“English Lessons Paying Off”: Dave Roberts Unveils the Key to Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s Recent Exploits For the Dodgers

It’s basic human nature to feel a little uncomfortable in unknown territories. While there are a few who immediately capture the ground, many need some time before they come out of their shell. Now imagine entering a whole new team speaking a whole new language. While Shohei Ohtani has already experienced most of this, Yoshinobu Yamamoto is still new to the scene. So how well are they both doing in the locker room? The Los Angeles Dodgers skipper may have an answer to that question.

Ever since Yamamoto joined the Dodgers, he has been a media darling. There have been multiple pictures of him interacting with his teammates going viral on the internet. While in most of those pictures, he’s accompanied by Shohei Ohtani, they still show how the bond between the Japanese superstar and the Dodgers’ stars is growing stronger with each passing day. Dave Roberts alluded to this relationship in his latest interview. 

“I think the most telling thing is his relation with players. They laugh a lot,” Roberts said about Yoshinobu Yamamoto. “His English is continuing to get better and he’s just one of the guys. Even after the game he’s hanging out. So it’s cold for me as a manager to see those guys integrate so quickly.” 

While Roberts was specifically talking about Yamamoto, his words show how close-knit the Dodgers’ clubhouse actually is. It has been observed from the day Ohtani and Yamamoto entered that the squad had welcomed them wholeheartedly. From Shotime becoming locker-room buddies with Mookie Betts to his ever-growing friendship with Teoscar Hernandez, the Blue Crew is having the time of their life.

How the Los Angeles Dodgers are slowly turning into a giant family

Sports Illustrated posted an interesting article about Shohei Ohtani’s friendship with Teoscar Hernandez. Even though Ohtani speaks Japanese and Hernandez speaks Spanish, the two have quickly become friends. Part of the reason is that both of them are the “new guys.” Interestingly they don’t use an interpreter to converse, instead the duo chooses to speak in English. With Hernandez asking Ohtani to teach him one word of Japanese every day, the duo are slowly learning each other’s first language.

While that is an interesting story, the Dodgers’ clubhouse is filled with similar tales. From the outside eyes, their clubhouse looks like a giant family. With players constantly laughing and joking around with each other, there’s certainly a great vibe within the squad. That vibe is translating into on-field excellence with the Blue Crew already over the 20-win mark this season. That has certainly led to some big smiles in the Dodgers fanbase.