Shohei Ohtani interpreter scandal: Piecing together the confusing timeline, based on what we’ve been told so far

Shohei Ohtani interpreter scandal: Piecing together the confusing timeline, based on what we’ve been told so far

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LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 14: Shohei Ohtani answers questions and Ippei Mizuhara translates during the Shohei Ohtani Los Angeles Dodgers Press Conference at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, December 14, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rob Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

The scandal round Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter was as complicated because it was surprising. (Picture by Rob Leiter/MLB Pictures by way of Getty Photographs)

MLB opened its season Wednesday morning, with its greatest celebrity, Shohei Ohtani, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a win. Then got here the scandal.

Particularly, Ohtani’s longtime interpreter and pal, Ippei Mizuhara, was fired by the Dodgers after being reported to have stolen millions of dollars from the two-way phenom to cover his gambling debts. The story shocked the baseball world by dropping out of nowhere Wednesday and solely received extra complicated as particulars emerged.

A lengthy ESPN report laid out what was clearly a weird state of affairs behind the scenes, all centered on the declare that Ohtani had agreed to cowl Mizuhara’s money owed. An Ohtani spokesman reportedly claimed that to be the case to ESPN, solely to reverse course sooner or later later and get the slugger’s authorized group concerned.

It ought to be famous that everybody concerned within the story has mentioned Ohtani doesn’t gamble, together with Mizuhara and the alleged unlawful bookmaker concerned within the story. MLB gamers are allowed to gamble on sports activities that aren’t baseball, however not via unlawful means. ESPN cited sources within the playing operation that claimed Bowyer dealt immediately with Mizuhara for bets on soccer and different non-baseball sports activities.

Within the curiosity of readability, here is the story chronologically, because it was specified by the ESPN report, plus some background data.

2013: Ohtani and Mizuhara meet in Japan

Once we say Ohtani and Mizuhara go manner again, we imply all the way in which again to the beginning of Ohtani’s skilled profession in Japan. In 2013, Ohtani performs his rookie yr for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters and meets Mizuhara, who started working as an interpreter for American participant Chris Martin that season.

2018: Ohtani strikes to MLB, brings Mizuhara with him

With nice fanfare, Ohtani indicators with the Los Angeles Angels, who rent Mizuhara to work as Ohtani’s interpreter. Over the subsequent six years, Ohtani wins Rookie of the Yr and two MVP awards whereas Mizuhara interprets for him and acts in quite a few different capacities, together with Residence Run Derby catcher and exercise accomplice.

2021: Mizuhara meets Bowyer

Mizuhara, who had allegedly been putting bets on DraftKings, meets Mathew Bowyer, the bookmaker, at a poker recreation in San Diego. He later claimed to have believed it was authorized to position bets with Bowyer, which he supposedly did. Rather a lot.

September-October 2023: $1 million is shipped to Bowyer underneath Ohtani’s title

Financial institution information present Ohtani’s title on two $500,000 wire transfers despatched to an affiliate of Bowyer’s. The outline part of the transfers learn “mortgage.” One ESPN supply claims that Bowyer allowed individuals to imagine Ohtani was a consumer to assist his enterprise.

Mizuhara later claims this was executed after Ohtani agreed to cowl $4.5 million of his playing money owed. Ohtani allegedly “wasn’t glad” however mentioned he would assist to verify Mizuhara would not do it once more. Ohtani was additionally mentioned to have logged onto his personal pc and despatched the wires underneath Mizuhara’s supervision:

Requested why Ohtani did not merely give him the cash as a substitute of paying Bowyer’s affiliate immediately, Mizuhara mentioned Ohtani did not belief him with the cash.

“He did not need me to gamble it away,” Mizuhara mentioned.

Mizuhara mentioned he instructed Ohtani he would pay him again.

October 2023: Bowyer’s house is raided

Bowyer’s house is raided by federal authorities, with a search warrant stock exhibiting agent-seized money, on line casino chips, banking paperwork, a money-counting machine, a number of computer systems, moveable storage units and cellphones.

December 2023: Ohtani indicators with the Dodgers

Ohtani obliterates the file for largest MLB contract with a 10-year, $700 million cope with Los Angeles that defers $680 million to be paid after the lifetime of the contract.

January 2024: Feds discover Ohtani’s title in Bowyer’s operation

Those self same federal authorities study that Ohtani’s title is on the wire funds.

March 19: Mizuhara speaks with ESPN

ESPN ultimately will get wind of the story and contacts Ohtani’s camp, whereas the star is in South Korea. Crucially, a spokesman tells ESPN that Ohtani transferred the funds to cowl Mizuhara’s playing debt, then makes Mizuhara obtainable for a 90-minute interview wherein he lays out the supposed story:

“Clearly, he [Ohtani] wasn’t glad about it and mentioned he would assist me out to verify I by no means do that once more,” Mizuhara mentioned. “He determined to pay it off for me.”

“I need everybody to know Shohei had zero involvement in betting. I need individuals to know I didn’t know this was unlawful. I discovered my lesson the laborious manner. I’ll by no means do sports activities betting ever once more.”

March 20: A lot occurs

OK, it could be greatest to undergo this by way of lightning spherical:

  1. Ohtani helps lead the Dodgers to a season-opening 5-2 win over the San Diego Padres.

  2. An ESPN reporter asks the Ohtani camp about Mizuhara’s allegation that Ohtani was current and helped transfer the funds and that he was going to be paid again.

  3. Ohtani’s spokesman contacts Ohtani’s attorneys, then disavows Mizuhara’s account.

  4. Ohtani’s attorneys at Berk Brettler LLP launch an announcement: “In the midst of responding to current media inquiries, we found that Shohei has been the sufferer of a large theft, and we’re turning the matter over to the authorities.”

  5. Mizuhara agrees to a different interview with ESPN however says he was instructed he couldn’t remark when requested if he has been accused of theft. He declines to say who instructed him that.

  6. Mizuhara then recants his story, claiming that Ohtani had no data of his playing actions or money owed and that Ohtani didn’t make the wire transfers.

  7. The story is damaged by the Los Angeles Occasions, which obtained the assertion.

  8. Mizuhara is fired.

March 21: No remark from Ohtani

Following the Dodgers’ 15-11 loss to the Padres, Ohtani is guarded at his locker by group PR officers and leaves the locker room with out chatting with reporters.

It is unclear when the second Mizuhara interview occurred in relation to the later occasions, however the actual order does not change the story. On Tuesday, Ohtani’s camp mentioned the participant was serving to Mizuhara together with his playing money owed, and on Wednesday, that very same camp mentioned Mizuhara made all of it up and was a thief.

That change of story, naturally, led to a torrent of conspiracy theories about Ohtani’s involvement within the playing, however the particulars reported impartial of Mizuhara’s account all line up with the concept that the interpreter was the one who was illegally playing. After all, that does not imply one thing extra is not happening behind the scenes.

It’s additionally value noting that utilizing a wire “which entitles the recipient to obtain cash or credit score on account of bets or wagers” is explicitly listed in the U.S. criminal code as a violation that can lead to a tremendous or imprisonment for as much as two years, which could clarify the about-face after Mizuhara mentioned Ohtani himself despatched the wire switch.

This in all probability wasn’t what the Dodgers and MLB had been envisioning for the quick aftermath of Ohtani’s debut in Dodger blue.

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