Easier access to players than in the regular season Yamamoto, who has long lines of people waiting to get autographs before training, receives favorable reviews for his first live pitching The spring camp of Major League Baseball (MLB) teams held near Phoenix, Arizona, USA, is called the ‘Cactus League.’ Fans who have been waiting for the season to open all winter come to the camp of the team they are rooting for. Fans can meet players at a much closer distance than in the regular season and receive autographs with relative ease.
Unlike other teams, which are more relaxed than the regular season, Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona, where the Los Angeles Dodgers have set up camp, is crowded every day. This is because the Dodgers were originally a popular team with many star players, and the 'billion dollar duo' Shohei Ohtani (left photo) and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (right photo) joined the team.
Ohtani, who signed a 10-year contract worth $700 million (about 934.9 billion won), the highest contract in MLB history, is the most popular star. Yamamoto, who receives $325 million (about 434 billion won) over 12 years, the highest salary for a pitcher ever, is also expected to be the first starter. Training usually starts around 10 a.m., but long lines of fans waiting to get players' autographs form an hour or two before.
On the 18th, the atmosphere got even hotter as Yamamoto did his first live pitching (throwing like a real game against a batter). On this day, Yamamoto threw 28 pitches against the league's top hitters, including Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Max Muncy. He checked fast balls with a maximum speed of 155 km/h and various breaking balls. The attention of the coaching staff, his fellow players, and fans was all focused on him. When Yamamoto finished pitching, the audience applauded loudly. Freeman said, “I threw a good ball that is difficult to express. “I’m fortunate that he’s on the same team as me.”
Fans who visited the LA Dodgers spring camp on the 18th are lining up in front of the aisle where the players move to receive autographs.
It is not easy to cover the Dodgers camp. In some cases, there are so many reporters that the team refuses to issue passes. The press box in the building alone was not enough, so they had to set up a tent in one corner of the parking lot to create a temporary press room. 토토