MLB player Shohei Ohtani is amid certain allegations after his longtime interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, was fired. Ohtani, born in 1995 in Ōshū, japan, made his mark as a high-achieving baseball player, signing with the Angels in 2017 and then into the Dodgers in 2023 with a 10 million dollar contract. Because of his elite contributions as a hitter and pitcher, Ohtani’s peak is widely considered among the greatest in baseball history, with some comparing it favorably to the early career of Babe Ruth.
Ohtani’s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, worked for him during his contract with The Angels and switched over to the Dodgers with him. MIzhura’s role as interpreter went beyond just that. His job also included being Ohtani’s confidant, conditioning coach, and throwing partner.
On March 20th, Mizuhara was fired by the Dodgers, and investigations began after Ohtani’s lawyer accused him of “massive theft” worth millions of dollars and placing bets with a bookmaker. LA Times explains, ‘“Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhari from the news media,” the league said in a news release. “Earlier today, our Department of Investigations (DOI) began their formal investigation process.”
The IRS Criminal Investigation Los Angeles Field Office is investigating Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer. Bowyer is a California resident whose bankruptcy court documents show he had gambling debts of $425,000 more than a decade ago.
Accusations of gambling came out when reporters began asking about alleged wire transfers from Ohtani’s bank account.
Here is how the story unfolded throughout the day of the 20th:
- Mizuhara told ESPN reporters that Ohtani had no involvement in the betting on Tuesday. He asked the baseball last year to pay off his gambling debt though.
- On the same day, Mizuhara was seen in the Dodger Dugout talking to Ohtani and still translating for him. They were in Seoul, Korea, for their season-opening game against the San Diego Padres.
- Later that day, Mizuhara was fired. They had been for Ohtani since 2013.
- MLB announced they would begin to pursue an investigation on Friday. The IRS confirmed the investigation.
- During an interview with CNN on Saturday, Bowyer’s attorney, Diane Bass (who is a former bookmaker and is connected to the controversy), said Bowyer never met or had “any direct contact” with the baseball player.
Sources from ESPN showed federal authorities raiding Bowyer’s home in October and seized cash, casino chips, banking documents, multiple computers, a money counting machine, and cell phones. Bowyer’s attorney continues her statement during the CNN interview by saying, “Matthew Bowyer never spoke with or emailed with or texted with or had any contact whatsoever with Shohei Ohtani.” According to Bass, Bowyer did meet Mizhura after a Padres game in San Diego in 2022. She continues the interview by adding that she does not know how often Mizhurara placed vers or how much he would bet. Still, Bowyer told her that Mizuhara placed bets regularly on “Soccer, occasionally football, and basketball, but never baseball”.
On Wednesday, ESPN reporter Tisha Thompson said on CNN’s “The Lead” that at least $4.5 million was withdrawn via wire transfer from Ohtani’s bank accounts. She also reports sources told her Mizuhara’s sports betting dates back as early as 2021. Thompson’s sources, however, were unnamed and unclear during the segment on “The Lead.”
According to Thompson, Mizuhara admitted to lying about Ohtani being aware of his debts. The interpreter later apologized to the team after the Dodgers’ game in Seoul, according to ESPN, citing an unnamed Dodgers official.
