Ohtani says he never bet on sports, accuses interpreter of stealing money, lying

 

On Monday, Shohei Ohtani declared that he never placed a sports wager or paid off any gambling debts that his longtime interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, had accrued.

Rather, the star of the Los Angeles Dodgers asserts that his close friend stole millions from the two-time MVP by lying to him for years.


Five days after Mizuhara was sacked by the Dodgers due to reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN regarding his purported connections to an illegal bookmaker and debts over $1 million US, Ohtani provided his version of events during a news conference at Dodger Stadium.

 "I am very saddened and shocked someone whom I trusted has done this," the Japanese star said while sitting next to Will Ireton, the team's manager of performance operations, who translated.

"Ippei has been stealing money from my account and has been telling lies," Ohtani said. "I never bet on sports or have willfully sent money to the bookmaker."

In front of several dozen reporters in a tiny room, Ohtani talked for almost twelve minutes, detailing the ways that Mizuhara had tricked him. Donning a Dodgers cap and hoodie, Ohtani fluttered through a document in Japanese and declined to take questions.

Ohtani continued to emphasize that he was never intentionally involved in gambling in an attempt to address the most crucial query. He did not elaborate on how Mizuhara could have obtained his money through theft in order to settle gambling obligations.

"I never bet on baseball or any other sports or never have asked somebody to do it on my behalf, and I have never gone through a bookmaker to bet on sports, and was never asked to assist betting payment for anyone else," Ohtani said.

 

Ohtani left the Los Angeles Angels in December to sign a record $700 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers. Ohtani and Mizuhara had been daily companions since Ohtani joined the Angels in 2018 until last week, when Mizuhara's gambling became public.