Given Shohei Ohtani’s incredible on-field abilities, it’s no surprise that his dog is nearly as impressive.
On Wednesday, the duo took center stage at Dodger Stadium, where fans gathered to witness MLB’s newest dynamic pair.
Ohtani hit a home run and stole two bases during the LA Dodgers’ 6-4 victory over the Baltimore Orioles, but it was his dog’s performance before the game that stole the spotlight. Decoy, Ohtani’s dog, “threw” the ceremonial first pitch.
Carrying Decoy to the mound, Ohtani gave the signal, and the dog picked up the ball with his mouth, running it to his owner who was crouched behind the plate. The 53,290 fans in attendance erupted in cheers as the two shared a paw-to-hand high five.
“I think I was more nervous with the ceremonial pitch than Decoy,” Ohtani said through his interpreter. “I’m glad everything went well.
According to ESPN,Ohtani spent three weeks training Decoy for the pitch and even had a practice run at the stadium the night before.
“I’m impressed the dog was already that well-trained, but if it’s Shohei’s dog, nothing should surprise us,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.
As a keepsake for the memorable evening, 40,000 bobbleheads of Ohtani holding Decoy were distributed to fans, with about 2,000 of them being gold editions.
Thousands of spectators waited for hours before the event, and they were not disappointed by the two-time AL MVP.
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At 30 years old, Ohtani now has 42 home runs and 42 stolen bases as he inches closer to becoming the first-ever member of the 50-50 club.
Last week, Ohtani joined the exclusive 40-40 club alongside Alfonso Soriano, Jose Canseco, Ronald Acuña Jr., Alex Rodriguez, and Barry Bonds, adding yet another record to his extraordinary career.
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