The spotlight of the season, no doubt, belongs to Shohei Ohtani! He is continuing to break boundaries in his first year in Dodger Blue. With an elbow that’s recovering, he broke into the 50-50 club in a stellar fashion. And to top it all off, after six long years of waiting, Ohtani got his first crack at playoff baseball.
Everyone was waiting with bated breath to see how his first postseason game would go with the San Diego Padres. Among the sea of blue, the players’ wives and girlfriends also came out to cheer, including a familiar and special face—Ohtani’s wife, Mamiko Tanaka.
Throughout the Japanese star’s journey, Mamiko has always been present, and she was there for her husband’s first-ever playoff game as well. Mamiko Tanaka usually keeps an extremely low profile, and it’s not always one who gets to see her at the Dodger Stadium. But she joined Ohtani for the team’s celebration after they clinched the NL West title. Tanaka wore a denim jacket embroidered with ‘Ohtani’; even Decoy was present to support his dad. Mamiko was spotted hanging out with the other Dodgers players’ partners. The Instagram account @ladodgerwives posted a picture of all the wives, with the caption “GAME 1, LET’S BE LOUD FOR THE BOYS IN BLUE!!! ⚾️🎉💙.” In the picture, Tanaka stood third from the left.
Now, Mamiko isn’t regular at the games, but her appearance always has been a good omen for Shohei Ohtani. In his first-ever playoff stint, Ohtani blasted a three-run shot. The same luck wasn’t with the Japanese star at the second game with the Padres, though – they not only won the game but also became the first team in MLB history to score six home runs at post-season games. So, Mamiko joining the ‘Dodgers Wives Club’ might be carrying that luck element, but just for Ohtani. And don’t take our word for it—take his dad’s!
Mamiko Tanaka the secret behind Shohei Ohtani’s success
It seems like Mamiko Tanaka just might be Ohtani’s lucky charm; the perfect support system. Toru Ohtani, Shohei Ohtani‘s father, opened up in an open letter shared by the Naoyuki Yanagihara of Sponichi. He showcased pride in his son’s incredible year; moreover, he also mentioned that behind Ohtani’s immense success is Mamiko Tanaka. While senior Ohtani admitted that Shohei’s marriage last December came as a surprise, it really made the family happy. Toru Ohtani also pointed out that Mamiko helped Shohei get his focus right on the game.
Toru noticed his son was more relaxed and focused, and that is what helped get him to his goals. “Without Mamiko, you would not be where you are today,” Toru wrote. We all remember how Shohei struggled on the mound initially with the Los Angeles Dodgers, right? Even Shohei Ohtani himself explained recently that he had baggage from playing with the Angels. He thought the weight of the entire team was on him, which wasn’t the case with the Dodgers – he had good support here.
This helped him with his overthinking, especially with Mamiko Tanaka by his side through the ups and downs. Now, along with his wife, Shohei also has the loving company of another superstar—his fur𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦, Decoy. So, it seems like Shohei Ohtani sure does have a winning team behind him, even at home. Maybe, if not all, a little luck and love from his family is helping him crush it.
