Remember the international mystery that was the name of Shohei Ohtani’s dog? Well, now that pup (named Decoy in case you forgot) can be an international traveler.
Well, sort of.
Ohtani posted an image of a fake United States visa on Instagram, complete with a passport photo of Decoy and his given name, Dekopin. Some hidden gems on the documentation were his passport number: 000MVPUP000 and his control number: 000GOODBOY000.
The faux visa was a gift from Rahm Emanuel, the United States ambassador to Japan, who presented it to Ohtani and received the superstar’s Dodgers jersey in return.
“Thrilled to meet trailblazing two-time MVP Ohtani-san again – my lucky day,” Emanuel posted on X. “Maybe next time I’ll be fortunate enough to meet his MVPup, Decoy. – this ‘visa’ should help.”
You’ll recall that Ohtani was quite secretive when it came to his furry friend, who burst onto the scene when Ohtani was accepting his second MVP Award, and he chose not to reveal the dog’s name until after he had signed with the Dodgers.
Now Decoy is one of baseball’s most recognizable good boys, although Ohtani’s new teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto may have something to say about that. The ace pitcher has a pup named Mikan, who was introduced to the world in this adorable photo.
If Mikan can secure a Visa sometime soon, here’s hoping these two Los Angeles Doggers have a few puppy play dates in their future, whether in the U.S. or Japan.