Soda popped: The Shohei Ohtani Souvenir Cup

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 27: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on after drawing a walk against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the third inning of a game at Dodger Stadium on March 27, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images As if the Dodgers were trying to successfully distract me from working on the third of three planned essays I have for the revival of the “It’s Not My Money(ball)” series, word began circulating that the Dodgers had released a refillable Shohei Ohtani souvenir soda that was originally $75 before tax, and only good for the game it was purchased . View this post on Instagram In hindsight, the controversy that arose both over the price and over the original marketing was entirely foreseeable.

Had these facts remained constant, the Dodgers would have been spectacularly outrageous, gouging their fans for a few cents’ worth of water and soda syrup. Soda math Let us not kid ourselves. Buying soda is a mug’s game.

We all willingly play it — you can pry my Coke Zero at the ballpark from my cold, dead hands. And before anyone asks, yes, I judge any ballpark for being a “Pepsi ballpark. ” As if asking if Pepsi is okay is ever correct.

The answer is firmly, but politely no. I remember the days when the Oakland Coliseum was a 7UP/Dr. Pepper ballpark, which just ensured that no one was happy.