An 'honour' as Ohtani wins in first Dodgers season

LOS ANGELES - Shohei Ohtani's unprecedented first season with the Dodgers ended in another breakthrough on Oct 30, as the Japanese slugger hoisted the World Series trophy for the first time after Los Angeles beat hosts New York Yankees 4-1 for the title.

The first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season, Ohtani struggled at the plate during the series after suffering a shoulder injury in Game 2 but that did not detract from his enjoyment of the victory.

"I'm honored to be part of a season where we played the longest, and to be able to get to know this team," he said after their 7-6 Game 5 victory over the Yankees.

"My first year and experience winning a World Series has been a tremendous honor."

After winning two MVP awards as a member of the Los Angeles Angels but never reaching the postseason, Ohtani signed a record 10-year, US$700 million (US$925.3 million) contract with the Dodgers in December.

The 30-year-old made the bold move to defer the vast majority of that money until a later date, allowing the team to sign top talent like fellow Japanese star pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto and improve their chances of a title run.

Ohtani surprised fans in February when he announced that he had married, and soon after was forced to navigate a scandal that involved his former translator stealing millions from him to pay off gambling debts.