Shohei Ohtani’s seemingly out-of-the-blue marriage brought back some fun memories of when former Yankees great Hideki Matsui stunned Derek Jeter and his other teammates with his nuptials.
On Thursday, Ohtani announced that he got married this offseason, but the identity of his wife is a mystery beyond the new Dodger, telling reporters that she is a “normal Japanese woman” whom he has known for about three to four years.
Right before the 2008 MLB season kicked off, Matsui also revealed he’d recently tied the knot with an unknown woman.
“I met somebody who felt right,” Matsui said through his interpreter, as covered by the New York Times, “and that was it.”
Matsui, who played for the Bombers from 2003-09, then told reporters that this meant he’d won a wager with Jeter.
“We’ve got a bet going,” Matsui said. “If he doesn’t get married within a year, I win the bet. Basically the bet was, whoever gets married first wins. Jeter said he himself doesn’t have a girlfriend, so he’s getting a one-year handicap.”
Jeter, in his playing career, was a famous bachelor, dating a never-ending string of famous women, before marrying former Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model Hannah Davis in 2016, two years after his retirement from baseball.
Jeter apparently felt like he’d been swindled on the bet.
“That’s not hilarious, that’s sad, that’s real sad,” Jeter told reporters at the time. “If he wanted the money, all he had to do was ask. He didn’t really have to do it.”
He explained that he’d had a bet with Bobby Abreu that Matsui then wedged his way into.
While Jeter knew Matsui had a girlfriend, he wasn’t aware the timing of the marriage would be imminent.
“I didn’t know he was gonna get married this spring,” Jeter protested.
Matsui had not told reporters the name of his bride, only describing her as “a 25-year-old civilian and had been formerly working in a reputable position at a highly respected company.”
Jeter, with a twinkle in his eye, threatened to spill the beans on Matsui’s wife’s name if he was not refunded on the bet.