NEW YORK (AP) — As Los Angeles Dodgers followers thronged to the World Sequence victory parade in Los Angeles on Friday, many had their eyes on most respected participant Freddie Freeman. However within the combine was one other MVP — the Dodgers’ most respected pet: Decoy Ohtani, canine of Shohei.

The much-memed Decoy, a Nederlanse kooikerhondje, or Dutch kooikerhondje, was nestled in Ohtani’s arms on the highest part of a double-decker parade bus.

Decoy has turn into a fixture of Dodgers — and canine — fandom. The pup was on Ohtani’s lap when he realized he was the first Main League Baseball participant ever to be unanimously chosen twice as Most Useful Participant, which he achieved whereas with the Los Angeles Angels.

Decoy additionally featured in Ohtani’s post-victory Instagram put up, with pictures of the canine being taken for a stroll amid autumnal foliage and searching groggy in mattress simply after photos of the Dodgers’ champagne celebration.

After Ohtani went on to signal a report $700 million, 10-year deal with the Dodgers, a few of the first questions that reporters had for him have been concerning the canine. At a information convention, the Japanese-born Ohtani revealed his pet’s title — in Japanese, Dekopin, however he recommended that Decoy can be simpler for Individuals to pronounce.

It’s additionally a becoming title for a member of this Dutch duck-hunting breed. Certainly, the English phrase “decoy” is believed to return from the Dutch time period “de kooi,” which implies “the cage.”

The Nederlandse kooikerhondje (pronounced NAY’-dehr-lahn-seh KOY’-kehr-hahnd-jeh) was initially educated to get geese’ consideration after which lure them into net-covered canals for hunters to catch. Check out many a Dutch Outdated Grasp portray, and if you happen to spot a smallish, brown and white, spaniel-like canine with lengthy ears, you’ve most likely seen an ancestor of at present’s kooikerhondje.

Homeowners say the breed is vigorous and intelligent.

Intelligent sufficient to, as an illustration, perform the ceremonial first pitch in entrance of almost 54,000 folks, as Decoy did at a Dodgers-Orioles recreation in August.

Decoy’s portrait may not be hanging on a museum wall, however he’s been immortalized in an Ohtani bobblehead. The pooch additionally acquired a particular, supersized “visa” throughout a go to to the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo final winter.

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