On July 5, Shohei Ohtani celebrated his 31st birthday without the glittering lights, loud music, or lavish gifts from his teammates. Instead, the Los Angeles Dodgers star quietly turned his special day into a journey to bring hope to those less fortunate.
Ohtani, along with his wife, who has always been a quiet companion behind the scenes, decided not to hold a birthday party. Instead, the couple donated all of their prize money, gifts from fans and teammates – estimated to be more than $500,000 – to support homeless children’s relief organizations in Los Angeles and Tokyo.
“I asked him what he wanted for his birthday,” Ohtani’s wife recalled, “and he just said, ‘You have everything… Give other kids a chance to dream like you did.’”
The couple visited a children’s shelter in East LA, where they gave gifts, chatted, and even played baseball with the kids. Ohtani wore no sunglasses, no jersey, no cameras, no reporters—just a man, crouching down to a child’s level, giving a warm smile and hug.
A 9-year-old boy who had lived in a car with his mother hugged Ohtani tightly and whispered, “I thought people like you only existed on TV.” Tears rolled down the legendary pitcher’s face.
After the charity event, Ohtani shared only one sentence with the media:
“Birthdays are not about receiving. They’re about remembering that you’re lucky enough to be able to give.”