The Los Angeles Dodgers' first Shohei Ohtani bobblehead giveaway created quite a stir Thursday, drawing an sold-out crowd and creating traffic snarls around The Ravine.
According to WTOP, stadium parking lots were full for Thursday's game against the Cincinnati Reds with fans showing up late and leaving early.
“Shohei creates a stir,” manager Dave Roberts said before the game. “I can’t imagine what it’s like outside. It’s great for Shohei and it’s good for the Dodgers.”
Only the first 40,000 fans received the bobblehead, which depicts a smiling Ohtani with his bat perched above his left shoulder. The box’s design features Japanese anime.
The giveaway attracted a sellout crowd of 53,527 — the largest in the majors this season and the most at Dodger Stadium since Sept. 20, 2019.
“It’s going to be a hot-ticket item,” Roberts said. “The more I see him every day the more I realize how special of a person and a ballplayer he is.”
On eBay, the Ohtani giveaway was being offered for $150 and up with sellers advertising it as new in the box.
As a surprise, 1,700 road gray jersey bobbleheads were randomly mixed in with the giveaway. One was listed for $2,300 on eBay.
The Dodgers have scheduled three other Ohtani giveaways this season to mark his first year with the team after spending six seasons in Anaheim with the Angels. They will offer a hat, a second bobblehead and a shirt.
