Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers walks off the field after a 5-2 win over the San Diego Padres in the Major League Baseball regular season opener at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on March 20, 2024. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Mar. 21 (Korea Bizwire) — The interpreter for the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani has been fired while in Seoul for Major League Baseball (MLB) games, after allegedly stealing money from the Japanese baseball player to make bets with a bookmaker under a federal investigation, reports said Thursday.
The Los Angeles Times reported that representatives of Ohtani are accusing Ippei Mizuhara, his interpreter, of engaging in a “massive theft” of Ohtani’s funds.
Berk Brettler, a West Hollywood law firm, said, “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.”
According to sources cited by the newspaper, Mizuhara placed bets with Mathew Bowyer, who has appeared in numerous court filings in recent years.
ESPN reported that Mizuhara incurred gambling debts of at least US$4.5 million and Ohtani transferred money from his bank account to cover them. It added that Mizuhara bet money on international football and other sports, but not on baseball.
In an interview with ESPN, Mizuhara said Ohtani had no knowledge of his gambling debts and that Ohtani had not transferred money to the bookmaker’s associate — walking back earlier comments that the player had decided to pay off debts for him.
The Dodgers fired Mizuhara early Thursday, hours before they were to face the San Diego Padres for the second game of the MLB Seoul Series.
Mizuhara has been working with Ohtani since the Japanese sensation first arrived in MLB with the Los Angeles Angels in December 2017.
When Ohtani signed a record 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers as a free agent this past offseason, he brought Mizuhara along to his new club.
Mizuhara interpreted for Ohtani after the first Seoul Series game Wednesday night at Gocheok Sky Dome.
Ohtani, a two-time American League MVP, has been the face of MLB and the main attraction for the Seoul Series. Mizuhara himself has developed a cult hero status thanks to his constant presence next to the superstar.
Sports betting is illegal in California.
(Yonhap)
