The Los Angeles Dodgers are looking to make things right. A day after two fans said the team pressured them into giving up Shohei Ohtani’s leadoff home run for an unfair return, the team asked them to come back for a do-over.
A Dodgers official said Ambar Roman and her husband, Alexis Valenzuela, were invited to an on-field experience at Dodger Stadium. The team also said it would review its rough processes for recovering scoring baseballs.
Romain said Athleticism On Thursday, after recovering the ball, security personnel separated her from her husband and made him a disappointing offer in exchange for the ball. Roman also said team officials told them they would refuse to authenticate the baseball if she chose to take it home.
The couple ultimately left with two hats, a bat and a ball, all signed by Ohtani. The couple never met or spoke with Ohtani, who is now on the board as a Dodger after hitting 171 home runs during his tenure with the Angels.
“We are not trying to extort anyone. It’s not that we’re hungry for money,” Valenzuela said Thursday. “It’s just that it’s a special moment, it’s a special ball. I just think it’s fair to be rewarded as well.
Roman, who made the trade, said she doesn’t regret making the deal. She was happy that Ohtani could get her ball back. But she wasn’t happy with how the Dodgers team staff handled the situation.
This story will be updated with quotes and reactions later today.
— Fabien Ardaya from Athleticism contributed to this report.
(Photo by Shohei Ohtani: Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)