TEMPE, Ariz. — Shohei Ohtani emerged from the clubhouse and tipped his cap to the swarm of Japanese countrymen capturing his every move, cameras clicking a mile a minute.
He offered that signature smile, something Angels manager Mike Scioscia noticed right away and appreciates as much as his new two-way star’s tremendous, “extraordinary” baseball talent.
As a small group of Japanese fans cheered and waved their flag, Ohtani walked to a back field at Tempe Diablo Stadium and got to work with the rest of the pitchers and catchers on a dreary Day 1 of spring training Wednesday.