Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani has finally revealed his dog’s name is Decoy, as reported by ESPN. Fans have been speculating the canine’s name ever since he first appeared with the baseball star during Ohtani’s MVP acceptance speech last month. Prior to Ohtani signing his historic contract with the L.A. Dodgers, there were theories his pup’s name could be the name of the team he would choose after he became a free agent. However, he put an end to all the speculation in his first press conference with the franchise last week.
Shohei Ohtani’s dog has two names
Ohtani recently welcomed the Nederlandse Kooikerhondje, or Kooikerhondje, into his life. What’s more, Ohtani revealed his dog has an American, as well as a Japanese, name.
“So his name is Dekopin. It’s a Japanese name, and I figured it would be hard for American people to pronounce it, so he has an American name, and it’s Decoy. So, yeah, you can call him Decoy or Dekopin,” Ohtani said through his translator Ippei Mizuhara.
According to Major League Baseball (MLB), Dekopin in Japanese means “flicking someone’s forehead.”
Previously, sportswriter Pablo Torre mentioned on his podcast, “The rumor I have heard is that Shohei Ohtani’s dog’s name — the reason they’re not saying it — is because the dog’s name is the name of one of the teams he is considering.”
One of Ohtani’s new teammates, Walker Buehler, also speculated along similar lines. “So his dog was named Dodger after all?” Buehler posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “I’d like to think it was named Walker but I guess I’ll find out soon,” he followed up with another post on the social media platform.
Shohei Ohtani signed historic 10-year contract with Los Angeles Dodgers
Earlier this month, Ohtani’s highly anticipated free agency ended after he signed a staggering 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers, as per AP News. The athlete later took to Instagram to share the news in a lengthy post.
“To all the fans and everyone involved in the baseball world, I apologize for taking so long to come to a decision,” he wrote. “I have decided to choose the Dodgers as my next team.” He further expressed gratitude to his former team, the Los Angeles Angels, and his fans “who supported me through all the ups and downs.”
In a statement, Ohtani’s agent, Nez Balelo, described the deal as “a unique, historic contract for a unique, historic player.” Balelo also shared that the iconic baseball player “is excited to begin this partnership, and he structured his contract to reflect a true commitment from both sides to long-term success.”
