Acts of Camaraderie: Roberts Gifts Ohtani a Toy Porsche for His Daughter
In a touching gesture that reinforces the bond within the Los Angeles Dodgers’ clubhouse, manager Dave Roberts and his wife, Tricia, surprised Japanese star Shohei Ohtani with a sweet gift for his newborn daughter: a pink toy Porsche.
This act, which reflects the good rapport within the team, was shared by Ohtani himself on his social media, where he showed the stroller and thanked Roberts for the gesture.
We had a little practical joke situation going on, but this was a real gift for the baby.
Dave Roberts
The story between Roberts and Ohtani, and the toy Porsches, began as an inside joke in May. Roberts, in a joking tone, suggested to Ohtani that he reward him with a Porsche after breaking the home run record for a Japanese player in the Dodgers franchise, a mark that Roberts himself had established during his career as a baseball player. Ohtani responded by giving him a purple toy Porsche for his office.
The dynamic continued in March, when Ohtani placed another small Porsche in Roberts’ personal parking lot at Camelback Ranch, during spring training.
Ohtani, known for his generosity, also gifted a real Porsche to Ashley Kelly, wife of pitcher Joe Kelly, for giving him the number 17 when he joined the team in December 2023. The firstborn of Shohei Ohtani was born on April 19th. Both Ohtani and his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, have maintained privacy, without publicly revealing the baby’s name or other details.When asked about Ohtani’s reaction to the gift, Roberts commented that the player was very grateful.
