Decoy Ohtani, known in Japanese as Dekopin, is a Kooikerhondje owned by Japanese baseball player Shohei Ohtani. He is a fixture in the Los Angeles Dodgers fandom, and has been described as the team's "Most Valuable Pet".[1] He has also featured in merchandise and was granted an honorary visa by the Embassy of the United States in Tokyo.
 Decoy's United States visa photograph | |
| Other name(s) | Dekopin Ohtani |
|---|---|
| Species | Dog |
| Breed | Kooikerhondje |
| Owner | Shohei Ohtani |
Biography
editShohei Ohtani held Decoy in his lap when he won his second Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player award in November 2023. Upon winning, Ohtani gave the dog a high five, and he became viral among fans.[2] The next month, Shohei Ohtani publicly revealed the dog's name, Dekopin,[3] which is a Japanese term referring to the act of flicking a person on the forehead. He also clarified that Dekopin's name in English is Decoy, which was chosen because he believed that some Americans might struggle to pronounce the Japanese name.[4]
In January 2024, Shohei and Decoy visited the Embassy of the United States in Tokyo, where Decoy was granted an honorary travel visa by Rahm Emanuel.[5][6][7] In August 2024, Decoy threw the ceremonial first pitch at the Dodger Stadium.[8][9] To celebrate the event, Shohei Ohtani held a giveaway of bobblehead toys depicting him with Decoy.[10][11][12] Decoy would go on to appear at the Dodgers' victory parade in November 2024 where he interacted with young fans.[13] That month, he also appeared in a video alongside Mamiko Tanaka celebrating Shohei Ohtani's third Most Valuable Player award.[14]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Meet Decoy Ohtani, perhaps the most valuable pet of the World Series". AP News. 2024-11-01. Retrieved 2024-11-28.
- ^ Andres, Patrick (2023-11-17). "Shohei Ohtani's Dog Stole the Show During MLB's MVP Ceremony". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2024-11-28.
- ^ "Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani Finally Reveals the Name of His Beloved Dog". WRBL. 2023-12-14. Retrieved 2024-11-28.
- ^ "Baseball: New Dodger Shohei Ohtani flicks the script with unusual dog name". Kyodo News+. Retrieved 2024-11-28.
- ^ "Shohei Ohtani visits US Embassy in Japan and his dog gets mock visa". AP News. 2024-01-11. Retrieved 2024-11-28.
- ^ "Shohei Ohtani's Dog 'Decoy' Receives Joke Visa from U.S. Embassy in Japan: Passport Number '000MVPUP000'". People.com. Retrieved 2024-11-28.
- ^ Prillaman, Jennifer (2024-03-01). "Baseball star's dog "visa" goes viral". State Magazine. Retrieved 2024-11-28.
- ^ "Shohei Ohtani and His Dog, Decoy, Steal the Show at Dodger Stadium". DiversityComm. 2024-08-29. Retrieved 2024-11-28.
- ^ Bowman, Emma (August 29, 2024). "Shohei Ohtani's dog 'throws out' 1st pitch at Dodgers game". NPR.
- ^ "Shohei Ohtani and his dog, Decoy, featured on superstar's 2nd bobblehead giveaway". AP News. 2024-06-20. Retrieved 2024-11-28.
- ^ "Got your ticket for bobblehead night? Check. Get the bobblehead? Not so fast". Los Angeles Times. 2024-08-27. Retrieved 2024-11-28.
- ^ "Ohtani, dog share spotlight on bobblehead night". ESPN.com. 2024-08-29. Retrieved 2024-11-28.
- ^ Ronald, Issy (2024-11-02). "Shohei Ohtani, and his dog, steal the show at Los Angeles Dodgers victory parade". CNN. Retrieved 2024-11-28.
- ^ Henderson, Cydney. "Shohei Ohtani's wife and dog Decoy have priceless reaction to slugger winning MVP award". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2024-11-28.