Toru Otani, Shohei Ohtani’s father, sensed that something had changed when the Los Angeles Dodgers star married his current wife, Mamiko Tanaka. After the Dodgers won the NL West, Toru Otani wrote an emotional message for his kid on Sponichi, a Japanese publication. In the message, the Dodgers slugger’s father praised the MLB superstar on his accomplishments, including becoming the first member of the 50-50 club. Toru Otani also discussed Shohei Ohtani’s wife and their marriage, which evidently surprised the family. However, the Otani patriarch stressed that Mamiko Tanaka has had a beneficial influence on his son and is a major contributor to his achievement.
“When we first heard about your marriage last December, we were the most surprised,” Toru Otani wrote, as translated by Yahoo Sports. “To be honest, until last season, when you were single, I would go to your games in person, talk for a few minutes, and then leave the stadium. After you got married this season, you’d invite us over for tea, and we’d get to spend a little more time together, which was different from before. As a father, this made me pleased.
He went on to say, “I think you’re more focused on games now that you’re married. You appeared to have relaxed a little, smoothing out your sharp edges.”
Furthermore, Toru Otani discussed Shohei Ohtani’s betting issue before the season began, stating that it brought him “relief” to know that his son has a partner who will support and assist him during this difficult time. “There was the fraud case before the season started, and it left me feeling very worried,” she said. “But as a married man, you have someone by your side with whom you can converse at any time, which relieved me. Without Mamiko, you would not be where you are today.”
Furthermore, Toru Otani discussed Shohei Ohtani’s betting issue before the season began, stating that it brought him “relief” to know that his son has a partner who will support and assist him during this difficult time. “There was the fraud case before the season started, and it left me feeling very worried,” she said. “But as a married man, you have someone by your side with whom you can converse at any time, which relieved me. Without Mamiko, you would not be where you are today.”
