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Alden Gonzalez, ESPN Staff WriterAug 28, 2024, 09:14 PM ET
- ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the L.A. Rams for ESPN from 2016 to 2018 and the L.A. Angels for MLB.com from 2012 to 2016.
LOS ANGELES — The viral first pitch between Shohei Ohtani and his now-famous dog, Decoy, didn’t just happen. It took work.
Ohtani had spent the past three weeks training his Dutch Kooikerhondje to wait atop the pitcher’s mound until he squatted behind home plate, then pick up the baseball with his mouth and sprint toward him with it on command, at one point even going through a dry run at Dodger Stadium. It was what Ohtani considered “a fun exercise.”
Then he watched Decoy execute it perfectly before Wednesday’s game, culminating with a high-five. It was the highlight of a game that saw Ohtani homer and steal two bases in the Dodgers’ 6-4 win over the Baltimore Orioles in front of a sold-out crowd of 53,290 people, the vast majority of whom arrived exceedingly early to snag an Ohtani-Decoy bobblehead.
“It’s a really special night,” Ohtani said through his interpreter, referencing Decoy’s theatrics. “I hope to buy some special snack for him.”
The Dodgers had announced that the first 40,000 fans — for a stadium that has fit upward of 54,000 this year — would receive a bobblehead of Ohtani holding Decoy, who has built a cult following over the past nine months. Roughly 2,000 of those bobbleheads would be gold, boosting the demand — not to mention the value — even further.
The first gold bobblehead goes to Shohei and Decoy. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/lpziRN9d8X
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 28, 2024
Excitement level for Shohei and Decoy. pic.twitter.com/54viWyFYBY
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 29, 2024
Fans responded in kind. They lined up outside the ballpark at least as early as 9 a.m. Wednesday, 10 hours before first pitch. By 2:30, the line had become so long, the demand to enter so high, that parking gates were practically forced to open two hours before they normally would for a 7:10 first pitch.
An hour later, tens of thousands of them waited outside the entry gates. They were allowed in at 4:30, 40 minutes earlier than usual, and got the rare opportunity to watch Ohtani throw a bullpen session by cramming the edges of the left-field bleachers.
“I was surprised when I came to the park with my family,” Ohtani said. “I wasn’t really aware of this situation; I thought there was some other special event going on.”
Ohtani was met with a thunderous ovation when he led off the bottom of the first inning, then hit his 42nd home run despite being way out in front of a Corbin Burnes slider. He added a single in the third and stole third base for his 41st steal. He reached once more on a fielder’s choice in the fifth and picked up stolen base No. 42, putting himself back on pace to become the first 50-50 player in baseball history.
It wasn’t enough to upstage Decoy.
“I heard that Decoy was going to throw out the first pitch, and I’m impressed that that dog was already that trained,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I guess if it’s Shohei’s dog, nothing should be surprising.”
Decoy first attained international fame last November, when Ohtani unveiled him to the world during the MVP announcement on MLB Network. The media in Japan spent the next month speculating on his name until Ohtani revealed it at his opening news conference from Dodger Stadium in December. He has since ordered Decoy a fake passport, worn an image of him inside his suit at the All-Star Game’s red carpet event and adorned his cleats with Decoy’s image during Players’ Weekend.
On Wednesday, Ohtani shared one of the most memorable games of his major league career with him.
“Overall,” Ohtani said, “really good night.”
