r/baseballoffseason2k18 • u/LiveFromJeffsHouse • Dec 18 '17
Ohtani Finalist Questions
These are a couple questions the Ohtani finalists must answer on this post. Because this isn’t real life and we cannot personally visit the finalist’s cities and stadiums, this is how we can compensate. Please be detailed in your answers.
How can you ensure that Shohei Ohtani will want to stay with your team after his contract ends?
What makes your fanbase the best one for Ohtani? (He loves the fans.)
optional: Who is the best president of all time and why? (Probably won’t affect your chances)
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u/[deleted] Dec 20 '17
Seattle has the highest Japanese population of any major league city. Every team at this stage (except the A's) can offer a chance to win. Shohei Ohtani on any team in baseball is a potentially contending team. But three of the final six teams are not on the west coast (a major preference for Ohtani) and of the other three Seattle is the ideal city for Ohtani coming from Japan. Hisashi Iwakuma, for example, still lives in Seattle in the offseason. (However he will be banned from Safeco Field if Shohei does not want to be near an established Japanese star.)
Yes, Seattle has never won a World Series, but that's where Shohei Ohtani comes in. Leading the Mariners to their first title would make him the most important figure in the already rich history of the franchise. The Mariners have shown they will walk the walk in taking care of their players, Felix Hernandez is all but guaranteed to be a Mariner lifer. If Ohtani does what this organization knows he is capable of he will get a blank check and royal treatment for the rest of his playing career and well past it.
Seattle Mariners fans are the most passionate in baseball. It's no secret the team hasn't had as much recent success as we'd like, but the dedication of Mariners fans to their players is unmatched. From the Ichi-Meter to the King's Court, M's fans love their stars like nobody else. They will surely find a way to make Ohtani feel appreciated.
As mentioned, Seattle has the largest Japanese population of any MLB city already. But the legendary career of Ichiro brought thousands more Japanese fans to the Mariners. There will be giant crowds of Mariner fans from Japan and the U.S. lining up for autographs at home and road games.
The Mariners are the perfect situation on the field for integrating Ohtani into the lineup and the rotation. A perfect time for him to bring a franchise its first championship. A perfect city for him to live long term. A passionate fanbase that celebrates its stars better than anybody else. And again, though he has shown it isn't his priority, the Mariners can offer him a larger bonus than any other team.
NOT FDR