Sports Ohtani Saga ⚾️

[thomas]

First a dog, and now a wife! Despite two ongoing wars and countless other topics of global significance, the Japanese media went nuts over Ohtani Shohei's announcement yesterday that he was married.

​

Ohtani, the two-way Japanese star, revealed on Instagram early Thursday that he was married. Much of the relationship remains shrouded in mystery. "She is a Japanese woman," Ohtani said through an interpreter. "I don't really feel comfortable talking about when I got married exactly, but she's a normal Japanese woman."

Ohtani stuns Dodgers and many around the world with marriage announcement | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

 

[Majestic]

It's made big news in America as well. Probably not as big as in Japan, but its made the chat shows and morning radio, etc...
Nice to have some happy news amidst the chaos of Ukraine and Gaza and the dumpster fire of the election.

 

[mdchachi]

We usually watch De De (Day Day?) morning show. From the sounds of it, nobody has any clue who, what, when, where. So they had to fill up the time with hours of speculation of the type of people athletes marry and other fluff.

 

[thomas]

US media have beaten their Japanese counterparts by a few hours.

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Tanaka, a 5-foot-11 forward, spent four seasons in the Women's Japan Basketball League with the Fujitsu Red Wave. She signed with the Red Wave in 2019, and the team finished the regular season with a 13-3 record. The Red Wave's most successful season during Tanaka's tenure came in 2021. They finished the regular season 17-3, including an 11-1 home record to secure a postseason berth. They won the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, but were swept in the final.

Tankaka....

Shohei Ohtani shares first photo with wife, Mamiko Tanaka

Shohei Ohtani shared a photo with his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, for the first time -- and the Dodgers' two-way star isn't the only athlete in their household.

www.espn.com

Who is Mamiko Tanaka? Everything you need to know about Shohei Ohtani's wife

Weeks after his surprise wedding, Shohei Ohtani's wife has finally been revealed to the world. Here's everything to know about Mamiko Tanaka.

www.usatoday.com

 

[thomas]

Japan's goodwill ambassador?

Shohei Ohtani has endeared himself to South Korean fans, bridging any lingering animosity between the two neighbouring countries: He became the centre of attention during the Major League Baseball opener in South Korea, where he arrived with his wife. Fans don Ohtani jerseys, and the Korean national team manager seeks his autograph. Media outlets and social media platforms praise this Los Angeles Dodgers superstar. His charm transcends borders, uniting baseball enthusiasts across cultures and fostering goodwill.

"Our social atmosphere has often made it difficult for us to openly say we like Japan," said Lee Jong-Sung, a sports culture expert at Seoul's Hanyang University. "I think Ohtani would perhaps be the first Japanese athlete who we can say we like. Maybe, some even consider him an honorary Korean citizen."

Ohtani may be South Korea's most-beloved Japanese athlete. His charm is winning over historic rivals

Shohei Ohtani may be the most-beloved Japanese athlete in South Korea, a historic rival of his home country.

apnews.com

 

[johnnyG]

We've got a trip to Chicago set up for late June, and it turned out the Dodgers are playing there during our visit. Wife wanted to see Ohtani play and someone there has gotten tickets for the game.

 

[Petaris]

We've got a trip to Chicago set up for late June, and it turned out the Dodgers are playing there during our visit. Wife wanted to see Ohtani play and someone there has gotten tickets for the game.

I got tickets as well. The Cubs were handing out tickets a few weeks ago and I scored two!

 

[thomas]

Big news here in Japan: the Dodgers fired Ohtani's interpreter, Mizuhara Ippei, for allegedly stealing hundreds of millions of yen (ESPN reported at least USD 4.5 million) to cover illegal gambling debts.

Shohei Ohtani's attorneys accuse interpreter of 'massive theft' tied to alleged gambling

Representatives of Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani accused his interpreter of engaging in a 'massive theft' of the ballplayer’s funds to place bets with an allegedly illegal bookmaker.

www.latimes.com

Shohei Ohtani's interpreter fired after reports of theft

Ippei Mizuhara, who is accused of illegal gambling, has been a constant companion of the baseball star.

www.bbc.com

Dodgers fire Ohtani's interpreter over theft, gambling allegations

The Los Angeles Dodgers have fired Shohei Ohtani's high-profile interpreter Ippei Mizuhara, the club said Thursday, following allegations he stole millions of dollars of the star's money to cover illegal gambling debts.

english.kyodonews.net

 

[Majestic]

Big news here on the West Coast as well. LOTS of chatter on Twitter about this, with a fairly large percentage of people absolutely convinced that Ippei is taking the blame to cover up for Ohtani. The circumstances are unusual, no doubt. But most sober commentators are sticking with the story as reported, and waiting for more details.

The direct deposits to the bookie from Ohtani's account are the most troubling. Did Ippei manipulate Ohtani into making these payments? Did Ippei shove a bunch of papers in front of Ohtani to sign, and Ohtani just signed them without realizing there was a bank transfer included? Or was Ohtani in complete control of his accounts, and made the remittance of his own will, in order to make Ippei's debts go away (without realizing this creates issues)? Or is the Twitterati shrewdly assessing the situation as an Ohtani gambling issue that Ippei is taking the heat for? Seems unlikely that the richest guy in baseball, whom everyone agrees is a squeaky clean dude, would be a gambler. But a lot of folks tend to see a squeaky clean image as a cover for some kind of deviancy. Anyway, I hope the truth comes out soon and I do hope Shohei is exonerated in this...he seems like a genuinely decent guy.

As a side note: Ippei is nearly as famous here (amongst the Japanese community) as Ohtani himself. He lived in a suburb of Los Angeles. He's not a fabulous interpreter, in my opinion. He's adequate. He mumbles in English, and talks like a dude who knows both languages but didn't receive a lot of media training, and doesn't really present his client very well. His mumbling, casual, super-rough translations might actually be part of the charm of the Ohtani/Ippei combo... Ohtani speaks very well and carefully, and Ippei speaks like a dude. So for the US audience, Ippei's very rough translations come across quite naturally and colloquially, which seems to suit the baseball-watching public here.

But I think Ohtani will do very well with a new interpreter, now that he's got the world watching him even more, and he's got to tread carefully after signing a huge contract with the Dodgers as these gambling rumors surface.

 

[thomas]

I guess that's the end of a friendship:

Shohei Ohtani categorically denied any involvement in sports betting or knowingly settling gambling debts accrued by his longtime interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara. The Los Angeles Dodgers star asserts that Mizuhara, whom he considered a close friend, deceived him over an extended period and embezzled millions from the two-time MVP. During a press conference at Dodger Stadium, Ohtani recounted his version of events, shedding light on the situation. This revelation comes after Mizuhara's dismissal by the Dodgers, prompted by reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN linking him to an illegal bookmaker and debts exceeding USD 1 million.

Shohei Ohtani says he never bet on sports, interpreter Ippei Mizuhara stole money, told lies - The Mainichi

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Shohei Ohtani said Monday he never bet on sports or knowingly paid any gambling debts accumulated by his longtime interpreter, Ipp

mainichi.jp

TBH, I can not imagine Ohtani being involved in gambling, and this is also the view taken by most commentators and media here in Japan. It's good to see he has a new interpreter.

 

[mdchachi]

Strange that Mizuhara claimed Ohtani was involved with the money transfer initially. But the guy has no credibility so I'd be inclined to believe Ohtani's story.

 

[thomas]

Asahi's Vox Populi examines Mizuhara's role as an interpreter. It is true that he never took notes when interpreting for Ohtani.

Watching a different interpreter sitting next to Ohtani, it suddenly occurred to me that I had never seen Mizuhara take notes even during formal news conferences. I remember being taught to "write down numbers and proper nouns," but Mizuhara may have been blessed with an outstanding memory. He translated even lengthy questions by U.S. reporters with apparent ease, sometimes "embellishing" or "editing out" to ensure clarity. When Ohtani was injured and his mobility was hampered, Mizuhara brought him food and took him to physical therapy appointments. During the Home Run Derby preceding an All-Star Game, he even served as Ohtani's catcher. Mizuhara's role far exceeded that of an interpreter. He was perhaps able to translate without taking notes because he was fully confident of his unshakable relationship of mutual trust with Ohtani.

VOX POPULI: Ippei Mizuhara’s interpretation skills make the news even sadder | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

 

[bentenmusume]

As if anyone in the world today actually values communication skills.

Ippei did just fine as an interpreter -- and more than that, he had people skills and came off as trustworthy, which is 99% of the job.

Well, in any event I can understand how an addiction (mine wasn't gambling, but whatever) can ruin a life.

 

[Aoto]

Strange that Mizuhara claimed Ohtani was involved with the money transfer initially. But the guy has no credibility so I'd be inclined to believe Ohtani's story.

Yes, I don't think Ohtani had any involvement in gambling. Meanwhile, a new Shohei Ohtani mural was unveiled in Little Tokyo on Wednesday before the Los Angeles Dodgers won their first game against the St. Louis Cardinals.

 

[thomas]

According to the NYT, Mizuhara is negotiating to plead guilty to U.S. federal crimes:

The investigation, which began about three weeks ago after news of the alleged theft broke while Ohtani's team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, was opening its season with two games in South Korea, is rapidly nearing a conclusion, according to the people who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the inquiry is continuing. A guilty plea from Mizuhara before a federal judge — likely to include an admission of a range of facts related to any illegal conduct — could confirm the account that Ohtani gave to reporters two weeks ago, in which he said he had no knowledge of what happened to the money.

Ohtani's lawyers initially alerted the federal authorities about the alleged theft, and Ohtani pledged publicly to cooperate with the federal investigation and one being conducted by Major League Baseball. According to one of the people briefed on the investigation, the federal authorities interviewed Ohtani in recent weeks to learn more about his relationship with Mizuhara. By quickly pleading guilty, Mizuhara would increase his chances of receiving a more lenient sentence, as federal prosecutors and judges often look more favorably upon defendants who make the government's job easier by expeditiously admitting their guilt. Little is known about where Mizuhara has been since the Dodgers fired him. Upon returning to California from South Korea, Mizuhara was stopped by law enforcement officials after getting off the plane, the three people said. It's unclear what Mizuhara told the authorities in their interaction, but he was not arrested. Mizuhara has hired Michael Freedman, a former federal prosecutor in Los Angeles who specializes in white-collar criminal defense. Freedman declined to comment.

Ohtani’s Former Interpreter Is Said to Be Negotiating a Guilty Plea

Ippei Mizuhara stands accused of covering his gambling debts by stealing millions of dollars from Shohei Ohtani’s bank account.

www.nytimes.com

 

[Majestic]

A lot of people trying to make a career of presenting themselves as too smart to believe the story on its surface, and are now tying themselves into pretzels, trying to make Ohtani into some kind of criminal gambling mastermind. And the tribal nature of sports means there are a lot of people who will believe this narrative. Fortunately, Ohtani himself seems mostly unbothered by it.

 

[Majestic]

Wow, just amazing information coming from the Mizuhara investigation. Dude was hopelessly addicted, and kept digging himself in deeper and deeper. The bookie kept feeding him credit, and Teppei kept burning it, staying afloat (barely) by pretending he was Ohtani and possibly resetting Ohtani's banking notifications so that Ohtani wouldn't get notified when transfers were made. Just saw a snippet that said Teppei was under the water to the tune of $14 million. Holy smokes. What a mess.
But also an exoneration for Ohtani, who was defrauded at the hands of the guy who was supposed to be taking care of him.
The Ohtani haters have nowhere to go now, except to say that "Ohtani should have known better"...

 

[Mikawa Ossan]

The Washington Post is reporting that Mizuhara allegedly stole $16,000,000 USD.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/04/11/shohei-ohtani-interpreter-charges-gambling/

 

[Majestic]

Horrible addiction. Trashed his life and turned his wife's life upside down. And its only minor compensation that Ohtani is so wealthy he can have $16 million stolen from him, and still be enormously wealthy. I guess Ohtani gets to declare that $16 million as a tax loss...so that's something. Meanwhile, Ohtani is still getting the side-eye from armchair analysts who think that somehow the FBI is colluding with the MLB to make Ippei the scapegoat for an Ohtani gambling problem. Just ridiculous conspiracy theories going on in one section of the Twittersphere.

 

[thomas]

I didn't know that Ohtani makes more from endorsements than from baseball.

The NYT had a piece yesterday on how Mizuhara tried to save his neck by coming clean to Ohtani, asking him to corroborate the narrative that Ohtani had paid his debts. Wisely, Ohtani refused.

In the aftermath of the Los Angeles Dodgers' victorious season opener in Seoul, a startling revelation unfolded within the clubhouse. Shohei Ohtani's longtime interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, confessed to the team: he grappled with a gambling addiction, and Ohtani had stepped in to settle his debts with a bookmaker. Ohtani, who was not entirely fluent in English, listened intently but struggled to comprehend Mizuhara's admission fully. Nonetheless, a sense of suspicion gnawed at him, and he yearned for clarity.

Hours later, around midnight, Ohtani seized the opportunity to confront Mizuhara privately. The two men faced each other in the basement of Seoul's Fairmont Ambassador Hotel. Mizuhara laid bare the truth: he had amassed substantial debts to the bookmaker and had resorted to pilfering funds from the baseball sensation to repay them. However, even in his confession, Mizuhara sought self-preservation. According to confidential sources, he implored Ohtani to corroborate his shared narrative with teammates, advisors, and an ESPN reporter. This tale revolved around $4.5 million in wire transfers from Ohtani's account to an illicit bookmaker in California.

Ohtani, unwavering, summoned his agent, Nez Balelo, into the conference room. Together, they orchestrated crisis management. A Los Angeles lawyer, Matthew Hiltzik (a crisis communications expert from New York), and a trusted new interpreter joined the virtual meeting. Mizuhara's wife also participated. Subsequently, Ohtani's advisors told the press that the baseball phenom had fallen victim to a multimillion-dollar theft. The ensuing headlines reverberated globally, linking Ohtani to the shadowy world of illegal gambling.

Ohtani’s Dizzying 3 Weeks End in Exoneration by Authorities

At times, baseball’s biggest star seemed in danger of being tainted by a gambling scandal, before his longtime interpreter was charged with fraud.

www.nytimes.com

 

[mdchachi]

I didn't know that Ohtani makes more from endorsements than from baseball.

That shouldn't be a surprise. His face is plastered on every available surface in Japan.
He only gets $2 million/year from his massive baseball contract. The rest is deferred and paid out starting 2034.

 

[thomas]

Talking about endorsements: ECC Co., a major Osaka-based English conversation school operator, has extended the application deadline for a unique program initiated by Ohtani. This program aims to bring one hundred Japanese children to the United States to study.

The program, titled "Show Your Dreams 2024," offers students from fourth grade to the third year of high school the opportunity to study in the U.S. and experience a homestay. Applicants must write a 400-character essay in Japanese on the theme of "dreams for the future" and submit a video message in English. Initially, the application deadline was 14 April, but it has now been extended to 17 April due to overwhelming interest. The entire program will be funded by Shohei Ohtani himself, covering round-trip airfare, school expenses, accommodation, and daily meals during the homestay. While the program won't include meetings with Shohei Ohtani or the perk of attending games, participants can watch games at their own expense.

Deadline for Ohtani program to study in US extended as Japan application site flooded - The Mainichi

TOKYO -- Major Osaka-based English conversation school operator ECC Co. has extended its application deadline for a program conceived by Major League

mainichi.jp

ECC×大谷翔平 共同プロジェクト 「ECC SHOW YOUR DREAMS」

「ECC SHOW YOUR DREAMS」は大谷選手の発案により始動した、共同プロジェクト。日本全国の小・中・高校生を対象とした合計50名様に、約1週間の海外留学＆ホームステイをプレゼント。

www.ecc.co.jp

 

[thomas]

Mizuhara Ippei has agreed to plead guilty to illegally transferring nearly USD 17 million from Ohtani's bank account to pay off gambling debts. He will plead guilty to one count of bank fraud, punishable by up to 30 years in prison, and one count of filing a false tax return, which carries a maximum sentence of three years.

Federal prosecutors have said Mizuhara -- Ohtani's long-time friend and confidant -- plundered millions from the Los Angeles Dodgers ace's bank account to fund an "insatiable appetite" for gambling. Mizuhara is expected to formally enter his guilty plea in the coming weeks, with arraignment scheduled to take place in Los Angeles on 14 May. "The extent of this defendant's deception and theft is massive," United States Attorney Martin Estrada said in a statement on Wednesday.

The complaint revealed that between December 2021 and January 2024, Mizuhara placed approximately 19,000 bets ranging in value from USD10 to USD160,000 at an average of around USD12,800 per bet. During that period, Mizuhara had winning bets worth USD142.3 million, and losing bets of USD182.9 million -- leaving him with losses of roughly USD40.7 million. The complaint detailed that contact information on Ohtani's bank account was later changed to link it to Mizuhara's phone number and to an anonymous email address connected to Mizuhara. Mizuhara also would allegedly falsely identify himself as Ohtani to trick bank employees into authorizing wire transfers. Bank recordings of telephone calls captured Mizuhara impersonating Ohtani as he sought to make wire transfers.

Ohtani's ex-interpreter to plead guilty over $17 mil fraud

Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter has agreed to plead guilty over charges of illegally transferring nearly $17 million from the baseball star's bank account in order to pay off gambling debts, the U.S. Justice Department said Wednesday. Ippei Mizuhara, 39, will plead guilty to one count of bank...

japantoday.com

 

[Majestic]

The number of dudes on Twitter who are clinging to the idea that Ippei is the fall guy for Ohtani, is depressing.

 

[mdchachi]

The number of dudes on Twitter who are clinging to the idea that Ippei is the fall guy for Ohtani, is depressing.

Japanese or American?