Shohei Ohtani held Decoy in his lap when he won his second
Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player award in November 2023. Upon winning, Ohtani gave the dog a
high five, and he became viral among fans. The next month, Shohei Ohtani publicly revealed the dog's name, Dekopin, which is a Japanese term referring to the act of flicking a person on the forehead. He also clarified that Dekopin's name in English is Decoy, which was chosen because he believed that some Americans might struggle to pronounce the Japanese name. In January 2024, Shohei and Decoy visited the
Embassy of the United States in Tokyo, where Decoy was granted an honorary
travel visa by
Rahm Emanuel. In August 2024, Decoy threw the
ceremonial first pitch at the
Dodger Stadium. To celebrate the event, the Dodgers held a giveaway of
bobblehead toys depicting Shohei with Decoy. Decoy would go on to appear at the Dodgers' victory parade in November 2024 where he interacted with young fans. That month, he also appeared in a video alongside
Mamiko Tanaka celebrating Shohei Ohtani's third Most Valuable Player award. In December 2024, Decoy met with celebrity chef
Nobu Matsuhisa and posed with him for photographs. In 2025, Shohei Ohtani was added as a playable skin in the video game
Fortnite, accompanied by an in-game bobblehead depicting Decoy. In the game, the Decoy bobblehead can be used in an emote to throw baseballs for Shohei to hit. Ohtani's $7.85 million home purchase was conducted through an LLC named "Decopin," a tribute to his pet dog. ==See also==