Shohei Ohtani’s Surprise Gift Charms Joe Kelly’s Wife Following Dodgers’ Teammate’s Jersey Number Gesture

Ashley Kelly, the wife of LA Dodgers pitcher Joe Kelly, started the viral #Ohtake17 campaign as she offered her husband’s N0.17 to Shohei Ohtani in a bid to convince him to join his husband’s team. Joe Kelly eventually decided to give up his jersey number when the Two-Way Phenom signed for the Dodgers. Ohtani, who signed the biggest contract in American sports history, decided to return the favor to his new teammate’s wife in his own grand manner with a perfect Christmas present.

Ohtani noticed the efforts of the Kelly family and to thank them he gifted a brand-new Porsche to Ashley Kelly. In the video uploaded on Ashley Kelly’s Instagram, we can see her standing at the front door in utter surprise when she is told that she is the new owner of the silver four-door Porsche, parked at the end of the driveway.

Ashley is seen in the video in shock as she hears, “It’s yours. From Shohei. He wanted to fit you a Porsche. I swear.” She responds by uttering “Shut the…” before stopping mid-sentence.

This gift by Ohtani signifies the growing bond between the star player and the Kelly family. In her attempts to bring Ohtani to the Dodgers, Ashley pulled out all the stops with a viral campaign and went as far as hilariously renaming her son after the star player.

Ashley Kelly’s campaign for Shohei Ohtani went viral

The Kelly family played their part in ensuring that one of the most coveted MLB players signed on the dotted line for the LA Dodgers. Ashley Kelly started the #Ohtake17 campaign on social media and took the internet by storm. She then offered him every piece of gear the family had with the number 17 on it.

Read More: Years Before 2X MVP Glory, Shohei Ohtani’s Two-Way Dream Was Kept Alive in This Career-Defining Moment.

A tongue-in-cheek gesture from her came when she offered to rename her seven-month-old’s name from Kai to ShoKai. She also showed off a “Zaddy 17” sweater she was going to wear upon the superstar’s arrival. All this must have made Ohtani feel welcome and eventually, Joe Kelly gave up his number 17 jersey for him, having worn it for six years. And now Shohei Ohtani, who signed a $700 million, 10-year contract with the 7-time World Series champions, showed his appreciation by gifting Ashley Kelly a brand new Porsche, further strengthening the bond between him and the Kelly family.