enjoying a long break since agreeing to a contract with the Dodgers, visited CryptoCom Arena to watch the Lakers game on the 22nd. Sasaki went to the Lakers bench and greeted the players ahead of the Washington Wizards' game.
When James sees Sasaki sitting on a chair, he approaches and welcomes her to LAHe shook hands, and Lakers forward Rui Hachimura also approached and talked to each other in Japanese. In a video released at the time by the Lakers club, Sasaki said "I'm here for the first time today to watch a Lakers game. I'm so excited and looking forward to it" he said.
In the video, Sasaki, who boasts a height of 1m88, is contrasted with James (2m6) and Haimura (2m3) with 'short height'.
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| photo source=MLB official X account |
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
