LA Dodgers see off Cincinnati as fans flock to Dodger stadium for Shohei bobblehead figure
A 5-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds saw the LA Dodgers consolidate their grip at the top of the National League West.
The LA Dodgers delivered a sweep of the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night with a 5-1 win which followed up 7-0 and 6-3 victories in the earlier games of the series.
Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani was both batting and on the pitching mound for the Dodgers securing one run as part of the win.
Going into the final stretch of the 2025 MLB regular season, the Dodgers are in a strong position to advance to postseason and defend their 2024 World Series title as the Arizona Diamondbacks are the next visitors to LA.
Ohtani merch mayhem
The Dodgers boosted their admission numbers on Wednesday with early-bird fans being able to secure a Shohei Ohtani bobblehead figure with their game ticket.
Bobblehead figures are often used as a lure to attract fans along with caps, keychains and t-shirts with Dodgers fans anxious to secure one of the limited edition bobbleheads celebrating the Japanese star’s 2024 50-50 campaign with Ohtani merchandise a central part of the Dodgers income strategy.
The bobblehead boom
Bobbleheads have become an immensely popular promotional item in MLB as they blend historical tradition with modern marketing strategy.
MLB teams use bobblehead giveaways as a powerful tool to boost ticket sales and draw fans to the ballpark with many teams claiming that bobblehead giveaway nights can increase attendance by a significant margin, sometimes between 15% and 30% with the quantity of bobbleheads often limited to 10,000-20-000.
Baseball has a long and rich history of memorabilia and collecting, and bobbleheads fit perfectly into this culture given the limited nature which creates a thriving resale market on sites like eBay. This adds to the “hunt” for fans and can even become a source of revenue for some, further increasing demand.
The first player-specific bobbleheads were created for baseball legends like Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays in the 1960s. This gives them a sense of classic Americana and nostalgia and the originals are highly sought after by collectors often in exchange for big dollar sums.
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