The first Shohei Ohtani bobblehead giveaway of the season caused traffic chaos outside Dodger Stadium on Thursday, with long lines of enthusiastic fans eagerly waiting to get their hands on the coveted souvenir.
The roadways around Chavez Ravine were packed with cars, and stadium parking lots were filling up quickly two hours before the Los Angeles Dodgers faced off against the Cincinnati Reds.
The bobblehead, which features a smiling Ohtani with his bat resting above his left shoulder and a box designed with Japanese anime, was only available to the first 40,000 fans. The giveaway attracted a sellout crowd of 53,527 – the largest in the majors this season and the highest attendance at Dodger Stadium since September 20, 2019.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts commented on the excitement surrounding the event, saying, “Shohei creates a stir. It’s great for Shohei and it’s good for the Dodgers.” Roberts also acknowledged the special nature of Ohtani as both a person and a ballplayer.
The limited-edition bobblehead quickly became a hot commodity on eBay, with sellers offering the giveaway for $150 and up, advertising it as new in the box. As a surprise, 1,700 road gray jersey bobbleheads were randomly mixed in with the giveaway, with one listed for an astounding $2,300 on eBay. Game tickets were also in high demand, ranging from $168 to $388, including fees, on Stubhub.
The Dodgers have planned three additional Ohtani giveaways this season to celebrate his first year with the team after spending six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim.
Fans can look forward to a hat, a second bobblehead, and a shirt featuring the popular Japanese player.
Roberts and the rest of the Dodgers team didn’t have to worry about securing their own Ohtani bobbleheads, as boxes were placed in each player’s locker before the game. Roberts himself has quite the collection, receiving one for each bobblehead night.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.