The Los Angeles Dodgers have extended an olive branch to two fans who were pressured into surrendering Shohei Ohtani’s first home run ball for an unfair return.
Ambar Roman and her husband Alexis Valenzuela will be invited back to Dodger Stadium on April 12 for an on-field experience. They will have the opportunity to meet Ohtani, get autographs, and watch the game from seats at the field club level.
The team has also vowed to review their processes for retrieving milestone baseballs to avoid similar situations in the future. Initially, Roman and Valenzuela received a disappointing offer for the ball and were told it would not be authenticated if taken home.
Although the couple left with some merchandise signed by Ohtani, they never met or spoke with him. As part of the new plan, the Dodgers will authenticate their items when they return on April 12.
Roman, who made the trade, expressed no regrets about giving the ball to Ohtani but was dissatisfied with how the situation was handled by the Dodgers personnel. The team faced criticism on social media but hopes the resolution will be seen positively.
The VIP treatment offered to the fans is seen as a gesture of goodwill, with Roman grateful for the opportunity to sit in the field club seats and have a special experience at the stadium. The Dodgers are committed to ensuring fair treatment of fans in similar situations moving forward.
“Prone to fits of apathy. Devoted music geek. Troublemaker. Typical analyst. Alcohol practitioner. Food junkie. Passionate tv fan. Web expert.”