Dressed in his very own custom jersey, Decoy trotted to the pitcher’s mound in style, carried by none other than Ohtani himself.
Shohei Ohtani had some help on the field recently—and it wasn’t from a teammate. It was from his adorable dog, Decoy! The playful pup “threw out” the ceremonial first pitch before a game against the Baltimore Orioles, and the moment couldn’t have been more heartwarming.
Dressed in his very own custom jersey, Decoy trotted to the pitcher’s mound in style, carried by none other than Ohtani himself. After a quick briefing from his owner, Decoy got down to business. With the crowd watching intently, he picked up the ball with his mouth and raced to home plate, where Ohtani was waiting. A high-five and a well-deserved treat sealed the deal, much to the delight of over 53,000 cheering fans at Dodger Stadium.
“I think I was more nervous about the ceremonial pitch than Decoy,” Ohtani joked through a translator after the game. “I’m just glad everything went smoothly!”
This isn’t Decoy’s first taste of the spotlight. The playful pooch made his MLB debut last year when Ohtani introduced him to the world after winning his second American League MVP title. At the time, Ohtani shared that Decoy’s original name is “Dekopin,” which is Japanese for “flicking someone’s forehead”—a lighthearted prank often played by schoolchildren in Japan.
“But I figured it might be tricky for Americans to pronounce,” Ohtani said with a smile. “So, his American name is Decoy.”
With moves like that on the field, it’s safe to say Decoy is a star in his own right—and the perfect partner for Ohtani both on and off the diamond!
