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3 quotes from Shohei Ohtani's press conference that will frustrate Angels fans

Shohei Ohtani was introduced for the first time as a Los Angeles Dodger.

By Zachary Rotman |
Dec 14, 2023; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani is introduced at a
Dec 14, 2023; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani is introduced at a / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
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Shohei Ohtani is a Los Angeles Dodger. It's been official for days, but the press conference just occurred as Ohtani put o a Dodgers uniform for the first time in front of a massive amount of media members.

Ohtani's days with the Los Angeles Angels are over, and the organization and its fans will have to try and move on. Moving on from the best player in baseball is easier said than done though, and watching Ohtani wear Dodger blue just doesn't sit right.

Shohei did have some nice things to say about the Angels and his experience with the club, saying it was a ride he'll never forget. While that's always great to hear, the reality is Ohtani left them for their crosstown rivals. While he didn't say much, some of the answers he gave are sure to annoy at least some Angels fans.

1) Ohtani seems very excited to play in front of Dodgers fans

When the Angels and Dodgers match up at both Angel Stadium and Dodger Stadium, he's absolutely right. The crowd has a whole lot of blue, and it's not hard to know why. The Dodgers have been extremely successful the last decade, while the Angels have been nothing more than a below-average baseball team.

What makes this so upsetting is because Angels fans want to win. They want a team in front of them that can win baseball games, and it's disappointing that they haven't been able to pull that off. When the Angels do win, Angel Stadium can get very electric. It's really unfortunate that Ohtani never got to experience that.

I don't think Ohtani is taking shots at the Angels when he says something like this because it's just reality, but it would've been nice to hear him acknowledge how fun it was to play in front of these great fans. The team was not good, but the Angels were still in the top half of the league in attendance, and the fans always cheered whenever Ohtani did just about anything on the field.

2) Ohtani implies the Angels don't share his passion when it comes to winning

Like the first quote, this isn't necessarily false. The Dodgers are one of, if not the most successful franchises in the majors this past decade. They've made the postseason 11 consecutive years and counting. They've won the NL West 10 times in the last 11 years, and the only time they didn't win it they still won 106 games. They've won a World Series and three pennants during these 11 years. If you want to win, the Dodgers are undoubtedly a great place to go.

What upsets Angels fans about this quote in particular is the fact that he implies that the Angels don't share the same passion about winning that the Dodgers to. With Arte Moreno as the owner, that definitely is true to an extent. Moreno won't go to the levels the Dodgers do financially when it comes to payroll, player development, or anything regarding the roster. Even if it's true, it hurts to hear.

All Angels fans want is to win. It's really frustrating to hear the best player on the planet pretty much say that his former club didn't match his passion when it comes to that. Again, it may be true. That doesn't mean it doesn't upset Angels fans to hear.

3) The Angels had their chance and let him go

This one doesn't come from Shohei Ohtani himself, but instead his agent, Nez Balelo. The Angels were rumored to be one of the finalists throughout the process, and Balelo essentially confirms that with this whole dialogue brought to us by Sam Blum of The Athletic.

The Angels and Ohtani's camp were in constant contact throughout this process. Shohei at least had some level of interest in returning to even allow the Angels to speak to him, yet it seems like the interest from the Angels had a limit.

When asked point blank if money was the deciding factor, Balelo wouldn't reveal the answer, but reitterated that discussions were had. Often times when an agent won't reveal if money was the deciding factor, it sounds like it was. Sure, it's hard to blame Moreno for not committing to $700 million for one player, but when the contract is structured the way Ohtani wanted it with most of it deferred, that makes it frustrating for Angels fans to hear.

Shohei was interested in coming back to an extent, but the Angels said thanks but no thanks. Moreno could've easily brought him back and sold the team before the big payments would've had to be made. Instead, he let him go. The Angels refused to trade him at the deadline and appeared to have let money be the deciding factor as if they had no idea where these negotiations were going to go. Just some more Arte Moreno incompetence at its finest.

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