As Dodgers Fans Line Up for New Shohei Ohtani Bobblehead, Some Might Leave Empty-Handed

Fans began lining the sidewalk early Wednesday morning to wait in line for hours to get their hands on a free bobblehead. It isn’t just any bobblehead — this one features Shohei Ohtani and his dog, Decoy.

While some might have purchased their tickets ahead of time, there is no guarantee everyone will receive their bobblehead.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have 40,000 bobbleheads to give away and have sold more than 53,000 tickets for the game against the Baltimore Orioles.

Dodgers president Stan Kasten told Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times that corporate sponsors cover the cost of most giveaways but might not have the budget for 53,000 promotional items. For those who do get to the ballpark early, it also gives them extra time to spend more money around the ballpark.

“And, when you get there early, you have the opportunity to do other kinds of shopping, whether it’s food or merchandise,” Kasten said. “It also helps with traffic and things like that.

“We try to make all our fans happy. Most fans, when there is a limit and they come late, I think they understand.”

Several other teams have adopted similar policies when it comes to giveaways. The San Diego Padres limit theirs to the first 40,000 fans. Petco Park holds 40,222 fixed seats and can sell another 6,000 tickets for the outfield berm.

“That number covers our fixed seating capacity and estimated turnstile attendance for nearly every giveaway game,” Chief Executive Erik Greupner told Shaikin, “ensuring that all ticket holders will receive a promo item.”

The Los Angeles Angels limit their giveaways to 25,000 most of the time and the Arizona Diamondbacks adjust theirs depending on the item.

The biggest challenge true fans will face on nights like Wednesday: getting to the park early to make sure they get their item before the resellers do.

It isn’t uncommon to find promotional items on eBay or Facebook Marketplace with a high price tag.

It would be nice for teams to have a surplus of items to give away but that just isn’t the case. If there isn’t a sellout then maybe fan relations will end up with a few and hand them out to those who ask but with a crowd of 53,000-plus expected at Dodger Stadium, there won’t be any extras.

Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

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