Ohtani's Latest Hit Is for the Kids

Shohei Ohtani is adding author to his list of accomplishments. The Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar has co-written a children's book starring his beloved dog, Decoy. Ohtani posted a photo on his Instagram on Thursday of Decoy, a Dutch Kooikerhondje, sitting next to the book, per the AP. The cover of Decoy Saves Opening Day features a drawing of the pup with a ball in his mouth and Ohtani in his baseball jersey. It tells the story of how Decoy is supposed to throw the first pitch on opening day but realizes he left his lucky baseball at home and scrambles to retrieve it in time. The book will be released on Feb. 3, according to publisher HarperCollins. Ohtani co-wrote the book with Michael Blank; Fanny Liem did the illustrations.

Ohtani told the AP last year that he hoped Decoy's popularity would increase the profile of the Kooikerhondje (pronounced COY-ker-HUND-che) breed. "The number of the breed has kind of dwindled, so by him gaining a little bit of popularity, hopefully that brings up the number," Ohtani said through a translator at the time. "I do feel like we were able to, in a small way, contribute to the popularity of the dog, and I'm sure Decoy himself would be happy about that." Ohtani has had his dog throw out a first pitch, and he brought Decoy to the Dodgers' victory parade after the team's World Series win over the New York Yankees last year.