Dodgers Interview: Shohei gets the “Access Hollywood” treament for his new kids’ book

LOS ANGELES — Publication day for Shohei Ohtani’s new children’s book can get a little surreal, especially when the interview has that “Access Hollywood” energy. He spoke with the TV show this week, and had quite a bit to say. Even though he’s more used to fielding questions about homers and fastballs, the takeaway is clear: Ohtani is proud of the finished book, he’s enjoying the moment, and he keeps bringing the conversation back to family, his beloved Decoy, and the idea of parents reading to their kids. He also sounded like a guy who still sees himself as part of the group, even with the spotlight turned all the way up.

Ohtani said he was happy just to arrive at release day of Decoy Saves Opening Day. “I’m really happy that I was able to welcome this day,” he said. And when he explained why he wanted to do a picture book now, he tied it directly to the timing in his life: “I knew my daughter was on the way, and I always wanted to be able to read a picture book to her. I thought it would be cool to read a book about me and Decoy. At the same time, when I thought about it, if a lot of other families could read this book to their children in different households, I thought it would be very special.”

“I’m very satisfied with the end product,” he said. “I thought it was very nicely done.” When the conversation turned to the illustrations, he shared a small peek into the process. “When we were picking the artwork and some of the pictures, I talked to my niece,” Ohtani said, explaining that his older sister has a daughter and he wanted a kid’s perspective. “I was asking her how she liked certain pictures. I was getting input from children as well. I was very happy with the product.”

That hands-on, family-in-the-room approach showed up again when Decoy’s popularity came up. Ohtani laughed about how fans have embraced the dog as his own celebrity. “A lot of fans call him ‘Decoy,’” he said. “For me, he’s part of my family, so the fact that people know his name is a cool feeling. Superstars in the family.” The interviewer also mentioned Decoy throwing out a first pitch, and Ohtani sounded like a proud owner who also wants to keep it in the “normal life” category. “It makes me happy,” he said.

Then the interview took a turn into something bigger, because once you’re on a mainstream entertainment show, you eventually get the “larger than life” question. Ohtani didn’t bite. “I don’t think of it that way at all,” he said. “From the first year I joined the Dodgers, you play for the name on the front of your jersey, not for the name on the back.” He framed it as a team-wide identity, one that all the Dodgers have embraced, regardless of the number of zeroes on the paycheck. “I think everybody on our whole team plays that way,” he said. “We’re playing for the team. I don’t really think about myself in any sense that way.”

And in a moment that felt very Ohtani, he used Decoy to explain how he thinks about his place around the Dodgers. “I don’t look at Decoy like I’m his owner,” he said. “We’re friends. Me and Decoy are friends. We’re family.” Then he connected it back to the clubhouse without trying to make it sound grand. “That’s kind of the way I view where I stand in the Dodgers organization,” Ohtani said. “I’m just one of the guys.”

He talked about his early years in the U.S. as a tight loop that revolved around baseball. “For the first five years of my career, it was more of just myself going to the stadium, back to my house or hotel,” he said. “I was really focused on baseball.” Now, he said, the rhythm is different because home is different. “Now that my family is slowly growing, I have Decoy, my wife, I have my daughter,” Ohtani said. “I feel like I’m very fortunate. I get to live in two different worlds. I go to the field, I play baseball, and then I come home and I’m a dad.”

That shift even shows up in the small stuff, like what he watches. “I used to watch TV,” Ohtani said, “but now that my daughter is here, I’m looking at her the whole time. I spend time with her.” No big deal. It’s just the most famous player in the sport sounding like every new parent you’ve ever met.

Because it was an entertainment interview, it also bounced into American sports culture, including the Super Bowl, which is especially funny on a February calendar with baseball fans already itching for spring. Ohtani admitted football still isn’t his world, but he likes the vibe around it. “I don’t follow football a whole lot,” he said. “When I was living in Japan and they were doing the Super Bowl, I had no idea what the Super Bowl was.” Since coming to the U.S., he’s noticed what it means here. “I see the excitement that surrounds the Super Bowl, and I think it’s really cool,” Ohtani said. “Sports culture in the United States, it’s like a national holiday.” He didn’t pick a team, but he did say he’ll tune in. “I do watch,” he said. “Not a full game, but I watch to enjoy the atmosphere.”

Then, he discussed something that every fan in Southern California seems to have an opinion on: the best way to eat an In-N-Out burger. For Shohei, it depends on the time of year that he’s in the drive-thru. “Offseason,” he explained. “I always get the protien style. During the season, I usually order animal-style.”

So now you know, Dodger fans.

The most meaningful section, though, was him explaining why book proceeds are going where they’re going. Ohtani said he’s usually approached about Decoy-related business opportunities and he turns them down. “A lot of people approach us to do business related to Decoy, and I usually reject those types of inquiries,” he said. “Decoy is part of my family. He’s not something that I use or gain for business.” He made it clear the book felt different because it was about kids, families, and animals. “I love animals,” Ohtani said. “The first thing I wanted to make clear was that any proceeds we made were going to go directly back” to support animals and shelters.

If nothing else, the message underneath all the noise was steady: Ohtani made a book he’s proud of, he’s thinking about reading it at home, and he wanted the project to do something good beyond the bookstore.

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