The Los Angeles Dodgers interpreter for Shohei Ohtani was fired Wednesday amid allegations reported from ESPN.com that at least $4.5 million in wire transfers were sent from Ohtani’s bank account to a California bookmaker who is under federal investigation.
Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s longtime interpreter and friend, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday.
Early Wednesday morning, Ohtani and the Dodgers opened the 2024 season against the Padres and Ippei Mizuhara was in attendance.
Shohei Ohtani could be seen walking over to him, smiling, and having a normal conversation with a guy he has considered a friend for a long time.
Fans thought this was quite suspicious as less than 24 hours later, this scandal would come out:
Mizuhara, Ohtani’s personal interpreter throughout his MLB career, is accused of making wagers with an illegal bookie. Ohtani’s attorneys say Mizuhara placed wagers with Orange County, California, resident Mathew Bowyer, who is under federal investigation.
Bowyer’s attorney, Diane Bass, said her client “never met, spoke with, or texted or had any contact in any way” with Ohtani, according to the LA Times.
Sports betting is not legalized in California, however, and illegal gambling on any sport violates MLB rules.
Ohtani went 2-for-4 with an RBI in the Dodgers’ season opener against their NL West rival San Diego Padres in Seoul, South Korea, on Wednesday.
Shohei Ohtani Signed Historic Deal With The Dodgers And Then Deferred Most of His Salary
Shohei Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers this offseason, the largest in sports history. If that wasn’t shocking enough, he would then defer $68 million annually until after the deal is complete.
The Japanese superstar will only receive $2 million per year over the agreement and will defer $680 million.
Some of the risks of deferred compensation include higher federal taxes and inflation. However, Shohei Ohtani wanted to make sure his team always had a chance to win the World Series while he was on the team.
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