Just when you thought the 2023 season couldn’t get any stranger for the Los Angeles Angels, they pulled off another bizarre stunt Tuesday.
You see, it was the team’s scheduled photo day. Such an event would necessitate having every member of the roster on hand and ready to smile (and pretend to be happy) together. But unfortunately, Shohei Ohtani — the face of the Angels and the face of baseball — wasn’t available for undisclosed reasons.
This did not stop the Angels. Rather than simply reschedule the photo day for another time like any rational-thinking professional sports team, The Athletic’s Sam Blum reports that L.A. found a body double to stand in for Ohtani. The team will then (likely) Photoshop his face in at a later date.
What are we doing here?
Today was Angels photo day. But Shohei Ohtani wasn’t available for it. So they used a body double, and will presumably photoshop him in. He was taken through a back exit by Angels PR. pic.twitter.com/5yFuDjLw4o
— Sam Blum (@SamBlum3) September 5, 2023
I have so many questions.
Did the Angels hold a wide casting call for 6-foot-4 Japanese men? Why was it so important to keep the photo day on schedule as to even require a body double? And who in their right mind thinks that presumable Photoshop will look good when Ohtani inevitably wears a Mets/Yankees/Dodgers uniform in the future?
At 10 games under .500 in September, the 2023 Angels season has been a comedy of errors. Ensuring “Ohtani” is part of their team photo with a body double might take the cake for the weirdest folly.
Fans on Twitter laughed at the Angels for using an Ohtani body double
Did the angels already have an Ohtani body double on hand or did they conduct a very quick and furtive search? https://t.co/bIoAt7OA6h
— Hannah Keyser (@HannahRKeyser) September 5, 2023
Every single tweet about the Angels is so interesting https://t.co/OskMn0fSJH
— Lindsey Adler (@lindseyadler) September 5, 2023
The Angels are performance art and you can't convince me otherwise. https://t.co/Rfw3hr8fJ7
— Laura Albanese (@AlbaneseLaura) September 5, 2023
Every day, a new most Angels thing ever. https://t.co/qitT4E6D9s
— Jerry Beach (@JerryBeach73) September 5, 2023
This seems awfully elaborate. Where do you get a 6'4" body double for something like this? I guess it's LA* so casting shouldn't be too hard.
*Anaheim. https://t.co/Q3tvPAcRHU
— Brad (@ballskwok) September 5, 2023
I am just deeply obsessed with everything the Angels do at this point. https://t.co/nuEgoY3XpU
— Kate Feldman (@kateefeldman) September 5, 2023
Shohei Fauxtani https://t.co/BLE8tPBUUy
— Ed Zitron (@edzitron) September 5, 2023
how are the Angels real https://t.co/evwtf8bg9h
— Rachel (@tolstoybb) September 5, 2023
Fake Shohei showing up to batting practice: https://t.co/Dh6zfV5hIy pic.twitter.com/sX6QtOXxpo
— JP Acosta (Pug Dederson Stan Acct) (@acosta32_jp) September 5, 2023
