Shohei Ohtani Celebrated His Dog Decoy’s Birthday in the Cutest Possible Way

Dodger player Shohei Ohtani just celebrated his beloved dog Decoy’s birthday in the cutest way!

On May 15, the pitcher took to Instagram to wish his and his wife, Mamiko Tanaka’s, furry friend a happy third birthday. The post featured a few pictures of Decoy with his tasty birthday treats, as well as a video of the dog politely enjoying the snacks. Shohei also shared a handful of images of Decoy jumping over a raised bar, proving he’s just as athletic as his baseball star dad. 

“3 years old ✌️☝️,” read the caption. 

The official Dodgers’ Instagram account commented on the post, writing, “Happy birthday, Decoy! 💙”

Photo by Yanhao Fang on Unsplash

Fans of Decoy will remember that he “threw out” the first pitch for a 2024 game. Shohei carried his canine companion onto the pitching mound, much to the delight of the spectators. Once on the mound, Decoy grabbed the baseball that had been placed next to him and ran to home base. After such an incredible pitch, Decoy and a smiling Shohei celebrated by high-fiving. 

Some Dodger enthusiasts may not be aware that Decoy’s given name is Dekopin. 

“So his name is Dekopin. That’s a Japanese name. I figured that it would be hard for American people to pronounce it, so he has an American name and it’s Decoy,” said Shohei during a December 2023 interview with MLB.com.

According to Kyodo News, Dekopin is “the Japanese word for flicking someone's forehead.”

Happy birthday, Decoy, you very good boy!