Major League Baseball (MLB) star Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers revealed that he authored a children's book starring his own dog, Decoy.
The announcement comes only two days after Ohtani's fifth All-Star appearance, noting that the book is titled "Decoy Saves Opening Day." The children's book is available for pre-order and is scheduled for release in February next year.
Shohei Ohtani's Children's Book
The book's website was made by publisher HarperCollins, which shows that the story talks about Decoy forgetting his lucky baseball when he is set to throw out the first pitch on Opening Day.
The online page also revealed that Ohtani plans to use the profits from his children's book to help non-profit animal rescue organizations. The website wrote that the Los Angeles Dodgers player is the "biggest name in baseball" and is a proud sponsor of animal rescue organizations.
It added that Ohtani and Decoy are hoping to use the publication of the book to support the work of various non-profit organizations in helping dogs find their "forever homes." Other than co-writing the children's book, the baseball star is also ramping up his full-time pitching comeback for his team, according to the New York Post.
During Ohtani's final outing before the All-Star break on Saturday, the MLB star threw three scoreless innings in the Dodgers' 2-1 victory against rival Giants. The three-time MVP only allowed one hit while striking out four batters in his fifth appearance this season.
After the game, Ohtani said, through an interpreter, that it was a "very efficient outing," adding that he was glad he was able to keep his opponents from running, helping his team maintain its lead throughout the game.
Supporting Non-Profit Organizations
Alongside the announcement of the children's book, Ohtani also shared some Decoy content, including a photo of his dog next to a galley of the book and a few bonus videos showing him cooling off by swimming, MLB News reported.
The children's book comes as Ohtani has already left his name in history as both a pitcher and a hitter in the league. The 32-page book was co-written with Michael Blank and features a cover that shows Ohtani and his dog, with a baseball in his mouth, done by Fanny Liem.
As for his statistics in MLB, the three-time MVP batted .726 with 32 home runs and 60 RBIs at the All-Star break. The nine innings that Ohtani pitched in five games come after the elbow surgery he received in September 2023, as per ABC7.
