- MLB star Shohei Ohtani's longtime interpreter was charged Thursday with bank fraud, as federal prosecutors accuse Ippei Mizuhara of stealing more than $16M from the Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player. Mizuhara turned himself into federal officials on Friday with a bond set at $25K. ESPN.com (a)
- In a 37-page complaint filed in a California federal court, prosecutors claim Mizuhara between Nov. 2021 and Jan. 2024 transferred millions from Ohtani’s bank account to pay operators of an illegal sports book. Documentcloud
- Mathew Bowyer and his associate are the reported bookmakers. Mizuhara allegedly developed a severe gambling addiction, with the Southern California bookies continually extending his credit. In total, Mizuhara won some $142M but lost $183M, accruing $40.7M in losses. ESPN.com (b)
- Mizuhara had worked with Ohtani as his interpreter and de facto manager since he entered MLB in 2018 with the Los Angeles Angels. He was fired by the Dodgers after this story made headlines on March 20. CBS (LR: 2 CP: 5)
- In 26 months, Mizuhara, who could be facing 30 years in prison, reportedly placed a total of 19K bets. He admitted to “technically” stealing from Ohtani in his text messages with Bowyer. The complaint details Mizuhara’s efforts to pose as Ohtani and hide the ongoing proceedings. The Ringer
- Ohtani denied any knowledge of the situation, and prosecutor Martin Estrada said last season's American League MVP has "cooperated fully and completely" in the investigation. MLB is conducting its own investigation. NBC (LR: 2 CP: 4)
Narrative A:
- When this story broke, the public was quick to crucify baseball’s brightest star without any knowledge of the situation. Weeks later, it appears Ohtani is actually the victim in this situation. Thursday’s court filing shows the extreme depths of Mizuhara's betrayal of his friend and boss. Ohtani should be rightfully exonerated in both MLB and the court of public opinion.
THE ATHLETIC
Narrative B:
- Baseball has always been sensitive to matters involving gambling, so it shouldn't turn a blind eye to Ohtani’s potential involvement in this scandal. Baseball must probe how Ohtani didn't notice the money missing and whether he knew more about his friend's gambling issues. Ohtani's celebrity shouldn't protect him from crucial scrutiny.
JAYMARIOTTI
Nerd narrative:
- There's a 50% chance that the last baseball World Series will be played by Aug. 2091, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
METACULUS (LR: 3 CP: 3)