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Shohei Ohtani Celebrates Famed Dog Decoy's First Birthday With Adorable Photos

Tom Dierberger

Shohei Ohtani loves his dog Dekopin (Decoy), a Dutch Kooikerhondje.
Shohei Ohtani loves his dog Dekopin (Decoy), a Dutch Kooikerhondje. / Clay Patrick McBride/Sports Illustrated
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Tuesday was a big day for the most famous dog in the sport of baseball.

Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani celebrated the first birthday of his dog, a Dutch Kooikerhondje named Dekopin, who also goes by his English name, Decoy, on Tuesday. Ohtani posted a series of photos of Decoy to his social media accounts.

That's a very good boy.

Ohtani brought Decoy home for good shortly after undergoing elbow surgery last September to keep him company while he rehabbed. A few months later, Decoy stole the show while Ohtani was officially named the American League MVP on MLB Network.

The dog's name remained a mystery for most of the offseason until Ohtani revealed his name was Dekopin, or Decoy, during his Dodgers introductory press conference in December.

To further celebrate Decoy's big day, the Dodgers announced they are giving away a Shohei and Decoy bobblehead during a home game in August.

Ohtani will be spending the night of Decoy's birthday at Coors Field, as L.A. continues its four-game series against the Colorado Rockies. Ohtani is batting leadoff and starting at designated hitter for his 72nd game of the season.

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Tom Dierberger
TOM DIERBERGER

Tom Dierberger is a staff writer and editor on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor's in communication from St. John's University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.

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