I am becoming very impressed at how well Shohei Ohtani generates publicity while hiding behind a veil of privacy.

Ohtani wrote on Thursday on Instagram in Japanese: “The season is approaching but I would like to announce to everyone that I have gotten married.”

He said his new wife was a “Japanese woman” without identifying her. He said he would reveal more in an interview; presumably at the Los Angeles Dodgers spring training venue.

Chron.com

He then asks the media to refrain from unauthorized interviews.

During his free agency he forbid teams to talk about negotiations. When the Dodgers broke that rule a bit, that was news. The fact that teams were not leaking information was news. He appeared with a dog, and all we heard about for a while is why he wouldn’t tell us the dog’s name. When the puppy became Dekopin, or Decoy, that was news.

Decoy.

So now Ohtani announces his wedding. Most players would do what most people do; post a few pictures on social media, express their undying love, and be done with it. Maybe a tabloid picks up the story. Instead, Ohtani teases us with the story. “Who is she? When did they get married? Does Dekopin like her?” Ohtani will tell us later, but you better not go digging into our lives.

It’s masterful. I suspect he plays these mind games on the field as well, which may be part of his success.