Star two-way participant Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers learn an announcement immediately in relation to Ippei Mizuhara, his former translator and pal. Mizuhara was fired final week amid his involvement with an unlawful sports activities playing operation.
Ohtani learn the assertion in Japanese, which was translated into English by Will Ireton, for a interval of about 12 minutes. Video of the total factor was relayed by Talkin’ Baseball on X. Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic was amongst these to relay a couple of days in the past that Ireton could be serving as a translator for Ohtani within the wake of Mizuhara’s departure. Ireton served as Kenta Maeda’s translator when he was with the Dodgers and Ireton stayed an worker of the membership after Maeda was traded to the Twins in 2020.
Reporting final week highlighted that over $4.5MM had been wired from an account in Ohtani’s title to the playing ring. Mizuhara stated that he racked up that debt by betting on sports activities aside from baseball, then Ohtani wired the cash to assist him pay it off. Later, Ohtani’s attorneys contradicted the story, saying that Ohtani “had been the sufferer of a large theft.” Ohtani’s model of occasions that he relayed immediately aligned with the theft story, accusing Mizuhara of utilizing his account to wire the cash after which mendacity about it.
Ohtani stated that he was “saddened and shocked that somebody who I trusted has accomplished this.” Ohtani acknowledged that he has by no means wager on baseball or some other sports activities and has by no means gone by way of a bookmaker to wager on sports activities. “Up till a pair days in the past, I didn’t know this was occurring.” He additionally flatly denied the unique model of occasions, whereby he supposedly despatched the cash to assist his pal Mizuhara. “Ippei has been stealing cash from my account and has informed lies.”
The Dodgers had been in Korea final week to play the Padres as a part of the Seoul Collection because the preliminary reporting on the story was coming to gentle. Ohtani acknowledged immediately that the media in Korea inquired concerning the story however Ippei by no means informed him concerning the media inquiry. Ippei then informed the media and Ohtani’s representatives the model of occasions that had Ohtani paying off the debt. “All of this has been a whole lie,” Ohtani stated.
Extra to come back.
