Field at Dodger Stadium gets a sponsor name for first time in history of MLB's third-oldest ballpark

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The field at Dodger Stadium has a sponsor name for the first time in the history of the third-oldest ballpark in the major leagues.

Uniqlo Field was unveiled Wednesday on the eve of the Los Angeles Dodgers opening their bid for a third straight World Series championship. They begin the season Thursday by hosting the Arizona Diamondbacks in a three-game series.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the star of World Series Game 7, starts for the Dodgers. He is among three Japanese stars on the team, along with Shohei Ohtani and Roki Sasaki.

“Every one of us has become fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers because of the outstanding performances of Japanese players,” company founder Tadashi Yanai said through a translator.

Uniqlo is a Japan-based apparel retailer with over 2,400 stores, including a strong presence in its home country, Asia, Europe and Canada. It has nearly 80 U.S. stores, primarily in malls, with aggressive expansion plans.

It's the first major sports sponsorship for Uniqlo in the U.S., and took nearly a year to negotiate, according to Koji Yanai, senior executive officer for Fast Retailing, the parent company of Uniqlo. He is the son of Tadashi Yanai, known as Japan's richest man with a net worth of nearly $62 billion.

The deal places Uniqlo's red-and-white signage in various locations around the stadium, including the batter's eye in center field, on the facade beneath the press box and on the grass along the baselines.

“I hope in the near future fans will like it and love it,” Koji Yanai said.

A Japanese reporter asked whether a batter would get anything for hitting the sign in center field. The Dodgers famously at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn had a sign under the scoreboard on the right-center field wall from 1931-57 that read: “Hit sign, win suit.” The ad was placed by Abe Stark, a clothing store owner who went on to become Brooklyn Borough President.

“It's a very good idea I was just given,” Koji Yanai said through a translator.

Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten added, “We like that idea, too.”

Tadashi Yanai said providing Dodgers players with clothing is “not that easy” because of conflicting sponsorship deals. “But probably we can provide them with everyday clothing,” he said through a translator.

Kasten piped up, saying, “We pay them enough to shop at Uniqlo stores.”

Dodgers fans are used to seeing the names of Japanese sponsors like Tokyo Electron, All Nippon Airways and Yakult in the outfield. The team has catered to Asian fans in particular since the arrival of Ohtani before the 2024 season.

“I've been thrilled with the reaction I got from fans,” Kasten said.

The Dodgers presented Tadashi Yanai with a home plate signed by the players in what Kasten called a symbol of the retailer's new home.

Among the retailer's plans at the stadium, which opened in 1962, is a special corner inside team apparel stores and a June 21 event in which fans will receive an item of LifeWear clothing. A social contribution program launches in late May.

This story corrects the spelling to Yanai, instead of Lanai.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Dodgers executive Stan Kasten, Uniqlo chairman Tadashi Yanai, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and Team owner Mark Walter pose for a photo at the Uniqlo Field unveiling Wednesday, March 25, 2026, at the Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Beth Harris)

Uniqlo Field sign is unveiled Wednesday, March 25, 2026, at the Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Beth Harris)

Uniqlo Field is unveiled Wednesday, March 25, 2026, at the Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Beth Harris)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Two-time reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge went hitless on opening day for the first time in his big league career and had four strikeouts in a game for the first time since September 2024 in the New York Yankees' 7-0 win over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday night.

Judge struck out swinging in the first against Logan Webb, took a called third strike in the second, struck out on a foul tip in the fourth, then took another called third strike in the sixth. He grounded out starting the night on an 0-for-5 night.

He had not struck out four times since a five-strikeout game against Pittsburgh on Sept. 28, 2024.

Manager Aaron Boone liked how the rest of the order contributed on what was an off night for Judge.

“It was kind of a little bit of everyone tonight being able to have a hand in it,” Boone said. “A night we didn't hit the ball out of the ballpark but just a lot of good pressurized at-bats I thought. Good night for us. I think we can beat you a lot of different ways.”

Judge was booed before the game and during each at-bat as he began his 11th big league season — someone the home fans at Oracle Park had so hoped would be wearing orange and black rather than pinstripes and playing in the Bronx. The California native had been pursued by the Giants during free agency in 2022 but he ultimately chose the Yankees’ $360 million, nine-year contract offer.

The 33-year-old slugger grew up in the Central Valley town of Linden and starred at Fresno State. He batted a career-best and major league-high .331 last season with 53 home runs and 114 RBIs.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge walks to the dugout after striking out during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants in San Francisco, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge walks to the on deck circle during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants in San Francisco, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge reacts after striking out against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge reacts after striking out against the San Francisco Giants during the fourth inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)