Dodgers' Arrival Draws Excitement Ahead of MLB's First Regular Season Games in Seoul

Courtesy of Los Angeles Dodgers's X

The Los Angeles Dodgers, led by Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani, landed in South Korea on Friday for historic Major League Baseball (MLB) games in Seoul. Their charter flight arrived at Incheon International Airport around 2:30 p.m., approximately 14 hours after the San Diego Padres, their opponents for the two-game Seoul Series scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday.

The upcoming games at Gocheok Sky Dome mark the first MLB regular season games to be played in South Korea. Ohtani, a two-time American League MVP, signed a 10-year, US$700 million contract with the Dodgers in December. Accompanied by his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, Ohtani was greeted by enthusiastic fans upon his arrival at the airport.

Members of Ohtani's fan club in South Korea, known as "Shotime Korea," displayed a banner welcoming the Dodgers and chanted supportive slogans. Other prominent players on the Dodgers' roster, including Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, also received a warm reception from fans. 

▲ Courtesy of Los Angeles Dodgers's XAhead of the games, the Dodgers will participate in two exhibition matches: against the Kiwoom Heroes of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) on Sunday and the South Korean national team on Monday.

The Seoul Series will feature a Japanese pitcher from each club, with Yu Darvish of the Padres facing Tyler Glasnow in Game 1, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the Dodgers taking on Joe Musgrove in the second game. The series holds significance for South Korean baseball fans, given the Dodgers' history with Korean players such as Park Chan-ho and Ryu Hyun-jin.

Park Chan-ho, the first South Korean player in MLB history, is set to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the first Seoul Series game, adding to the anticipation surrounding this milestone event in South Korean baseball history.

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