During the MLB offseason, one of the biggest stories every year is where star free agents will sign next.

In 2024, much of the attention centered around young superstar Juan Soto of the Yankees.

But in the winter of 2023, the entire baseball world was focused on Shohei Ohtani.

In the end, Ohtani chose to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

But shortly before the announcement, a massive rumor spread across baseball:

a private plane believed to be carrying Ohtani was reportedly heading to Toronto.

Because the Toronto Blue Jays had remained one of the strongest candidates throughout negotiations — reportedly offering conditions comparable to the Dodgers — the news created chaos.

Blue Jays fans became excited.

Dodgers fans became anxious.

Yet the report turned out to be false.

Ohtani was never on that flight.

Although the misunderstanding was not his fault, disappointed Blue Jays fans loudly booed him when the Dodgers visited Toronto on April 26, 2024.

But Ohtani responded the way he often does:

with his performance.

He crushed a massive home run and completely changed the atmosphere inside the stadium.

After the game, Ohtani reflected on the situation calmly and respectfully:

“I was really looking forward to coming to Toronto, and seeing the stadium nearly full was something special as a player. In the end, there’s only one team you can choose. So for every team that reached out to me, I feel nothing but gratitude.”

Those words captured something important about Ohtani’s character.

Even after choosing another team, he never dismissed or disrespected the organizations that pursued him.

He understood that being wanted is itself something to be thankful for.

And in a way, the home run he hit that day became a gesture of appreciation toward a team and fan base that had sincerely hoped he would become part of their future.

Source

This quote comes from a Japanese book published in Japan and is not currently available in English.

Number 1099, p.13