Dodger fans line up for Shohei Ohtani bobblehead hours before first pitch
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Shohei Ohtani-mania was in full effect at Dodger Stadium Wednesday as fans lined up several hours before first pitch to get a bobblehead of the Japanese superstar and his dog, Decoy.
Once inside the stadium, fans got to see Decoy "throw out" the first pitch and then witnessed Ohtani hit a home run and steal two bases in the Dodgers' 6-4 win.
Fans flocked to Dodger Stadium several hours before first pitch to get their hands on the Ohtani figurine. The Dodgers said only the first 40,000 fans would get a bobblehead. This one featured the two-way star with his dog, Decoy.
The Dodgers also teased a limited number of gold versions of the bobblehead would be handed out to a few lucky fans.
First pitch for the game against the Baltimore Orioles was set for 7:10 p.m., but fans were already lined up before noon. One fan told Eyewitness News she was in line just before 8 a.m.
"Honestly, I thought about coming earlier because I was already expecting a line to be here," said Arasele Torrez, the fan first in line.
AIR7 was over the stadium just before 5 p.m. and captured lines of fans waiting to get inside. Lines were so long, they wrapped around the stadium.
WATCH: Long lines at Dodger Stadium for Shohei Ohtani bobblehead night
There were plenty of fireworks once the game started. Ohtani hit his 42nd home run of the season in the bottom of the first inning. He went 2 for 4 with three runs scored and stole two bases in the Dodgers' win.
Shohei Ohtani's dog, Decoy, throws out first pitch
Prior to the start of the game, Ohtani carried Decoy to the mound for ceremonial first pitch duties. He placed the ball on the rubber and took up a catching position behind home plate. After Ohtani gave a signal, the Dutch Kooikerhondje - wearing his own uniform - picked up the ball in his mouth and carried it to Ohtani.
He said it took three weeks to train the dog, who appeared calm in front of the sellout crowd of 53,290. They did a practice run at the stadium before the big night.
They shared a hand-to-paw high five as the crowd cheered wildly and Ohtani smiled broadly.
"I think I was more nervous with the ceremonial pitch than Decoy," Ohtani said through an interpreter. "I'm glad everything went well."
The first Ohtani bobblehead giveaway in May - featuring him in his batting stance - attracted a sellout crowd of 53,527 - the largest in the majors this season and the most at Dodger Stadium since Sept. 20, 2019. The promotion snarled traffic for hours ahead of game time. Some of those bobbleheads were on sale on eBay for hundreds of dollars right after the game. Before the start of Wednesday's game, several of the Ohtani-Decoy bobbleheads were already on eBay.
Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers in December after six seasons with the Angels. In his first year with the Dodgers, Ohtani joined the exclusive 40-40 club.
With a little more than a month left in the regular season, the Dodgers slugger could very well accomplish MLB history by becoming the first player to reach 50 homers and 50 stolen bases.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
