A gambling scandal involving an interpreter is threatening to ensnare Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers, baseball’s biggest star. The complicated situation, which involves allegations of theft and fraud and entails revised statements and mixed motives underpinning them, is still fluid and developing.
Mizuhara told ESPN on March 19 that Ohtani paid his gambling debts at the interpreter’s request, saying the bets were on international soccer, the NBA, the NFL, and college football. While it is legal for MLB players and employees to gamble on other sports than baseball, it has to be with legal bookmakers and not any illegal bookmaker or offshore website.
But the weird thing is how Shohei Ohtani’s representatives switched up their view as soon as his former interpreter Mizuhara, spoke up in an interview with ESPN. At first, his representatives said that Mizuhara was transferring money to cover losses. Then after the interview came out, they claimed Ohtani was the victim of a massive theft and never tried to cover the gambling losses.
The timing of this scandal could scarcely be worse. The Padres and Dodgers, with Ohtani in tow, just completed a triumphant two-game series in Seoul; it was the first time an MLB game had ever been played in South Korea. For all the declinist narratives that perpetually dog baseball, the sport is financially healthy and arguably more consequential globally than the NBA or NFL. Many of its greatest players, unlike the NFL, grew up in other countries. Lording over them all is Ohtani, baseball’s first two-way star since Babe Ruth and the only player ever to simultaneously hit and pitch with so much success. He makes $50 million annually in endorsements alone. In Japan, his celebrity is unmatched.
I’m sure the MLB commissioner wants to never look back at this allegation. He would love to use the same line over and over again “Ohtani is not under any investigation.” The MLB future lies upon Shohei Ohtani and his amazing arm strength. But that won’t be possible as his bank account is under federal investigation.
