Given what Shohei Ohtani can do on the field, it should be unsurprising that his dog is almost as talented.
The pair shared the stage on Wednesday as crowds flocked to Dodger Stadium to see MLB’s newest double-act.
While Ohtani homered and stole two bases in the LA Dodgers’ 6-4 win over the Baltimore Orioles, his achievements were overshadowed before the game even began as his dog?“threw” the ceremonial first pitch.
Ohtani carried Decoy to the mound where his four-legged friend waited for a signal, before picking the ball up with his mouth and running to his famous owner crouching behind the plate.
The 53,290 fans inside the stadium went crazy as the pair then shared a paw-to-hand high five.
“I think I was more nervous with the ceremonial pitch than Decoy,” Ohtani said through his interpreter. “I’m glad everything went well.
“It’s a really special night. I hope to buy some special snack for him.”
According to ESPN, Ohtani had been training his dog for three weeks to perform the pitch and had a practice run in the stadium the night before.
“I’m impressed that that dog was already that trained, but I guess if it’s Shohei’s dog, nothing should be surprising,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
A total of 40,000 bobbleheads of Ohtani holding Decoy – of which about 2,000 were gold – were also handed out to fans on a night to remember for the Japanese star.
Thousands of spectators had waited for hours before festivities began and were not disappointed by the two-time AL MVP.
The 30-year-old now has 42 homers and 42 stolen bases as he gets closer to becoming the first ever member of the 50-50 club.
Last week, Ohtani joined Alfonso Soriano, Jose Canseco, Ronald Acu?a Jr., Alex Rodriguez and Barry Bonds in the 40-40 club, adding yet another record to his remarkable career.