Inside The Dodgers

Another Dodgers Opponent is Taking Advantage of Shohei Ohtani's Presence to Move Merchandise

J.P. Hoornstra|
May 16, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) reacts after being hit by the ball on a pickoff attempt as first base coach Clayton McCullough (86) and Cincinnati Reds first baseman Spencer Steer (7) watch at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
May 16, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) reacts after being hit by the ball on a pickoff attempt as first base coach Clayton McCullough (86) and Cincinnati Reds first baseman Spencer Steer (7) watch at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports | Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

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Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers knew the promotional power of Shohei Ohtani when they signed him to a 10-year, $700 million contract last December. From a historic bobblehead giveaway night last week to a seemingly endless stream of Japanese-based sponsorship deals, the Dodgers have fully taken advantage of marketing their new star at every turn.

So have their opponents.

Two weeks after the San Francisco Giants brazenly used Ohtani's arrival to promote a Dodgers-Giants series at Oracle Park, the Cincinnati Reds produced a T-shirt featuring Ohtani and their own star player, shortstop Elly De La Cruz, just in time for Ohtani's first visit to Cincinnati this season.

They weren't subtle about it:

An "Elly vs. Shohei" T-shirt is about as blatant as it gets. How much do Reds fans plan on cherishing their memories of Ohtani's first visit to Great American Ball Park for years to come? The team's marketing department can't wait to find out.

Ohtani's star power has played out on the field in his first year with the Dodgers. Entering the series in Cincinnati, he held a National League-leading .348 average, 1.059 OPS, along with a perfect 13-for-13 success rate in stolen base attempts.

The Reds seem to be tempting the fates by promoting Ohtani's greatness ahead of a series against their own team; on the other hand, they might be counting on Ohtani doing his thing whether or not they make a dime off T-shirt sales — so why not turn a little extra profit?

Elly vs. Shohei forever.

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J.P. Hoornstra
J.P. HOORNSTRA

J.P. Hoornstra is an On SI Contributor. A veteran of 20 years of sports coverage for daily newspapers in California, J.P. covered MLB, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Los Angeles Angels (occasionally of Anaheim) from 2012-23 for the Southern California News Group. His first book, The 50 Greatest Dodgers Games of All-Time, published in 2015. In 2016, he won an Associated Press Sports Editors award for breaking news coverage. He once recorded a keyboard solo on the same album as two of the original Doors.

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