Dodgers fire Ohtanis long time interpreter, accused of 'massive theft'

[Sassy Squatch]

The Los Angeles Dodgers fire Ippei Mizuhara, Shohei Ohtani's long-time interpreter.
Mizuhara was accused by Ohtani's attorneys of engaging in a “massive theft” of Ohtani's funds to place bets with an illegal bookmaker, according to the LA Times.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) March 20, 2024

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

I actually think that basketball is the most boring sport now, even worse than soccer. It's got great athletes, sure, but the athletes have outgrown the sport. It's too easy for them.

It would be so easy if they enforced the rules and let them play defense again.
But yeah for some reason it's now boring as shit.

[GabyKeepsMeWarm]

Originally Posted by Jerm

So basically according to Ohtani....he, the Dodgers, and their lawyers are complete dumbasses and this translator is a mastermind.

**** outta here...

Nothing to see here! All is well! Anyone here in the practice of scamming a dude out of millions without said person even getting a call from their bank? Ohtani is 100% full of horseshit.

[UteChief]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

It would be so easy if they enforced the rules and let them play defense again.
But yeah for some reason it's now boring as shit.

I use to love the NBA. But the season is too long. The rules aren’t enforced, and great players are favored. Let them play defense. Call the game the same for each player in the first quarter and all other quarters. Throw floppers out of the game. If you flop or complain about a call, it is immediately ignored!

I’m tired of buddy ball. Three great players and scrubs. Limit teams to two max contracts. Eliminate the buyout market.

[UteChief]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

Nba is generally very exciting. But popovich destroyed the game with all this load management shit. You can travel halfway across the country just to see Giannis or curry get benched an hour before game time. Starters sitting out entire quarters because their team is down 10.

In general baseball and basketball are also going through some **** it and chuck it shit too. A lot of bball teams chucking up 3s and pitchers throwing their arms out and hitters who either strike out or hit homers. Especially in the nba that’s led to tons of unwatchable blowouts

Is that on Pop or the NBA scheduling? So many back to backs or 3 games in 4 nights. If I were the NBA I’d have teams play 3 games vs in conference teams and 2 games vs out of conference teams. That’s 42 and 30 games. Play a max of three per week. So 24 weeks, 25 if you want an all star game. That’s the same number of weeks now. Play rotating Tue/Thur/Sat and Wed/Fri/Sun weeks. Players get rest and practice days. With no back to back, LeJames won’t need to sit as much. Playoffs should go back to a 5/7/7/7 or 3/5/7/7 schedule.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by UteChief

Is that on Pop or the NBA scheduling? So many back to backs or 3 games in 4 nights. If I were the NBA I’d have teams play 3 games vs in conference teams and 2 games vs out of conference teams. That’s 42 and 30 games. Play a max of three per week. So 24 weeks, 25 if you want an all star game. That’s the same number of weeks now. Play rotating Tue/Thur/Sat and Wed/Fri/Sun weeks. Players get rest and practice days. With no back to back, LeJames won’t need to sit as much. Playoffs should go back to a 5/7/7/7 or 3/5/7/7 schedule.

It’s both. The scheduling is absurd. Not just back to backs, but traveling back to backs. But without a doubt pop started the trend of liberally benching players for rest whenever he felt like it

[chiefzilla1501]

If ohtani has any hand in this and it’s hard to believe at this point he doesn’t… it still doesn’t get him into Pete rose territory until we have proof he bet on baseball. But it also takes a special kind of scumbag to send a guy to jail to cover up for your own sins. It’s not even like ohtani is saving himself from jail time. At worst he probably gets suspended, fined and smeared.

[Sassy Squatch]

Damn, legit plot twist. Ohtani actually wasn't involved according to federal investigators.


Summary of the press conference lifted from elsewhere.

Ippei set up Ohtani's bank account for him since his arrival to the US. Ippei was the one responsible for making all purchases for Shohei to help him get settled in the country. Within a few years, Mizuhara changed the settings on Ohtani's account and linked it to his phone. He has had full access to Ohtani's accounts since that time.

Prosecutors have forensic computer evidence in the form of IP addresses and location data that show all transfers and bets came from Ippei's house and devices.

-Prosecutors have multiple call recordings with Ippei and the bank where Mizuhara is pretending to be Ohtani and is authorizing large wire transfers

-Prosecutors confiscated both Ohtani and Ippei's phones. They read every txt message and communication sent between the two over 7 years. There were zero instances where betting or wiring money ever came up. There are thousands of messages between Ippei and the bookmaker, including texts where Ippei admits to stealing from Shohei

-All of the gambling winnings that Ippei made were transferred into his own bank account and not Ohtanis

-The bookmaker has admitted to prosecutors under oath that he knew Ohtani was not a client and that Ippei admitted the truth to him.

-Ippei didn't just steal money for gambling but for multiple other leisure purchases, including over 325k to buy baseball cards on ebay

-Prosecutors have every bet slip that was made with the bookmaker. They number in the tens of thousands. Ippei did not make any bets on baseball. Ohtani did not make any bets at all nor was he aware of Ippei's betting.

[Chitownchiefsfan]

On or about March 20, 2024, MIZUHARA messaged BOOKMAKER 1 stating, “Have you seen the reports?” BOOKMAKER 1 responded, “Yes, but that’s all bulls***. Obviously you didn’t steal from him. I understand it’s a cover job I totally get it.” MIZUHARA then responded to BOOKMAKER 1, “Technically I did steal from him. it’s all over for me.”

https://sports.yahoo.com/shohei-ohta...222700264.html

[chiefzilla1501]

Yeah, something seemed super fishy but there's no conspiracy here. Interpretor may take a fall for shohei but this is falling on 100 swords to take the heat for this size crime. It's still weird to believe he could get away with placing that many bets but I'm guessing as long as the dude kept backing his bets up with money, bookies were willing to take the action

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Sassy Squatch

Damn, legit plot twist. Ohtani actually wasn't involved according to federal investigators.


Summary of the press conference lifted from elsewhere.

Ippei set up Ohtani's bank account for him since his arrival to the US. Ippei was the one responsible for making all purchases for Shohei to help him get settled in the country. Within a few years, Mizuhara changed the settings on Ohtani's account and linked it to his phone. He has had full access to Ohtani's accounts since that time.

Prosecutors have forensic computer evidence in the form of IP addresses and location data that show all transfers and bets came from Ippei's house and devices.

-Prosecutors have multiple call recordings with Ippei and the bank where Mizuhara is pretending to be Ohtani and is authorizing large wire transfers

-Prosecutors confiscated both Ohtani and Ippei's phones. They read every txt message and communication sent between the two over 7 years. There were zero instances where betting or wiring money ever came up. There are thousands of messages between Ippei and the bookmaker, including texts where Ippei admits to stealing from Shohei

-All of the gambling winnings that Ippei made were transferred into his own bank account and not Ohtanis

-The bookmaker has admitted to prosecutors under oath that he knew Ohtani was not a client and that Ippei admitted the truth to him.

-Ippei didn't just steal money for gambling but for multiple other leisure purchases, including over 325k to buy baseball cards on ebay

-Prosecutors have every bet slip that was made with the bookmaker. They number in the tens of thousands. Ippei did not make any bets on baseball. Ohtani did not make any bets at all nor was he aware of Ippei's betting.

So are we supposed to believe Ohtani was so unaware he doesn’t notice millions going out of his accounts? I’ve known rich people. They notice millions going out of their account.

[BigRedChief]

And on an unrelated note…..

Ohtani has been made filthy rich playing a game by America. In 7 years here he has not bothered to learn the language. Why?

[Chitownchiefsfan]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

So are we supposed to believe Ohtani was so unaware he doesn’t notice millions going out of his accounts? I’ve known rich people. They notice millions going out of their account.

Ive also known rich people who can't tell how much they have in their accounts.

[FloridaMan88]

Would have been less costly for Ohtani to invest in Babbel or a similar language instruction to learn English.

[dlphg9]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

So are we supposed to believe Ohtani was so unaware he doesn’t notice millions going out of his accounts? I’ve known rich people. They notice millions going out of their account.

I 100% believe it. He trusted this guy to do him right and was absolutely burned. The feds are gonna lie for a baseball player. If they thought anything was remotely sketchy by Ohtani, then they wouldn't call him a victim. I thought for sure he was involved.

Big difference in the way real estate rich guy and baseball rich guy monitor there money. Ohtani was too trusting of an addict.

Another thing, this translator bet soooooo many times. The equivalent of 22 times every single hour for years. It's insane.

[dlphg9]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

And on an unrelated note…..

Ohtani has been made filthy rich playing a game by America. In 7 years here he has not bothered to learn the language. Why?

Because he had a translator? Wtf does it matter if he learned the language or not?