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Shohei Ohtani Shared Cool Moment With Ex-Dodgers Coach Before At-Bat

Tim Capurso

McCullough (left) spent four seasons as the Dodgers' first-base coach and helped Ohtani (right) author the first 50-50 season in MLB history.
McCullough (left) spent four seasons as the Dodgers' first-base coach and helped Ohtani (right) author the first 50-50 season in MLB history. / Screengrab Twitter @ShotimeLAD
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Before he was hired as the Miami Marlins manager in November of 2024, Clayton McCullough was the Los Angeles Dodgers first base coach, and played a key role in reigning National League MVP Shohei Ohtani's historic 50–50 season. Naturally, Ohtani and the rest of the Dodgers, with whom McCullough had developed close relationships, were glad to see the Marlins skipper before the opening game of the three-game series between Miami and Los Angeles.

Before first pitch at Dodger Stadium on Monday, McCullough received his World Series ring from the Dodgers. The pleasantries between McCullough and the Dodgers side briefly spilled into the game action as well. As Ohtani walked up to the plate to lead off for the Dodgers in the bottom half of the first inning, he tipped his cap to a smiling McCullough, who returned the favor from the Marlins dugout.

In addition to his responsibilities as the Dodgers' first-base coach, McCullough was also the club's lead outfield coach and one of the primary architects behind Los Angeles's base-stealing strategy. To that end, McCullough would pore over pitcher scouting reports and tendencies with Ohtani to help him gain an edge on the basepaths. Clearly, it paid off. Ohtani stole a career-high 59 bases in '24 and became the first position player in baseball history to belt 50-plus homers and swipe 50-plus bags in a season.

McCullough and Ohtani were also close on a personal level, as the two forged a signature head bump greeting that Ohtani would use every time he reached first base and saw McCullough. When Ohtani heard the news that McCullough was headed to the Marlins, he gave the former Dodgers coach a meaningful parting gift.

"There was a really cool picture that someone had drawn of him and I, doing that head bump at first base,"McCullough told Foul Territory in December of '24. “This was after the regular season, and I asked him, would he mind signing that for me. He was gracious enough to do that. That’s something that I’ll keep. It’s a cool picture."

McCullough was glad to see the Dodgers and very thankful for the pregame presentation.

"That was special,” McCullough told MLB.com. “It was. To see so many former colleagues, staff members and players come out there, it was a special time for me, and I appreciate the gesture by the Dodgers and [manager Dave Roberts] and his whole crew for doing that and making that a special moment for me. It was classy

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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.

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