Shohei Ohtani’s lawyers claim that their client has been the victim of “massive theft” by his interpreter.
The Los Angeles Dodgers sacked a close friend and interpreter for Shohei Ohtani due to claims that he had stolen from a Japanese baseball player and engaged in illicit gambling.
Ippei Mizuhara, 39, an interpreter, was fired by the team on Wednesday in response to accusations about his purported connections to an illegal bookmaker published in the Los Angeles Times and on ESPN. This week, the club is in Seoul, South Korea, where Ohtani is making his Dodgers debut and Mizuhara was in the Los Angeles dugout for the team’s opening-day victory.
Mizuhara was frequently observed conversing with Ohtani, the Dodgers’ designated hitter, and it appeared as though they were talking about his at-bats via a tablet computer.
The law firm Berk Brettler LLP released a statement on Wednesday saying, “We are turning the matter over to the authorities after discovering that Shohei has been the victim of a massive theft in the course of responding to recent media inquiries.”
Even though there are 38 states and the District of Columbia that permit some type of sports gambling, California does not allow it.
Baseball fans are familiar with Mizuhara as Ohtani’s go-to companion, filling in for him at appearances and in the media since Ohtani moved to the United States in 2017. He even played catcher for Ohtani in the Home Run Derby of the 2021 All-Star Game. Mizuhara was also employed by the Dodgers when Ohtani departed the Los Angeles Angels in December to accept a $700 million, ten-year contract with them.
In a statement, the Dodgers stated that they “are aware of media reports and are gathering information.”
The announcement read, “The team can confirm that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara has been terminated.” “At this time, the team has nothing more to say.”
Mizuhara revealed to ESPN on Tuesday that he was betting on college football, the NBA, the NFL, and international soccer. MLB regulations forbid players and staff members from placing bets on the sport, even when they do it lawfully. They also forbid them from betting on other sports through unlicensed or offshore bookmakers.
Mizuhara stated to ESPN, “I never bet on baseball.” “That is true to 100%.” It was a rule I knew. During spring training, we held a meeting to discuss that.
On Wednesday, the Associated Press was unable to get in touch with Mizuhara for an immediate response.
After his father came to the Los Angeles area in 1991 to take a job as a chef, Mizuhara, who was born in Japan, moved to the area. Attending Diamond Bar High School in eastern Los Angeles County, he earned his degree in 2007 from the University of California, Riverside.
Mizuhara worked as an interpreter for Japanese pitcher Hideki Okajima for the Boston Red Sox after graduating from college. 2013 saw him go back to Japan to interpret for Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters players who spoke English. When Ohtani joined the team that same year, he first met him there.
Ohtani’s personal interpreter, Mizuhara, was employed by the Angels after Ohtani signed a contract in 2017. ESPN reported that this week, Mizuhara disclosed to the publication that his yearly salary ranges from $300,000 to $500,000.
When ESPN reported that it spoke with Mizuhara on Tuesday night, the interpreter said that Ohtani had settled his debts related to gambling at Mizuhara’s insistence. Following the announcement from Ohtani’s legal team that the player was a victim of theft, ESPN reports that Mizuhara retracted his earlier account on Wednesday, stating that Ohtani was unaware of the debt related to gambling and had not sent any funds to bookies.
(Image source: Twitter)
By the end of 2022, Mizuhara claimed he owed over $1 million, and his losses only got worse.
“At gambling, I’m horrible.” Will not repeat the action. Never garnered any wealth,” Mizuhara declared. I simply couldn’t seem to escape the hole I had dug for myself; I had to keep losing more and more in order to get out. A snowball effect is analogous to it.
In 1985, while playing for and managing the Cincinnati Reds, Pete Rose placed multiple bets on the team to win from 1985 to 1987. This would be the largest gambling controversy in MLB after Rose consented to a lifetime ban in 1989. The investigation was conducted on behalf of MLB attorney John Dowd.
Players and staff are not allowed to bet on baseball, even in a legal way. Additionally, they are not allowed to bet on other sports with unlicensed or offshore bookmakers. The MLB gambling policy is displayed in each locker room. A one-year suspension from the sport is the penalty for betting on baseball. The commissioner may decide to penalize someone for unlawfully wagering on other sports.
Even though the two-way player has mostly avoided the spotlight, Ohtani’s fame has grown throughout the globe. Fans from Japan and the United States were taken aback when they learned of his recent marriage to Mamiko Tanaka. He will serve as a designated hitter and may even play on the field this season despite having surgery on his right elbow in September of last year and not being able to pitch. In his debut game, the season opener in Seoul against the San Diego Padres, he went 2 for 5 with an RBI.