Kyle Irving
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is one of the most popular athletes on the planet so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that his dog has shared that spotlight.
Even with Ohtani’s level of stardom, his personal life is relatively unknown. It caught fans by surprise when he announced his marriage, considering no one even knew he had a girlfriend. The same goes for when a puppy popped up during his virtual AL MVP speech in 2023. Everyone immediately wanted to know more about Ohtani’s pet.
Since that moment, Ohtani’s dog has become a fan favorite. He got his own bobblehead giveaway at Dodger Stadium and even threw out the first pitch.
For more on Ohtani’s furry friend, The Sporting News has you covered below.
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Ohtani’s dog is a Dutch Kooikerhondje named “Dekopin” in Japanese, which means “flicking someone’s forehead.”
American fans can just call him “Decoy” for short, according to Ohtani.
“I figured it would be hard for American people to pronounce it,” Ohtani said at the time through his former translator, Ippei Mizuhara.
DECOY 😍
(via Shohei Ohtani /IG) pic.twitter.com/7rMpjTrMUI
Decoy made his first-ever national appearance in a surprise pop-up during Ohtani’s virtual 2023 AL MVP speech.
Decoy sat with Ohtani as he awaited the AL MVP announcement.
Shohei has his dog with him as he awaits his MVP award 🥹 pic.twitter.com/XJXHM6EDnu
He then gave his owner a high-five after he earned the prestigious honor for the second time in his career.
The MVP and Shohei Ohtani 🐶 pic.twitter.com/MZIVBCKOd9
On a night when the 2023 American League’s best player should have been the center of attention, it was Decoy who stole the show.
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The Dodgers really leaned into Decoy’s popularity in Ohtani’s first season.
The marketing team ran a giveaway campaign in August featuring a golden Ohtani bobblehead that was holding Decoy.
The first gold bobblehead goes to Shohei and Decoy. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/lpziRN9d8X
The item was so popular that Dodgers fans lined up outside the stadium for as many as 10 hours before the first pitch — which was also thrown out by Decoy.
Excitement level for Shohei and Decoy. 📈 pic.twitter.com/54viWyFYBY
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On Shohei and Decoy’s bobblehead night, it was only right that the dog got involved in the action.
The Dodgers had Decoy “throw” the first pitch, running a baseball to Ohtani, who sat behind home plate.
Decoy and Shohei with the cutest first pitch you’ve ever seen. 😭 pic.twitter.com/fEoFRxMOH4
You read that wrong – not Kyrie Irving. From Boston, graduated from the University of New Hampshire. Sixth season as a content producer for NBA.com‘s Global editions. Covering the NBA Draft has become his annual “dream come true” moment on the job. Irving has a soft spot for pass-first point guards, with Rajon Rondo and Steve Nash being two of his favorite players of all time.