LA Dodgers fans love Shohei Ohtani. They might love his dog Dekopin (aka Decoy) even more.
So it was no surprise that when the Dodgers announced they were giving Ohtani and the Decoy bobblehead away, fans began preparing, mostly clearing their schedules to be among the first 40,000 fans to enter Dodger Stadium on Wednesday.
By 1:22 p.m. PDT, a line of fans stretched around the Sunset Boulevard gates, about six hours before first pitch, four hours before the gates opened and three and a half hours before the parking lot gates opened.
All these people were lined up outside Dodger Stadium at 1pm and the parking lot didn’t open until 4:40pm.
Shohei Otani Bubblehead Night! pic.twitter.com/qvmFrEKgjv
— SoCal Goulah (@SoCalGoulah8) August 28, 2024
A lot of them were there before 11am.
It’s hard to blame fans for not wanting to leave anything to chance. With 40,000 bobtails and a capacity of 56,000 at Dodger Stadium, not everyone is guaranteed a souvenir.
This isn’t the first Ohtani bobblehead the Dodgers have given away this season (there was a similar demand back then), but the decoys are a huge hit with fans looking for a unique and adorable memento.
Dutch Kooijkerhondjein Decoy has been in the public eye since Ohtani’s MVP acceptance speech last year, and his name has become a storyline as Ohtani becomes the most lucrative free agent in professional sports history. He finally revealed his name at his introductory press conference at Dodger Stadium, and fans quickly embraced their furry new mascot.
Among those fans was the American embassy in Japan.
As if there wasn’t enough demand for the Decoy Bobblehead, the Dodgers released an even rarer and slightly more scary gold version of the figure last week.
Of course, not everyone who lined up was a fan. As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 80 of the promised bobbleheads were up for sale on eBay, all for a minimum of $160, and 60 were waiting to be bid.
It was a dreamy first season for Ohtani in Dodger Blue. Or at least the best he could get while still not pitching. The two-star responded to those limitations by expanding his offensive game, especially on the basepaths.
Ohtani became the sixth MLB player to join the 40-homer, 40-steal club last week, and the fastest to date. As long as he stays healthy, he’s likely to become the first player to have a 45-45 season, and even a mythical 50-50 season.
The Dodgers needed every ounce they got from Ohtani, as injuries ravaged the team on both sides of the ball. Despite the significant setbacks, the team entered Wednesday with a 78-54 record, the best in MLB, and a three-game lead in the NL West.
