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Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani might be a global baseball icon, but not in the eyes of one Little League World Series player.
Australia’s Monica Arcuri revealed an interaction with Ohtani that led her to believe he is “not really humble.”
Arcuri was featured on ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball” KidsCast during the New York Mets-Seattle Mariners game Sunday in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, the host city of the Little League World Series. During her interview, the Brisbane native described attending a Los Angeles Angels game in Anaheim in 2023.
During that game, Ohtani — then still a member of the Angels — homered off Toronto Blue Jays starter Yusei Kikuchi.
“He hit a home run into an area where the fans couldn’t go, and then this guy got the ball and gave it to my brother,” Arcuri explained on the broadcast. “So, the next day we went to the VIP box at the front, and I asked for [Ohtani’s] signature, but all he gave me was a side-eye and not a nice glance.
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“So, after that, I’ve never liked him ever since. He’s not really humble. Not my style.”
That season was Ohtani’s last in an Angels uniform before the Dodgers swooped in with a then-record 10-year, $700 million contract, though $680 million of it was deferred.
Ohtani’s first season with the Dodgers ended with an NL MVP Award and a World Series ring after defeating the New York Yankees in five games in the “Fall Classic.”
However, Ohtani has faced off-the-field controversies since last season.
First, his former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, was imprisoned for stealing nearly $17 million from the Japanese star to pay off gambling debts.
Ohtani publicly addressed the scandal in late March before the start of his inaugural Dodgers season, saying he had never placed a sports bet and that Mizuhara’s story about paying off his $4.5 million gambling debt was fabricated.
More recently, Ohtani and his agent, Nez Balelo, made headlines after being sued by a Hawaii real estate investor and broker for allegedly causing their firing from a $240 million luxury housing development.
Meanwhile, it appears Arcuri enjoyed her time in Williamsport despite Australia being eliminated from the international bracket after a 12-0 loss to Canada on Sunday. Australia opened with a 7-2 loss to Panama before bouncing back with a 5-3 win over Europe-Africa on Saturday to avoid early elimination.
Arucir became the 24th girl to play in the Little League Baseball World Series, and the 11th to record a hit.
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