The Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays are rumored to be among the teams competing to land Shohei Ohtani in free agency, and this has sparked something of a war of words between the two cities.
Things got started when former MLB player Jerry Hairston Jr. made a sales pitch to Ohtani on why the two-way star should pick the Dodgers.
Hairston worked in some attacks on Toronto as part of his pitch, citing Canada’s tax rate, colder weather, and having to
“listen to two national anthems”
before games.
“Jerry Hairston Jr., first off, he played for nine teams in 16 years,”
Seixeiro began.
“I know as much about the Dodgers as Jerry Hairston Jr.”
“Based on what Hollywood has told me, the great earthquake is coming at any point, and you don’t want to be around any part of Los Angeles when that happens,”
Seixeiro added.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0kSizjOq-o/?igshid=YTI4YzE2YTYwMA%3D%3D
Now on a roll, Seixeiro concluded by pointing out that the Blue Jays have more World Series titles than the Dodgers do since 1992 and had one final argument to address the national anthem topic.
As the MLB winter meetings wrap up, few teams are reportedly still left in the running to sign Ohtani, including the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays.
With a decision expected in the coming weeks, former MLB player and current SportsnetLA analyst Jerry Hairston Jr. attempted to make an on-air pitch to have Ohtani call Dodger Stadium home.
Instead, it turned into a complete diss of Canada, and after the pitch made it around social media, “Breakfast Television Toronto” host Sid Seixeiro gave his own diss of California, and why Ohtani should be with the Blue Jays instead.
Mic drop 🎤@TheRealJHair with the sales pitch to Shohei Ohtani. pic.twitter.com/oGUTFt0Bxo
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) December 7, 2023
The good-humored segment made its way to Toronto, where it did not go down well. That prompted an all-time great response from Sid Seixeiro, a co-host of City TV’s “Breakfast Television” show in Toronto.
.@sid_seixeiro has a very important message for Shohei Ohtani 👀 pic.twitter.com/fsNLAwLKb5
— Breakfast Television (@breakfasttv) December 7, 2023
Hairston mentioned even with the nine franchises he played for in 16 seasons, the Dodgers are above all.
“Like Tommy Lasorda said, if you want to be a real angel, you got to put on the Dodger blue and play at Dodger Stadium,”
he said.
“‘O Canada,’ you’d have to listen to two national anthems up there, bro. Canada’s too cold, man,”
Hairston said.
“You can commute − if you want to stay there − to Dodger Stadium every single night. I guarantee you every single year, you’re gonna have a chance to play in the postseason, win a World Series, hopefully rings, plural.
There is nothing like wearing Dodger blue.”
Hairston then concluded his pitch by saying Ohtani could solidify himself as the West Coast Babe Ruth. Sid Seixeiro’s pitch for Ohtani to sign with the Blue Jays “He played for nine teams in 16 years.
He played for the Dodgers for two years.
“I know as much about the Dodgers as Jerry Hairston Jr. He played with them for two years. Yeah, we got taxes up in Canada, but California has the fifth highest taxes of any state in America,”
he said.
“Oh, you want to buy a place close to Dodger Stadium? Seixerio added points of how despite the fact it snows in Canada, it does snow in California as well − in some parts.”
Okay, since 1992, who’s won more titles, the Jays or the Dodgers?” Seixerio said.
“And by the way, listening to two national anthems is great.”
Two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani could make his decision in free agency any day now. Earlier this week, former MLB player Jerry Hairston Jr. appeared on SportsNet LA and tried to convince Ohtani to stay away from the Toronto Blue Jays.
Hairston listed reasons like listening to two national anthems, paying high taxes and dealing with cold weather as reasons why Toronto wouldn’t be a great fit.
.@sid_seixeiro has a very important message for Shohei Ohtani 👀 pic.twitter.com/fsNLAwLKb5
— Breakfast Television (@breakfasttv) December 7, 2023
Seixeiro pointed out that Toronto’s taxes aren’t exactly a valid concern when the alternative is California.That’s how good Shohei Ohtani is — Canadians will full-on roast a major American city if it means 10 years of Ohtani.
Fans reacted as follows:
You know you said something generationally stupid when Sid is spitting https://t.co/x4d67AgfKo
— Mike Wilners block list (@Kirk2Kikuchi) December 7, 2023
https://twitter.com/Leafsssssss34/status/173277946060303584?I’d play the Japanese anthem every game if that’s what the man wants https://t.co/SyrzmsHyNQ
— Jamie Kelly (@bluejamiek) December 7, 2023
What is the percentage Ohtani ever sees this? https://t.co/mE5gyaiccx
— Kenny (@KPTreyFive) December 7, 2023
