Wednesday, March 12

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With their whirlwind Cactus League slate nearly behind them, the Dodgers are setting their sights on what should be a week to remember in Japan.

The season-opening Tokyo Series against the Cubs is just one week away, giving local fans a chance to see Japanese players -- Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki for the Dodgers, and Shota Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki for the Cubs -- compete with their big league teams on home soil. 

Throughout the spring, several Dodgers discussed what they were most looking forward to in their upcoming trip to Tokyo. Here are some of their responses: 

Dave Roberts: “This is one of the most exciting Opening Days I’ve ever had -- from a player to a coach to a manager -- opening up the season in Tokyo. My aunts, my uncles, my cousins are all gonna be able to see. I love the country of Japan. And obviously, with the three Japanese players that we have, just to see how we are received, I’m very excited about. And I will say this, I really hope the people in the States learn from the people in Japan, how they treat people. In Japan, there’s just a lot of respect, and people are kind. And for us to go over there into their country, I’m very honored. Very honored.”

Yamamoto, via interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda: "Obviously, all the Japanese fans must be really excited to have us back in our native country. What we can do for them is get ourselves ready as much as possible and perform the best over there for them."

Clayton Kershaw: "The family's going to go. I'm excited. Obviously, I'll be able to get my work in with the team and rehab. But once in a lifetime, I've never been to Japan, never gone with the three Japanese superstars that we have. I'm excited to just kind of be a fly on the wall and take it all in."

Freddie Freeman: “I'm looking forward to it. I think it's gonna be 10 times whatever Korea [the 2024 Seoul Series] was, just because with Shohei and Yoshi and Roki, and then you've got Shota and Seiya on the Cubs. … I think it's going to be more than we expect. It's going to be exciting. I’ve heard wonderful things about Tokyo and Japan. So I'm really looking forward to it. And as long as we get two wins, that’s gonna be great.”

Teoscar Hernández: "Enjoying the moment over there. Obviously, getting to know the culture and all the players over there. But most important is trying to win those two games against the Cubs. … It's going to be a good experience getting to know where [Ohtani, Yamamoto and Sasaki] come from."

Tommy Edman: "I really enjoyed going to Tokyo a couple of years ago [while representing South Korea in the 2023 World Baseball Classic]. We got to explore a little bit. I think just the environment is going to be amazing. The Tokyo Dome is a really special place, and a really cool place to play. Getting back there and playing some more competitive games in that environment where we'll have, hopefully, a lot of fans will be exciting."

Max Muncy: "It's a two-parter for me, and both of it involves culture. One, just experiencing the Japanese culture as a whole. And two, experiencing the baseball culture over there. The baseball culture is different everywhere around the world. Having played in Korea and Mexico, it's so different everywhere you go. I'm really excited to see that. And also, the Japanese culture as a whole, it's so different from how we are over here that I'm really looking forward to just seeing everything."

Miguel Rojas: "I'm looking forward to the fans. Fans are being really supportive over social media. The ones who travel and are here, in L.A. or anywhere I go. The love, I've felt it from the fans. I'm looking forward to going there and experiencing the games and the city and the country, but the fans are the thing that I'm looking forward to."

• Roberts was rewarded for his successful tenure at the helm of the Dodgers with a reported contract extension that will make him the highest-paid manager in baseball.

• The friendship between Blake Snell and Ha-Seong Kim has created a support system for players going from the Korea Baseball Organization to the Major Leagues.

• MLB players were polled on which active ballplayer would excel most at another professional sport, and the top choice isn't surprising. 

For those on the ground to watch the Dodgers and Cubs face off in Tokyo, there's more going on than just the exhibition games and regular-season matchups. Among the other events is a Fan Fest running through next Wednesday, March 19, at the Tokyo Skytree that will feature talk shows, watch parties and more. 

The complete schedule of events surrounding the Tokyo Series can be found here.

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