Generous Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters fans gathered at Sapporo Dome on Christmas Day to put a bow on the present they spent the last five seasons wrapping, one the Los Angeles Angels can't wait to open during spring training.
The MLB-bound Shohei Ohtani said his final goodbyes in Hokkaido on Monday night, bidding farewell to Fighters fans in the same venue Yu Darvish used for the same purpose on his way to the majors in 2011.
Ohtani also leaves the same questions in his wake as Darvish did back then (the difference being Ohtani must be replaced both on the mound and at the plate). Namely, where do the Fighters go from here?
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