Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani applauds dog Decoy, who threw out the ceremonial opening pitch before Wednesday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
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Harry How/Getty Images
Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, whose career The legendary start to baseball great Babe Ruth’s professional career was overshadowed by his own dog on Wednesday night.
The player’s dog Decoy “threw” the ceremonial opening pitch before the game against the Baltimore Orioles.
Ohtani carried Decoy — wearing a jersey of his own design — to the pitcher’s mound, where the dog waited for his master’s signal to pick up the ball in his mouth before running to Ohtani behind the plate. The designated hitter received a clap from his furry friend and a treat. The play was met with thunderous applause from the crowd of more than 53,000 at Dodger Stadium.
“I think I was more nervous about the ceremonial pitch than Decoy,” Ohtani told reporters after the game through an interpreter. “I’m glad it went well.”
The Japanese player said it took him three weeks to train Decoy, a Dutch Kooikerhondje.
“It was a really special night,” Ohtani said. “I hope to buy him a special snack.”
The 30-year-old pitcher is looking to make Major League history by becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases (he’s currently eight away from both). But according to ESPN, his dog is the first dog to throw the ceremonial throw at a Dodgers game.
Decoy impresses Dodgers coach
“I was really impressed to see how trained that dog was,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I guess if it’s Shohei’s dog, it’s not surprising.”
Decoy made his MLB debut last year when Ohtani revealed his dog’s name after the Dodger was awarded his second American League MVP award.
“His name is Dekopin,” Ohtani told reporters at the time. “It’s a Japanese name. I think it would be difficult for Americans to pronounce. He has an American name, Decoy.”
“Dekopin” in Japanese means “to flick someone’s forehead.”
This gesture is a popular joke among schoolchildren in Japan, Kyodo News reported.
Decoy’s arrival follows a summer full of celebrity dog baseball news. Last month, a 13-year-old dog named Layla retired from his bat retrieval duties after six years with the Philadelphia Phillies’ minor league team, the Clearwater Threshers. Her successor, Lucy May, went viral last weekend to go to the bathroom suddenly on the first night of work.
