The Dodgers were playing the San Diego Padres in Seoul, South Korea, last March when a bombshell was revealed: Ohtani's interpreter and close friend Ippei Mizuhara was being criminally investigated for ties to an illegal gambling ring and had stolen a huge amount of money from the baseball star.

Hundreds of fans lined up 10 deep, hoping to catch a glimpse of the superstar on Thursday, but a temporary white wall was set up to shield the players in case they came through the arrival area.

The response to Shohei Ohtani at the Tokyo Dome Friday re-established a longstanding truth about the Dodgers: In Japan’s view, there is Ohtani and then there is everyone else.