Max Muncy shares backstory behind Shohei Ohtani’s walk-off celebration

Los Angeles Dodgers Sluggers Max Muncy & Shohei Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers have gotten off to a fantastic start. They are one of a few teams with nine wins under their belt, and the vibes in the clubhouse are at an all-time high.

Last Wednesday, when they faced off against the Atlanta Braves, Ohtani came up to the plate with the game tied in the ninth. He proceeded to hit a walk-off home run and showed off a new home run celebration as he reached home plate.

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He made a gesture across his eyes with his hands that confused plenty of fans. They were not sure what he was referring to until Max Muncy explained it with the crew at Foul Territory.

"The guy who puts together PowerPoints for our hitters meeting, see, he kind of snuck in one of [Ohtani's] commercials. And I think the brand was Decorte, I don't know how you say it, but he's swinging the thing across his face and gives a little wink at the end," said Muncy.

Muncy reveals that Ohtani's home run celebration comes from one of the many commercials he has done in his home country. He did a commercial for a skin care brand in which he pulled the bottle across his face and gave a wink.

"We just kind of carried it on. And that's usually how those types of celebrations start. It's just a little moment that everyone has a laugh at. And you know, you just kind of make fun of it" he added.

Muncy reveals that it is these types of moments that create these fun celebrations. Some players poke fun at a situation, and it carries down the line and sticks as an inside joke.

Shohei Ohtani limited to just fastballs as he continues to ramp up his arm

Los Angeles Dodgers - Shohei Ohtani (Photo via IMAGN)

While Shohei Ohtani is busy hitting the longball, that is not where his full focus lies. He has been busy lately ramping up his arm in hopes of returning to the mound within the next month or two.

The Dodgers star has thrown two bullpen sessions since ramping his arm back up. However, he has been limited to only throwing fastballs in those two outings.

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It should not be long until Ohtani starts getting his feel for his breaking pitches. All eyes will be on him when he returns to the mound later this season.

About the author

Jared "Bloomy" Bloom is a journalist covering Major League Baseball at Sportskeeda and a former college baseball pitcher from Illinois, who just graduated with a Master's degree in Sport Psychology.

A writer with over 3 years of experience, Jared is consistently more concerned with quality than quantity, thoroughly checking multiple sources of information, and prides himself in being knowledgeable not just about MLB, but the game of baseball in general. He loves breaking down plays and game-changing moments, as well as looking closer into players' statistics.

Jared is a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, and one of his earliest memories is seeing his great-grandfather, a huge Sox fan, in his rocking chair watching a game. Jared started playing from the age of 5 with his grandfather coaching him early on.

Jared loved Tim Lincecum for his quirky delivery and looked up to him as a role model when playing. His current favorite is Phillies star Bryce Harper, an exciting player who doesn't let injuries hold him back. Jared's favorite sports moment is Mark Buehrle's opening day between-the-legs glove flip to first base in 2010.

When he is not watching or writing about baseball, Jared can be found racing BMX at his local Rockford BMX track or coaching his local youth travel baseball team.

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Edited by Jared "Bloomy" Bloom