The only fact we know about the developing situation involving Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara is that Mizuhara was fired by the Los Angeles Dodgers. For those who may not be aware, Ohtani's lawyers have claimed that a “major theft” was committed, which is why Ohtani's name was linked to an illegal gambling setup in Southern California. Mizuhara eventually made a similar claim, but had originally said Ohtani paid the gambling operations to cover Mizuhara's debt.
Ohtani spoke to the media on Monday and explained the situation and what occurred, via Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times.
“I never bet on baseball or any other sports and have never asked someone to do so on my behalf and have never bet through a bookmaker. Until a couple of days ago, I didn’t know this was happening. … Ippei has stolen money from my account and told lies,” Ohtani said via his new interpreter.
There are no shortage of wild rumors and theories making the rounds on the internet. Of course, we will not speculate since there aren't many proven facts about the situation. But Ohtani's comments are pivotal as the situation continues to be investigated.
Pete Rose on Shohei Ohtani: ‘I wish I had an interpreter'
However, former MLB superstar Pete Rose, who still holds the record for most hits in the sport's history, made eye-opening comments in a recent video, per Jomboy Media.
“Well, back in the '70s and '80s, I wish I had an interpreter,” Rose, who is banned from Baseball's Hall of Fame due to gambling, said in the video. “I'd be scot-free.”
Rose's comments have drawn plenty of reaction. Ohtani's comments add clarity to the situation, however.
“When we went back to the hotel to talk one to one that's when I found out he had a massive debt and it was revealed to me that he was using my account to pay the bookmaker,” Ohtani said Monday, via Doug McKain of Dodgers Nation. “At that moment I realized the absurd thing that was happening and I contacted my representatives.”
Some people will believe Ohtani, others will want more proof. This story is not over as the investigation continues. Nevertheless, Ohtani choosing to address what occurred is a pivotal update in the story. For the most part, fans had no understanding amid the allegations before Monday's press conference.
So why did Mizuhara previously talk to the media? What led to him choosing to conduct an interview with ESPN?
“All of this has been a complete lie,” Ohtani said, via DiGiovanna. “Ippei didn’t tell me about the media inquiry. He has been telling everybody that he was communicating to Shohei on his account, and that hasn’t been true.”
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