Ohtani had spent the past three weeks training his Dutch Kooikerhondje to wait atop the pitcher's mound until he squatted behind home plate, then pick up the baseball with his mouth and sprint toward him with it on command, at one point even going through a dry run at Dodger Stadium. It was what Ohtani considered a fun exercise.
Then he watched Decoy execute it perfectly before Wednesday's game, culminating with a high-five. It was the highlight of a game that saw Ohtani homer and steal two bases in the Dodgers' 6-4 win over the Baltimore Orioles in front of a sold-out crowd of 53,290 people, the vast majority of whom arrived exceedingly early to snag an Ohtani-Decoy bobblehead.
It's a really special night, Ohtani said through his interpreter, referencing Decoy's theatrics.I hope to buy some special snack for him.
The Dodgers had announced that the first 40,000 fans for a stadium that has fit upward of 54,000 this year would receive a bobblehead of Ohtani holding Decoy, who has built a cult following over the past nine months.
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