“Really Profitable”: Shohei Ohtani Defends Divisive Dodger City Connect Jersey Amidst Fan Backlash

Shohei Ohtani, commonly and respectfully referred to as the modern-day Babe Ruth, continues to electrify the baseball world with his awe-inspiring performances on both the mound and at the plate. With back-to-back home runs against his former team, the Angels succumbed to the Dodgers, who celebrated a resounding 7-2 victory at Dodger Stadium. Ohtani’s first homer, a majestic 459-foot blast to right-center field, came in the third inning as part of a four-run outburst that set the tone for the game.

“The exit velo is really good, and I liked the angle coming off the bat,” Ohtani commented through his interpreter, Will Ireton, showcasing his analytical approach to hitting even as he smashed baseballs into orbit. In a post-game interview, Shotime, through his interpreter again, addressed the contentious issue of the Nike City Connect jerseys. “Yeah, you know, so obviously we did well; I’m sure it’s gonna be really profitable in that sense and hope to do the same,” he remarked, referring to the potential financial gains associated with the team’s success and, by extension, the sales of the divisive uniforms.

This pragmatic, business-minded perspective, while perhaps unsurprising coming from a player known for his meticulous approach to the game, poured gasoline on the already raging fire of fan discontent. The City Connect uniforms, a radical departure from the Dodgers’ classic medley of whites and blues, have been met with scathing criticism since their debut. Fans have flooded social media with vitriolic comments, lambasting the jerseys as “ugly,” “generic,” and even tagging them as “a triple A uniform.”

The design, which incorporates what some fans perceive as the DIRECTV logo, has been a particular point of contention, with some questioning the team’s decision to prioritize corporate branding over aesthetic appeal.

Shohei Ohtani fuels the fire with profit-driven endorsement—are the City Connect jerseys a fashion faux pas or a marketing masterstroke?

The backlash against the jerseys has been so intense that it has, at times, overshadowed Ohtani’s remarkable achievements on the field. In fact, even after Ohtani’s pivotal role in the Blue Crew’s win, along with Gavin Lux’s homer and Tyler Glasnow’s dominant pitching performance (10 strikeouts in seven innings), the comments section was still dominated by jersey-related criticism.

One fan sarcastically remarked, “Might as well marry Ohtani. Why does everything have to involve Ohtani. He’s not even the best DH in the National League,” underscoring the extent to which the jersey controversy has consumed the discourse surrounding the team, amidst Shohei Ohtani’s pre-existing popularity.

The Halos, despite Zach Plesac’s struggles on the mound, managed to put up a fight, thanks in part to Logan O’Hoppe’s 10th home run of the season. However, their efforts were ultimately in vain, as the Dodgers’ offensive firepower proved too much to overcome.

Despite the negativity, Shohei Ohtani’s positivity around the jerseys, based on their potential profitability because of the team’s winning form, has added a fascinating wrinkle to the chatter. The question if he genuinely likes the design or is simply acknowledging his team’s decision still remains unanswered. Regardless of his stance, the Dodgers’ continued success on the field may ultimately prove to be the deciding factor in the jerseys’ commercial fate. What do you think?