Shohei

On March 20, lawyers for Shohei Ohtani accused the Dodgers star’s longtime interpreter and close friend of stealing millions of dollars from the athlete to cover bets with an alleged illegal bookmaker under federal investigation.  It’s a remarkable story with many layers. There’s the alleged betrayal by Ippei Mizuhara, who up until his abrupt firing Wednesday, was interpreting for Ohtani that same day in Seoul, where the Dodgers began their season with a special pair of games against the San Diego Padres. There’s…

Uncertainty suddenly surrounds one of Major League Baseball’s biggest stars, with Shohei Ohtani mired in recent days in a growing scandal linked to a federal investigation into illegal sports gambling.The public so far has only a fragmented picture of the case. But more facts could emerge in coming days and weeks, legal experts said, as federal prosecutors try to make sense of competing claims about Ohtani’s money being used to pay down gambling debts with a suspected illegal bookmaker in California. One key question —…

Shohei Ohtani is no Pete Rose. At least not yet.For one thing, as accomplished as Ohtani is at baseball, his career 684 hits pale in comparison with Rose’s 4,256, the most of any major league player. More pertinent to the news cycle is that Ohtani hasn’t been accused of betting on baseball, or betting at all. Rose famously was banned from baseball for life in 1989 by then-Commissioner Bartlett Giamatti (yes, Paul’s dad), whose investigation concluded that Rose had bet on major league games as a player and as a…

When most baseball players are on the field, they look the way most of us do at our jobs.They clench their jaws. They don’t smile. They look like they’re working.Shohei Ohtani is an exception.He smiles. He laughs. He playfully gestures.His talent affords him the luxury of treating the game like a game.He’s Magic Johnson. He’s Manny Pacquiao. He’s Ronaldinho.His youthful spirit is a major reason behind his widespread popularity, and he should do everything in his power to preserve it.On the field, that is.Off the…

Fans hold up pictures of Shohei Ohtani and his interpreter Ippei Mizuhara during an Angels-Mariners game in September 2022 in Anaheim. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press) During his first year or two in Anaheim, Mizuhara talked softly and didn’t carry a big schtick. He seemed shy, almost timid, as he mumbled his way through some interviews. Reporters begged him to speak into the microphone at times. But Mizuhara seemed to gain confidence as he grew more comfortable with his role, and his profile…

SEOUL —  The camera shot of the dugout looked reminiscent of so many before.Shohei Ohtani approaching his long-time interpreter and close friend Ippei Mizuhara. The two exchanging a few words while gazing out at the field. Each of them cracking a smile and sharing a laugh, as if no major scandal was bubbling behind the scenes.Those were the images that flashed across SportsNet LA’s broadcast in the ninth inning of the Dodgers’ opening day win on Wednesday — a seemingly friendly interaction between Ohtani and Mizuhara at…

Reps of the Dodgers superstar accused Ippei Mizuhara of stealing funds from the athlete in order to place bets with an allegedly illegal bookmaker, the LA Times reported The Dodgers interpreter for Shohei Ohtani was fired Wednesday amid allegations of illegal gambling and theft from the Japanese baseball star, according to the Los Angeles Times, which was first to report the news. Ippei Mizuhara, a close friend and interpreter for Ohtani, was accused of “massive theft” and using the athlete’s…

Representatives of Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani on Wednesday accused his interpreter of engaging in a “massive theft” of the ballplayer’s funds to place bets with an allegedly illegal bookmaker who is the target of a federal investigation.Lawyers for Ohtani made that claim after The Times learned that Ohtani’s name had surfaced in the investigation of Mathew Bowyer, an Orange County resident. Ohtani’s representatives looked into the actions of the interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, in response to The Times’ queries, a…

SEOUL —  The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency reportedly received an email Wednesday about a bomb threat at the Gocheok Sky Dome, where the Dodgers are set to begin their season against the San Diego Padres on Wednesday night as part of Major League Baseball’s World Tour Seoul Series.However, no dangerous or suspicious situation was found, according to the Yonhap News Agency, and a Major League Baseball spokesperson said that Wednesday night’s game was scheduled to proceed as planned.“The safety and security of our…

Before Shohei Ohtani became Japan’s most popular athlete, that designation belonged to figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu.Like Ohtani, Hanyu is 29.Like Ohtani, Hanyu was born and raised in the Tohoku region, the northern part of Japan’s main island.Last year, the retired Hanyu announced on social media that he was married. Three months later, he returned to the same platform with another announcement.He was divorced.The two-time Olympic gold medalist said his family was harassed and became the unwanted subjects of media…