After reliever Joe Kelly’s wife offered her husband’s uniform number to woo Shohei Ohtani to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the star player responded by giving her a Porsche.
The Dodgers shared a video featuring Kelly’s wife, Ashley, who launched a viral #Ohtake17 campaign in hopes of luring the Japanese star to the team. It showed several memories with the number 17 that could be transformed for Ohtani and his family. She even offered to rename the couple’s baby, Kai, to ShoKai. In the video posted this weekend, she opens the door to her home to see the silver sports car in front of her house.
“It’s yours, from Shohei,” a voice off-camera says in the video, as Ashley Kelly looks stunned. He wanted to give you a Porsche.”
Ohtani signed a record 10-year, $700 million contract earlier this month to move from the Los Angeles Angels to the Dodgers. He wore No. 17 for the Angels.
Joe Kelly wore No. 17 for the Dodgers from 2019 to 2021, then again this season. He will now wear No. 99, after signing a one-season contract for eight million.
PHOTO MARK J. TERRILL, ARCHIVES ASSOCIATED PRESS
Joe Kelly
“I wasn’t going to give it to just anyone,” Joe Kelly said after Ohtani announced his decision. If Shohei continues to play the way he has, he will become a Hall of Famer and have his number retired. This is the closest I’ll be to the Hall of Fame. »
Asked what Ohtani should offer in return, Kelly said, “Oh, there’s a list, but I won’t comment.”