LOS ANGELES — Minutes after the main event, Shohei Ohtani reassumed the focus. Thousands descended upon Dodger Stadium hours before Wednesday night’s 7:10 p.m. PT first pitch against the Baltimore Orioles seeking a bobblehead depicting Ohtani and baseball’s most famous Dutch Kooikerhondje, Decoy, so much so that the traffic jam led manager Dave Roberts to pull over and help bring a stadium worker to the ballpark amidst the crush.
Ohtani ensured they wouldn’t come away empty-handed. He squatted behind home plate as Decoy ran the ceremonial first pitch to him. When he returned in the bottom half of the first inning, he put on more of a show, driving a slider from former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes into the right-field seats for his 42nd home run of the season.
Decoy fetched the first pitch tonight for Shohei Ohtani! 🥹🐶 pic.twitter.com/zD7QsbX5SI
— MLB (@MLB) August 29, 2024
Ohtani’s first summer as a Los Angeles Dodger is already fitting in the shadows of the Hollywood sign, with the organization quick to maximize the $700 million superstar not just for his prolific exploits on the field — Friday night, Ohtani became the fastest player (and just sixth in major-league history) to slug 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in a season — but for the several lucrative business opportunities off it, as well. Ohtani’s first bobblehead night in May against the Cincinnati Reds was a sellout, drawing 52,527 to the ballpark.
His second, featuring Ohtani holding his dog, included something of a Willy Wonka-like feature: A select number of bobbleheads were painted gold.
Excitement level for Shohei and Decoy. 📈 pic.twitter.com/54viWyFYBY
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 29, 2024
The lines started as soon as 9 a.m. Wednesday morning, engulfing Vin Scully Ave., in front of the ballpark’s main entrance.
“I’m just happy that I made it,” Roberts said pregame. “It’s unbelievable. I don’t know if it was Shohei or Decoy or a combo, but there’s a high demand for this dang bobblehead. It took me forever to get inside Dodger Stadium. There was a long line. If you plan on coming, you better have already left.”
Enough made it into their seats in time for the real-life Ohtani to give them their money’s worth, too.
This story will be updated.
Required reading
(Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea / USA Today)
