Topline
The firing Wednesday of an interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani remains shrouded in mystery, after claims that the MLB’s highest-paid star had willingly helped his translator pay off millions in gambling debt pivoted to allegations of “massive theft” in the span of just one day.
Key Facts
The Los Angeles Dodgers fired Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s interpreter, after Ohani’s representatives accused Mizuhara on Wednesday of stealing the player’s money to place sports bets—which is illegal in California—with an allegedly illegal bookmaker, according to the Los Angeles Times and ESPN.
Mizuhara told ESPN “I dug myself a hole,” estimating he lost at least $1 million by the end of 2022, and the number grew from there—sources told the sports network the debts added up to at least $4.5 million, and the money was wired from Ohtani’s bank account to somebody linked to the bookie, though Mizuhara said Ohtani had no involvement in the bets.
However, Mizuhara’s explanation has changed dramatically over time: He initially claimed to ESPN on Tuesday that Ohtani agreed to pay off his gambling debts and transferred the money himself last year, part of an interview that ESPN says was arranged by Ohtani’s team.
ESPN says Mizuhara recanted that statement the following day, telling a reporter that Ohtani was actually unaware of his gambling debts or repayment efforts—a reversal that ESPN says came after the network contacted Ohtani’s lawyers for comment.
Meanwhile, a representative for Ohtani told ESPN the player’s team had discovered a “massive theft” after responding to multiple media inquiries.
Mizuhara told ESPN he “never bet on baseball,” but instead focused on international soccer, college football, the NBA and the NFL; the MLB allows players and employees to legally bet on sports other than baseball and softball in states where it’s allowed.
The Dodgers said in a statement it “can confirm that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara has been terminated” and is gathering information, though the team has no further comment at this time—Forbes has reached out to the Dodgers and Mizuhara for comment.
Big Number
$700 million. That’s about how much Ohtani’s deal with the Dodgers is worth. However, he will receive $2 million each year of his 10-year contract, leaving $680 million deferred until the end of his decade-long deal, an unusual arrangement apparently designed to ease the MLB’s “luxury tax” for top-spending teams.
Key Background
Ohtani is one of the MLB’s biggest stars and has inked the biggest contract in history. He’s only one of a few two-way players in the league, which means he pitches and serves as a position player. He’s also known to have a good image, and is referred to as “kanpeki no hito,” or the perfect person in Japan because of his good behavior. In 2023, Ohtani topped Forbes’ list of the highest-paid baseball players, raking in $30 million in on-field earnings and $35 million off the field.
Who Is Ippei Mizuhara?
Mizuhara worked with the Boston Red Sox as an interpreter for Japanese pitcher Hideki Okajima before moving to Japan in 2013. Ohtani and Mizuhara’s relationship dates back to when Ohtani played in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball League. Mizuhara began working as a translator in the league for English-speaking players in 2013, but Ohtani asked him to work as his interpreter in the U.S. when he signed with the Los Angeles Angeles in 2018. The pair’s relationship has sometimes blurred the boundary between professional and friendship, and Mizuhara was even Ohtani’s catcher during the Home Run Derby at the 2021 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
Tangent
Sports betting’s popularity has grown and is legal in almost 40 states, six years after the Supreme Court legalized the activity. North Carolina was the most recent state to legalize online sports on March 11. Professional athletes like Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen have spoken on the phenomenon, saying in an interview “part of having social media nowadays, people are always worried about their parlays hitting,” adding he sometimes gets threatening messages about the subject. The rise of legal sports betting has drawn new scrutiny to any connections between teams, athletes, leagues and sportsbooks. Decades ago, professional sports leagues were sometimes beset with gambling scandals, most notably the “Black Sox” scandal of 1919, in which White Sox players and illegal bookies were accused of plotting to intentionally throw World Series games.
Surprising Fact
No explosives were found at Seoul’s Gocheok Sky Dome, South Korean police said, after reports of a bomb threat against Ohtani. The investigation—which included 150 police officers, bomb-sniffing dogs and x-ray detectors—occurred Wednesday after South Korea’s consulate general in Vancouver received an email saying an explosive would be detonated at the stadium during the MLB’s season opener game between the Dodgers and the San Diego Padres. “MLB, along with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and other local officials, will continue to monitor the situation closely and take any appropriate steps throughout the event,” the MLB said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times.
