WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:05.120 Today, June ninth, marks the six month anniversary of showe Aotani announcing to 2 00:00:05.160 --> 00:00:09.000 the world on social media that he had made his decision to sign with the 3 00:00:09.080 --> 00:00:14.279 Dodgers. Breaking news from Major League Baseball, Breaking news from Major League Baseball, 4 00:00:14.400 --> 00:00:20.600 Show hey Otani, Tani is signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Sports 5 00:00:20.719 --> 00:00:25.199 changed forever that Saturday afternoon. Not only did Shoe a Otani sign the largest 6 00:00:25.199 --> 00:00:29.839 contract in Major League Baseball history, but he inked the richest deal in the 7 00:00:29.960 --> 00:00:34.359 history of North American sports. Ten year, ten years, ten years, 8 00:00:34.679 --> 00:00:41.600 seven hundred, seven hundred, seven hundred million dollars. The numbers are astronomical. 9 00:00:41.679 --> 00:00:45.479 It was December ninth, twenty twenty three, the day Show Hey Otani 10 00:00:45.560 --> 00:00:49.719 let it be known he was signing with the Dodgers. But remember the world 11 00:00:49.759 --> 00:00:55.679 win. That was the day before internet rumors, false reports amateur air traffic 12 00:00:55.719 --> 00:01:02.119 controllers following a plane across North America. Baseball fans everywhere that day wondered where 13 00:01:02.119 --> 00:01:07.200 in the world is sho he Otani. Friday, December eighth, twenty twenty 14 00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:11.560 three, five point thirty nine am Pacific time, John Morosi of the MLB 15 00:01:11.719 --> 00:01:18.120 Network tweeted out source shoeotani decision is immining, possibly as early as today. 16 00:01:18.760 --> 00:01:23.079 That one note from a national baseball insider sent the sports world into a dizzy. 17 00:01:23.719 --> 00:01:27.159 This is getting a bit more real. Toronto is getting a little bit 18 00:01:27.159 --> 00:01:30.760 more momentum than I thought they were going to. If he goes to Toronto, 19 00:01:30.879 --> 00:01:34.120 he owns it, and he owns Canada, he owns the United States, 20 00:01:34.159 --> 00:01:38.920 and he owns Japan, and he becomes an international star. Less than 21 00:01:38.920 --> 00:01:42.599 an hour after the initial news that Otani's decision was imminent six point thirty one 22 00:01:42.760 --> 00:01:48.439 am Pacific, a Toronto Blue Jays fan posted on a Reddit page that a 23 00:01:48.519 --> 00:01:53.760 private plane was chartered to fly from Orange County to Toronto. That same plane 24 00:01:53.799 --> 00:02:00.920 had flown to Florida five days earlier with Otani on it, so speculation was 25 00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:06.840 swirling now that sho Heotani was headed to Toronto to sign with the Blue Jays. 26 00:02:07.120 --> 00:02:10.800 The buzz on social media was growing as fans tried to connect the dots. 27 00:02:10.800 --> 00:02:16.159 Instantly, fans became amateur air traffic controllers. They were tracking flight in 28 00:02:16.560 --> 00:02:23.000 six one six RH as it made its way slowly across the country. Take 29 00:02:23.000 --> 00:02:27.400 a look at the radar right there. It's a Bombardier Global five thousand. 30 00:02:28.000 --> 00:02:34.639 Is this sho he Otani's airplane? The mystery continued ten fifty three am Pacific, 31 00:02:34.879 --> 00:02:38.960 five hours after the report that Otani's signing was imminent. Jp Hornstruck, 32 00:02:38.120 --> 00:02:43.800 a writer for a Dodgers blog, posted an article citing multiple sources that shoey 33 00:02:43.800 --> 00:02:49.319 Otani was indeed planning on signing with the Toronto Blue Jays one oh one pm 34 00:02:49.479 --> 00:02:54.319 Pacific. Over two hours later, MLB network insider John Morosi updated everyone with 35 00:02:54.439 --> 00:03:01.800 a tweet sources Shoeyotani is en route to Toronto. Time Things were changing quickly. 36 00:03:01.960 --> 00:03:07.159 To eleven pm Pacific, the story took a new twist as Bob Nightingale 37 00:03:07.240 --> 00:03:13.560 of the USA Today posted on social media that showe Aotani was not on a 38 00:03:13.599 --> 00:03:17.280 flight to Toronto, it was actually at home here in southern California. Forty 39 00:03:17.319 --> 00:03:23.639 three minutes later, two fifty four pm Pacific, Evan Mitsui, a CBC 40 00:03:23.759 --> 00:03:28.719 photographer, was dispatched to the tarmac and Pearson Airport in Toronto. When he 41 00:03:28.879 --> 00:03:32.360 arrived, he got eyes on the most talked about plane in North America. 42 00:03:32.719 --> 00:03:38.000 So what did he discover? It was not Shoeotani after all, It was 43 00:03:38.159 --> 00:03:45.919 Robert Hrschovich, the Canadian businessman, an entrepreneur, and one of the stars 44 00:03:45.960 --> 00:03:50.520 of the TV show Shark Tank. I had no idea. It was just 45 00:03:50.680 --> 00:03:53.879 me and my five and a half year old twins. We Land and there's 46 00:03:53.919 --> 00:03:59.840 a bunch of customs guys and go where's Otani? And then my text star 47 00:04:00.120 --> 00:04:02.240 coming in. I put two or two together. They didn't even ask for 48 00:04:02.360 --> 00:04:06.240 my passport. They were so disappointment. It was me. I've never been 49 00:04:06.319 --> 00:04:12.360 more humbled in my life. A wild eight hours of reports, rumors, 50 00:04:12.680 --> 00:04:16.720 and speculation. Where in the world was Shohyotani. Well he was not only 51 00:04:16.759 --> 00:04:20.560 not in Canada, he was never even on a flight to Toronto to sign 52 00:04:20.560 --> 00:04:25.560 with the Blue Jays, something that really upset fans north of the border. 53 00:04:25.720 --> 00:04:29.040 No, no, no way. I don't want to hear about how fans 54 00:04:29.120 --> 00:04:32.800 shouldn't believe things on social This rumor was awful. The idea that he would 55 00:04:32.800 --> 00:04:36.399 come up and be a Toronto Blue Jay was going to change everything. Turns 56 00:04:36.439 --> 00:04:41.720 out nothing was changing. As the sun set in in a wild Friday show, 57 00:04:41.759 --> 00:04:46.680 Heyotani remained baseball's most sought after free agent. The next day, Saturday, 58 00:04:46.680 --> 00:04:49.839 December ninth, Otani broke his silence and made it official he was signing 59 00:04:49.839 --> 00:04:51.399 with the Los Angeles Dodgers.