Fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers love Shohei Ohtani. And they may like his dog Dekopin (aka Decoy) even more.
They got plenty of both on Wednesday: Ohtani made MLB history, caught a pitch from his dog and caused some of the longest lines you’ve ever seen at Dodger Stadium.
When the Dodgers announced they would be giving away an Ohtani and a Decoy bobblehead, it was no surprise that fans began preparing – especially by clearing their schedules to make sure they could be among the first 40,000 fans to enter Dodger Stadium on Wednesday.
By 1:22 p.m. PT—about six hours before first pitch, four hours before gates opened, and three and a half hours before the parking barrier—enough fans had gathered at the Sunset Boulevard gate to circle the street and beyond, with a large portion of them arriving before 11 a.m.
It will come as no surprise that the lines got longer and longer as the game approached. In the final hour, a line formed inside the stadium that looked like “waiting for water in an apocalyptic world.”
You can hardly blame fans for not wanting to leave anything to chance. With 40,000 bobbleheads available and a capacity of 56,000 spectators at Dodger Stadium, not everyone is guaranteed a souvenir.
Decoy was present at the event and “threw” the first pitch to his owner to thunderous applause. He then gave a high-five to his owner, who revealed after the game that he had been training with him for three weeks.
Ohtani was less kind to the next pitcher he faced, hitting his 42nd home run of the season early in the first inning against Baltimore Orioles starter Corbin Burnes.
Ohtani then reached second and third base with a passed ball, hitting his 41st and 42nd home runs of the year.
That performance gave Ohtani a 42-42 season, tying him with Alex Rodriguez for the most home runs and stolen bases in MLB history. One more home run and stolen base and Ohtani would have reached an unprecedented total in baseball, and a 50-50 season is almost within sight.
All of this contributed significantly to the Dodgers’ 6-4 victory, which improved their record to 78-54, the best in the MLB.
Ohtani-Decoy Bobblehead Night just the latest hype
This isn’t even the first Ohtani bobblehead the Dodgers have given away this season (the other one was in similar demand), but Decoy is a big draw for many fans looking for unique and adorable memorabilia.
Decoy, a Dutch Kooikerhondje, has been in the public eye since Ohtani’s MVP acceptance speech last year, and his initially unknown name became a headline story as Ohtani embarked on the most lucrative free agent deal in professional sports history. He finally revealed the name at his introductory press conference at Dodger Stadium, and fans quickly embraced their new furry mascot.
Among these fans was the US Embassy in Japan.
As if demand for the Decoy bobblehead wasn’t enough, last week the Dodgers touted an even rarer (and slightly terrifying) gold variant of the figure.
Of course, not all the people in line were fans. As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 80 promised bobbleheads were being sold on eBay at a fixed price, all for at least $160. Another 60 were waiting to be auctioned off.
For Ohtani, it’s been a dream first season in Dodger Blue – or at least as good as it gets when he can’t pitch. The two-way star has responded to this limitation by expanding his offensive game even further, especially on the basepaths.
Ohtani became the sixth MLB player to join the 40 home run and 40 stolen base club last week, and is by far the fastest to do so. As long as he stays healthy, he’s on pace to be the first player to post a 45-45 season, and could even have a shot at a seemingly mythical 50-50 season.
The Dodgers needed every second from Ohtani as injuries plagued the team on both sides of the ball. Despite these significant obstacles, the team entered Wednesday with a 78-54 record, tied for the best in MLB, and a three-game lead in the NL West.