National Pet Day Surprise: Decoy Honored with Wine Bottles Bearing His Name

Before becoming involved in a widely reported scаndаl, Shohei Ohtani won over fans’ hearts with his poignant farewell speech to the Los Angeles Angels franchise.

Ohtani was questioned about winning his second MVP prize that same day. That’s when “Baseball’s Unicorn” first presented the world to his furry pal, who would later go by Decoy’s moniker.

Shohei Ohtani

The now-famous Dodgers player posted pictures of the adorable dog posing with the wine brand that bears the dog’s nаme in a recent Instagram story.

Based in St. Helena, California, The Duckhorn Portfolio Inc. produces the wine Decoy in a vineyard of the same nаme.

It is safe to predict that Shohei Ohtani’s furry friend will likely score additional endorsement deals in the future, given how lovely he is.

Ippei Mizuhara accused, Shohei Ohtani cleared

Ohtani's dog Decoy posing with wine bottles

Following an extensive investigation, the US Department of Justice cleared LA Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani of all charges pertaining to the betting claims made by his former translator, Ippei Mizuhara.

As of this writing, Ippei Mizuhara is facing federal bank fraud charges from the DOJ, having stolen over $16 million from the Dodgers star and used it for sports betting. If Mizuhara is found guilty of the accusation, she could spend up to 30 years behind bars.

Mizuhara assisted Ohtani in setting up the bank account that would receive the latter’s pay from his playing contract, according to a news statement issued by the Department of Justice.

However, the translator took advantage of the latitude granted to him by Ohtani and changed the confirmation email required in order for transfers to be completed. Additionally, Mizuhara allegedly pretended to be Ohtani when she called the bank and got the personnel to approve money transfers.

The Athletic MLB on X: "Shohei Ohtani revealed that his dog, the subject of  much fascination in recent weeks, is named Decoy 🐶 https://t.co/CdgSuHBp2Z  https://t.co/W61VX9ce2Z" / X

Opinions on the matter have been expressed by various baseball circles. Some feel sympathy for Ohtani since they were duped by Mizuhara. Others, meanwhile, assert that the translator was set up to fail.

According to the DOJ’s most recent revelation, Ohtani was unaware of Mizuhara’s unscrupulous activities, hence the accusations leveled against the baseball player can be dismissed.