Obsessed With Hygiene, Shohei Ohtani Showered by Teammates’ Seeds Following First Home Run

Shohei Ohtani is baseball’s “Mr. Clean” and it’s not just because his swing is neat and beautiful. It’s also due to the superstar’s unique way of doing things (He’s a unicorn for a reason). Instead of challenging opponents, he pays them respect. And then instead of making a mess, Ohtani tries to keep his surroundings as clean as possible. However, it is that habit of being clean that has made his recent “sunflower seed incident” so funny.

After an agonizing 18-game wait, Shohei Ohtani finally hit a home run for the Los Angeles Dodgers. So naturally that occasion called for a celebration. The stadium erupted like it was New Year’s Eve and the clock had just struck 12. One could barely hear their own voice during that loud ovation after Ohtani’s ridiculous 430 ft cannon. But then his teammate Teoscar Hernandez decided to make that moment even more memorable for the fans. 

As Ohtani made his way back to the dugout, his teammates were ready to congratulate him. However, before the 2x MVP could make his way into the tunnel, Hernandez stood in front of him with hands full of sunflower seeds – the favorite mid-game snack of Ohtani. And in his signature way, Hernandez showered the home-run hero with the seeds. 

For a man as systematic and clean as Ohtani seeing that mess must have been a shock. After all, the superstar loves order – he even arranges his gear properly after every base run before giving it to someone else. Then comes the regular sight of him having two cups with him – one with the seeds and the other where he spits them. 

One wonders how Ohtani must have felt after seeing so much mess around him. While he did feel “relieved” after the home run – could this have turned that relief into a desire to clean all the stuff? While that is open for speculation, Teoscar Hernandez has explained why he did the sunflower seed celebration for Ohtani.

Teoscar Hernandez explains the reason behind Shohei Ohtani’s sunflower seed celebration

In an interview with Dodger Blue, Teoscar Hernandez explained how happy the team was for Ohtani. “Everybody was celebrating. I think the whole team was more happier than he was. For him it feels good to hit the first one and I think there’s a lot-lot many to come,” Hernandez said. Later he revealed why he does the sunflower seed celebration.

“That’s a celebration that has happened since 2017 when I got to the Blue Jays. When I got traded from the Houston Astros. I saw every team has a celebration and we didn’t have one in that time and I just started throwing this. That’s what we have in the dugout and I’m using it,” Hernandez revealed.  

Could one expect more such celebrations from Teoscar Hernandez? Possibly. After all, this Dodgers team’s offense is as scary as Batman & Robin was for all the Dark Knight fans. But unlike that movie, the Blue Crews’ hitters aren’t bombing – they’re exploding.

Read more: Why Do MLB Players Including Shohei Ohtani Chew on Sunflower Seeds?