Scheduled to Throw First Pitch at Dodger Stadium on the 28th
Anticipation Builds for Encounters with Shohei Ohtani and Kim Hyesung
Son Heungmin Jersey Sales Rank Second All-Time After Messi
Ticket Prices for First Home Game on the 31st Soar Up to Eightfold
Son Heungmin, who recently transferred to Los Angeles (LA) FC of Major League Soccer (MLS), is scheduled to meet MLB LA Dodgers’ star players Shohei Ohtani and Kim Hyesung at the end of this month. On the 14th, the Dodgers announced via their official social media that "Son Heungmin will throw the ceremonial first pitch at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, on the 28th." When Son Heungmin’s transfer to LAFC was officially announced on the 7th, the Dodgers also welcomed him by commenting "Welcome to LA, Heungmin! Fighting!" on LAFC’s social media. Kim Hyesung, the Dodgers’ Korean infielder who is well known as a fan of Son Heungmin, and Tommy Hyunsu Edman, a Korean-American mixed-race player, both welcomed Son’s arrival in LA with short video messages.
The Los Angeles (LA) Dodgers of Major League Baseball posted on the team's social media on the 14th (Korean time) announcing that Son Heungmin of LAFC will serve as the ceremonial first pitch thrower at the game on the 28th. LA Dodgers Instagram
This ceremonial first pitch event is drawing even more attention as it comes just before Son Heungmin’s LAFC home debut at the end of the month. After making his debut in an away match against the Chicago Fire on the 10th, Son is set to meet home fans at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, California, on the 31st in a home game against San Diego FC.
Meanwhile, there is significant interest in whether Son Heungmin and Shohei Ohtani will meet before or after the ceremonial first pitch. Anticipation is high in LA at the prospect of seeing Asian soccer star Son Heungmin and MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani together in one place-a rare sight. Son Heungmin and Kim Hyesung are scheduled to meet separately ahead of the first pitch event, and notably, Son Heungmin, Shohei Ohtani, and Kim Hyesung are all represented by the agency CAA Sports. Ahead of the ceremony, Son Heungmin tagged his LAFC teammate Ryan Hollingshead on social media, saying, "We should practice," expressing his determination to be fully prepared.
Meanwhile, the "Son Heungmin effect" has been explosive since his recent transfer from Tottenham to MLS LAFC. According to sports media outlet Essentially Sports, immediately after news of Son Heungmin’s signing with LAFC broke, orders for his jersey reached 250,000, ranking second all-time after Lionel Messi. The outlet analyzed that "Son Heungmin’s arrival in MLS is having a greater impact than Zlatan Ibrahimovic or David Beckham." Ticket prices for the match on the 31st, which is expected to be Son Heungmin’s first home game, have soared up to eight times their original price.
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