The jinx has finally broken for – Shohei Ohtani. For 8 games it seemed nothing was going right for this $700 million Dodgers superstar. Home runs were missing, so it was good timing. The monkey on his back kept getting heavier and one wondered just when will Ohtani overcome this adversity. Then the sweet sound of a bat hitting the ball echoed through the ballpark on April 3. The next moment the ball was gone 430 feet to the stands, and Ohtani heaved a huge sigh of relief. 

The superstar has finally hit his first home run for the Los Angeles Dodgers. But there wasn’t a smile on his face. Instead, he looked like a giant weight was removed from his shoulders. Naturally, after the game ended with the Dodgers beating the San Francisco Giants 5-4, Shotime was asked about finally overcoming his home-run voodoo. It was then that Ohtani revealed his thoughts leading up to that moment. 

In a video posted by Dodger Blue, Ohtani looked visibly satisfied with his performance. So when a reporter asked him whether he was frustrated with his lack of home runs, Ohtani quickly answered with an affirmative. “My impression was it was getting a little longer than my expectation and during those situations, it’s easy to become anxious. So really you know I was overall, you know, just relieved,” Ohtani said via his interpreter Will Ireton.

Certainly, Ohtani had looked frustrated with each at-bat before this home run. Even in this game, the superstar had struck out in his first at-bats. His face told the entire story – Shohei Ohtani wasn’t happy. So he followed that up with a line drive and finally hit a homer in his third at-bat. The crowd’s eruption was an indication that even the fans had waited far too long for this moment. 

However, then came an interesting moment. This was the yakyu shonen’s first Dodgers homer – obviously, that made the ball extra special. So how did Ohtani take back that ball from the fan who caught it?

Shohei Ohtani’s first home run becomes a Dodgers fan’s treasure

As is tradition, a player gets to keep their first home-run ball. But usually, it’s the fans who get them and they want something in return. So it seems even Ohtani engaged in a little quid-pro-quo with his fan. He revealed as such during this interview. The superstar shared that he had to give the fan a bat, a ball, and caps in exchange for his bat. 

So the fans began wondering – what would’ve they asked for in return had they held that ball? Certainly, a question that begs a lot of time. However, until then it’s great to see that the superstar has not only broken his jinx but is now in prime position to continue this momentum.  With the Los Angeles Dodgers already in such fine form, this return to the glory of Shohei Ohtani is quite an ominous sign for the opposition.

Read more: WATCH: Shohei Ohtani Tips Cap to Giants Skipper, Ignores Longtime Rivalry in Ultimate Display of Respect