What does 'decoy' mean in Japanese? Shohei Ohtani ends speculations around his dog's name after latest revelation

Shohei Ohtani revealed his dog's name recently, and it took the MLB world by storm.

It's a rather unique dog name, even though names for pets can get pretty out there. Many speculated that this was a Japanese word for something, honoring something in Ohtani's home language. In actuality, that's not quite the case.

Via ESPN, Shohei Ohtani revealed that his dog's name isn't Decoy but rather "Dekopin". Understanding that that would be more difficult to pronounce, so he altered it for English speaking fans:

"I figured (Dekopin) would be hard for American people to pronounce it."

The dog first surfaced when Ohtani virtually accepted his MVP award. The video was from his home, where he had his dog. The dog is adorable and appears to be some mixture of Jack Russell Terrier and Beagle. Nevertheless, fans loved the dog and wanted to know its name.

With no information, speculation arose that the secret name might have been named for the team he would eventually sign. Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler speculated that his dog might have been named Dodger, but that wasn't the case.

Dekopin is a Japanese word that means to flick someone in the forehead, so it's a rather ironic name. Decoy is the American version that's much easier to pronounce and has relatively nothing to do with where Ohtani landed.

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Shohei Ohtani and his dog will stay in LA

Shohei Ohtani joined the Dodgers.

Much speculation arose all season and into the offseason about just where Shohei Ohtani would play next.

The star free agent reportedly had no concerns over geographical location this time, which meant teams like the New York Mets and the New York Yankees had a chance.

As it played out, it briefly appeared as if Ohtani was heading to sign with the Toronto Blue Jays. That didn't end up being the case, though, as the reports were inaccurate. Instead, the Dodgers signed him to a 10-year deal.

For $700 million, Ohtani goes to a great team prepped to win the World Series. He also gets to stay home and not move out of LA.