Los Angeles Dodgers celebrations over the past several seasons have included dancing on the bases, throwing sunflower seeds and now a gesture that was inspired by a Shohei Ohtani advertisement in Japan.
The two-way star has an endorsement deal with Decorté, a Japanese company that sells luxury skincare and beauty products.
In one of the commercials he filmed, Ohtani can be seen holding a fragrance bottle and making a sliding motion with it near his eyes. Several Dodgers players saw the ad during the Tokyo Series and began playfully ribbing the 30-year-old about it.
The Dodgers have now adopted the gesture as a celebration for when they get hits, to the approval of Ohtani, via Jack Harris of the L.A. Times:
“I think it’s good for them to tease me and get excited,” Ohtani said when asked about the celebration Monday. “I think the atmosphere is good.”
Ohtani has been the inspiration of several celebrations since joining the Dodgers. When he homers and returns to the dugout, Miguel Rojas occasionally greets him with a Decoy-inspired gesture.
But the celebration serves as another reminder of how tight the Dodgers clubhouse is, and many of the players, including Ohtani himself, have adopted the gesture to celebrate their accomplishments on the field.
Cubs players amazed at Shohei Ohtani’s popularity in Japan
Ohtani received a hero’s welcome when the Dodgers arrived to Japan last month and was met with thunderous applause before each at-bat in the Tokyo Series.
Chicago Cubs pitcher Justin Steele was amazed by the plethora of advertisements Ohtani is featured in throughout Japan.
Dansby Swanson also compared Ohtani to NBA legend Michael Jordan in terms of popularity and enjoyed seeing fan reaction for his return to the Tokyo Dome
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