Mar 12, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani talks with translator Ippei Mizuhara in the dugout against the San Francisco Giants during a spring training baseball game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
MLB: Spring Training-San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers
LOS ANGELES — It’s the story that shattered the internet.
News broke Wednesday evening that Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter was fired after questions surrounding $4.5 million in wire transfers sent from Ohtani’s bank account to a bookmaking operation.
But we still aren’t quite sure what to make of it.
The drama started when Ohtani’s lawyers stated that the superstar was “the victim of massive theft” and “are turning matters over to authorities.”
It is alleged that Ohtani was the victim. But who knows? There still are a lot of moving parts. The principles haven’t even weighed in yet. And we have yet to hear from either party involved.
“In the course of responding to recent media inquiries, we discovered that Shohei has been the victim of a massive theft, and we are turning the matter over to the authorities,” read the statement from Ohtani’s lawyer.
The spokesman declined to answer any further questions, and the statement did not specify whom they believe perpetrated the alleged theft.
Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s now former interpreter, originally told ESPN that the Dodgers outfielder gave him the funds to pay off his debts but later changed his story to say Ohtani did not know of his debts.
So for now? All we can do is speculate and gather information.
“There’s so much in this story, that we don’t know right now,” MLB Insider Jeff Passan said on the Thursday’s installment of the Pat McAffee Show.
“When they were in the dugout yesterday Shohei Ohtani knew that there was gambling involved with Ippei Mizuhara.”
The MLB insider says that Mizuhara had gambled on international soccer the NFL, college football and the NBA – but not baseball.
“It’s an important part of the story. It’s different then Pete Rose. It’s different then the Black Sox scandal.”
Passan concluded saying that people are going to assume the worst, and that jumping into any conclusions isn’t responsible.
So for now? Let all the FBI twitter agents continue to investigate. But in reality, there is still too much unknown in this story to insinuate anything.
