LOS ANGELES — The viral first pitch between Shohei Ohtani and his now-famous canine, Decoy, did not simply occur. It took work.
Ohtani had spent the previous three weeks coaching his Dutch Kooikerhondje to attend atop the pitcher’s mound till he squatted behind dwelling plate, then decide up the baseball along with his mouth and dash towards him with it on command, at one level even going via a dry run at Dodger Stadium. It was what Ohtani thought-about “a enjoyable train.”
Then he watched Decoy execute it completely earlier than Wednesday’s recreation, culminating with a high-five. It was the spotlight of a recreation that noticed Ohtani homer and steal two bases within the Dodgers’ 6-4 win over the Baltimore Orioles in entrance of a sold-out crowd of 53,290 individuals, the overwhelming majority of whom arrived exceedingly early to snag an Ohtani-Decoy bobblehead.
“It is a actually particular evening,” Ohtani stated via his interpreter, referencing Decoy’s theatrics. “I hope to purchase some particular snack for him.”
The Dodgers had introduced that the primary 40,000 followers — for a stadium that has match upward of 54,000 this yr — would obtain a bobblehead of Ohtani holding Decoy, who has constructed a cult following over the previous 9 months. Roughly 2,000 of these bobbleheads could be gold, boosting the demand — to not point out the worth — even additional.
The primary gold bobblehead goes to Shohei and Decoy. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/lpziRN9d8X
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 28, 2024
Pleasure stage for Shohei and Decoy. 📈 pic.twitter.com/54viWyFYBY
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 29, 2024
Followers responded in sort. They lined up exterior the ballpark not less than as early as 9 a.m. Wednesday, 10 hours earlier than first pitch. By 2:30, the road had develop into so lengthy, the demand to enter so excessive, that parking gates have been virtually compelled to open two hours earlier than they usually would for a 7:10 first pitch.
An hour later, tens of 1000’s of them waited exterior the entry gates. They have been allowed in at 4:30, 40 minutes sooner than standard, and bought the uncommon alternative to observe Ohtani throw a bullpen session by cramming the perimeters of the left-field bleachers.
“I used to be stunned once I got here to the park with my household,” Ohtani stated. “I wasn’t actually conscious of this example; I assumed there was another particular occasion happening.”
Ohtani was met with a thunderous ovation when he led off the underside of the primary inning, then hit his forty second dwelling run regardless of being manner out in entrance of a Corbin Burnes slider. He added a single within the third and stole third base for his forty first steal. He reached as soon as extra on a fielder’s selection within the fifth and picked up stolen base No. 42, placing himself again on tempo to develop into the primary 50-50 participant in baseball historical past.
It wasn’t sufficient to upstage Decoy.
“I heard that Decoy was going to throw out the primary pitch, and I am impressed that that canine was already that educated,” Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts stated. “I suppose if it is Shohei’s canine, nothing ought to be shocking.”
Decoy first attained worldwide fame final November, when Ohtani unveiled him to the world throughout the MVP announcement on MLB Community. The media in Japan spent the following month speculating on his title till Ohtani revealed it at his opening information convention from Dodger Stadium in December. He has since ordered Decoy a pretend passport, worn a picture of him inside his swimsuit on the All-Star Recreation’s crimson carpet occasion and adorned his cleats with Decoy’s picture throughout Gamers’ Weekend.
On Wednesday, Ohtani shared some of the memorable video games of his main league profession with him.
“Total,” Ohtani stated, “actually good evening.”
