Shohei Ohtani has worn No. 17 throughout his career so far. It’s his number. He’s synonymous with it.
But he’s with the Dodgers now and that number is taken. Or, at least, it was. Joe Kelly wore No. 17 with the Dodgers in each of his stints with the team throughout his career.
That led to there being a bit of intrigue in the Dodgers’ pursuit of Ohtani this offseason. Would that mean Kelly had to give up his number? If so, would that be a problem?
From the beginning, though, it was clear that it wouldn’t be. It’s all thanks to Joe Kelly’s wife, Ashley.
She quelled all of that with her #OhTake17 campaign on social media where she made an effort to convince Ohtani to come to LA. She also offered up her husband’s number and even joked that the couple would change their son’s name from Kai to ShoKai and was ready to give away her family’s No. 17 gear.
In exchange for all that love, plus the actual No. 17, Ohtani bought Ashley a new Porsche. Yes, seriously.
“It’s yours…from Shohei.”
Shohei gifted Joe Kelly’s wife Ashley with a new car for her Ohtake17 campaign. 🥹 pic.twitter.com/Vsb3PqMthF
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) December 24, 2023
It’s well-earned. We all know he’s got the money for it, too. Shoutout to Ohtani for this one. What a teammate.
