Shohei Othani
Japanese baseball player Shohei Ohtani speaks during a press conference on his presentation after signing a ten-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles, California on December 14, 2023. FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images

The Los Angeles Dodgers officially held a press conference to introduce their prized acquisition, Shohei Ohtani formally. The event was also a chance to ask the Japanese pitcher several questions - including the name of his high-fiving dog.

The first post by NBC LA journalist Michael J. Duarte was not on point, as it turned out that upon checking the spelling, the name of Ohtani's mystery dog is Dekopin.

For those who may be wondering, Dekopin stands for something. It means to poke someone in the forehead in Japanese, the New York Post reported.

You can just call him Decoy

Aware that his dog's name may be hard to pronounce, American fans can call Ohtani's dog Decoy.

"I figured it would be hard for American people to pronounce it," the two-way player said through a translator at the press conference.

Why Decoy is getting all the attention

For some, the sudden interest in Ohtani's dog may be a mystery. But for those who have religiously followed the 29-year-old baseball player, this dates back to when Ohtani won his second American League MVP award.

At the time, Ohtani was eagerly waiting for the news. And when his name was announced, the Japanese star and his dog shared a high-five.

Ohtani's camp would not disclose the dog's name when that scene drew attention. Most felt that doing so would reveal where "Shotime" would be taking his talents, Fox Sports reported.

But as most know now, Decoy had nothing to do with that at all.