A reflective essay intertwining a vivid dream of legendary Japanese baseball players with thoughts on Shohei Ohtani’s MLB decision.
It explores relief at his choice of the Angels and the broader emotional and symbolic significance for Japanese sports.

That is why I felt truly relieved when he chose the Los Angeles Angels.
2018-01-20
On January 18, I had an interesting dream.
For some reason, leading professional baseball players of Japan gathered to celebrate me and held a commemorative game.
One of the players even knew that I was the third son. Perhaps because my two older brothers had played baseball.
Shohei Ohtani stood before me as if we had known each other for years.
At the end, Ichiro appeared and walked with his arm around my shoulder like an old friend. Suddenly he placed a fine backpack on my back, flashed a mischievous smile, and left. I then forgot Ichiro’s backpack in the restroom. I hurriedly searched for it but could not find it. As I searched through what seemed like a large foreign-owned resort complex with a ballpark attached, a man who appeared to be the manager emerged and said, “Now that I have heard about it, there is no need to worry. We will surely deliver it to you…” Yet I kept searching… and then I awoke.
Now, to return to the main topic.
When Ohtani narrowed his MLB choices down to seven teams and I learned that the San Francisco Giants were among them, I prayed that he would not go there.
Because if Shohei Ohtani, one of the super heroes of the 21st century and a treasure of Japanese sports, were to join such a malevolent city, I would no longer be able to support him without reservation.
That is why I felt truly relieved when he chose the Los Angeles Angels.
Moreover, the Angels are a team that already has two of Major League Baseball’s greatest players.
As is well known, I have stated unequivocally that all major American sports teams based in a malevolent city such as San Francisco will never win championships as long as they remain malevolent—that is divine providence.