News

V of K-pop sensation BTS thrills fans with first pitch at Dodgers game and meets Shohei Ohtani

V, a member of the South Korean K-pop band BTS, looks on during batting practice before a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Cincinnati Reds Monday, Aug. 25, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea) Photo: Associated Press


By BETH HARRIS AP Sports Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) — V of K-pop sensation BTS threw the ceremonial first pitch at a Los Angeles Dodgers game on Monday night after meeting two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani.
After taking the mound, the singer bowed slightly in the direction of Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who then caught a strike from the left-hander. BTS fans screamed throughout V’s time on the field.
V then gave the traditional call of “It’s time for Dodger baseball!” in English before individually greeting the kids who run on the field to get player autographs before the game.
The singer, whose given name is Kim Taehyung, and Ohtani briefly hugged in the team’s dugout before the game against Cincinnati. Wearing a No. 7 jersey tucked into his faded jeans, V also chatted with Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow in front of a gaggle of photographers. Fans screamed when V walked into the dugout. He rewarded them with a wave.
V returned to the field to toss left-handed warmup pitches while fans held up their camera phones.
BTS is set to release a new album as a full group next spring, following the band members’ break due to mandatory military service in South Korea. Since July, they have been in the U.S. working on new music.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

This Week in Jonesboro

Recent Headlines

7 hours ago in News, Sports

Chen Earns Sun Belt Men’s Field Athlete of the Week Honors

Junior Arkansas State track and field thrower Menachem Chen

Junior Arkansas State track and field thrower Menachem Chen was named Sun Belt Conference Men’s Field Athlete of the Week.

8 hours ago in News, Sports

A-State Bowling No. 3 seed in NCAA Championship

A-State Bowling Heads to Pittsburgh Regional in NCAA Tournament

The Red Wolves enter the tournament with a 77-34 record and finished runner-up at the Conference USA Championship

15 hours ago in Entertainment

‘Stand by Me’ stars reflect on the movie, Rob Reiner and its return to theaters 40 years later

Jerry O'Connell, Corey Feldman and Wil Wheaton were already thinking about "Stand by Me" when Rob Reiner died in December. Just a week prior, the trio spent a weekend together attending some screenings of Reiner's beloved coming-of-age film, which was about to turn 40.