Two days after the end of the 2024 season, a championship parade was held in Los Angeles to celebrate the Dodgers’ World Series victory.

More than 200,000 people lined the streets, celebrating the team’s achievement.

It was a moment of pure joy—not only for the manager, coaches, and players, but equally for the fans.

The scene made it clear that this triumph belonged to everyone.

Back in late July 2023, the Los Angeles Angels—Ohtani’s team at the time—were holding on, just 3.5 games behind a playoff spot.

In Major League Baseball, the trade deadline falls at the end of July.

Teams that fall out of contention typically sell players, while those still in the race look to strengthen their roster.

As Ohtani was set to become a free agent in the offseason, his future drew massive attention.

However, instead of trading him, the Angels chose to go all-in—adding reinforcements and pushing for a playoff run together with Ohtani.

Immediately after that decision, Ohtani delivered a remarkable performance in a doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers.

In Game 1, he threw a complete-game shutout.

In Game 2, he hit two home runs.

Afterward, he said:

“I love the fans here.

All I want is to finish the season in a way that makes them—and everyone who supports me—happy.”

For Ohtani, there was only one thing he truly wanted:

for his team to win,

and to reach the postseason.

Source

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

SHO-TIME 2.0: Shohei Ohtani’s Journey to the Top, p.147