The Sky is Not Falling!

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After Game Two in Seoul, the internet was abuzz with Dodger fans denouncing just about everything about the Dodgers:

  • Yamamoto was a bust
  • Glasnow was horrid
  • The bullpen was even worse
  • Max Muncy was the worst 3B in the history of the game
  • Ohtani was a degenerate gambler

Well, I just made the last one up, but some fans thought/think that. I am going to say that none of the above is likely true… but I don’t have enough information about Shohei to make any determination. That will come soon enough as the FBI and MLB are investigating it. After reading a piece in the Wall Street Journal, I came to a better understanding of what could be happening. The article was written by Jared Diamond and Robert O’Connell and is an excellent overview. You can find it HERE. It starts out by explaining the relationship between Ohtani and Mizuhura:

As Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara ostensibly was responsible for helping the world’s most famous baseball player overcome language barriers with his teammates and the news media. But in reality, Mizuhara’s place in Ohtani’s life was far more central than any job description could cover. 

Mizuhara wasn’t just by Ohtani’s side in the clubhouse. He was with him constantly, shadowing him virtually every day of the year and effectively running many aspects of Ohtani’s existence both on and off the field. 

Now, two games into Ohtani’s tenure with the Los Angeles Dodgers, that relationship has suddenly come under intense scrutiny over Mizuhara’s association with an illegal bookmaker currently under federal investigation. Ohtani’s attorneys have accused Mizuhara of stealing millions of dollars from their client to repay his gambling debts, calling Ohtani “the victim of a massive theft.”

Remember that this started out with the claim that Ohtani had paid off gambling debts for his friend. There is nothing wrong with trying to help a friend out… a friend that was rightfully fired from his job with the Dodgers for illegal betting on sports. Then we find out that that Mizuhara is accused of stealing millions of dollars from Ohtani. To me, this raises the question about how a team employee theoretically there to translate English to Japanese and back could possibly have had access to Ohtani’s private finances without Ohtani’s knowledge. That is the part I don’t completely understand.

The WSJ Article attempts to nexplain that:

To understand how an interpreter can grow so close to a player, it’s important first to realize that baseball is the only American sport where interpreters are part of the locker room furniture. 

MLB franchises are required to have a full-time interpreter for the Spanish speakers on their rosters, who comprise about 30% of the entire league. They typically don’t have a prior relationship with the players, and the scope of their duties are largely limited to interactions with reporters. 

But for the league’s handful of Japanese players, that dynamic is very different. Japanese players often hand-pick their interpreters, and it’s not uncommon for them to move around the league as a pair from team to team, as Mizuhara did when Ohtani went from the Los Angeles Angels to the Dodgers this winter. While Latino players can rely on a robust support network, there are rarely more than a dozen or so Japanese players across the whole league, often leaving them isolated in the clubhouse, with few people to talk to in a new country besides their interpreter.

The writers quoted Don Nomura, who was the agent for Hideo Nomo:

“A lot of players depend on that interpreter for getting used to going to supermarkets, renting a place, renting a car, opening a bank account,” Nomura said. “Small things like this.”

However, in the case of Ohtani and Mizuhara, the two met when Mizuhara was working as an interpreter for Ohtani’s former Japanese club, the Hokkaido Nippon Ham-Fighters. When Ohtani moved to the U.S. before the 2018 season to join the Angels, Mizuhara—who was born in Japan but grew up mostly in the Los Angeles area—came with him. From that point on, they were practically inseparable, forging a bond that extended beyond what is typical for workplace colleagues. The WSJ Article put it this way:

“I just saw two people who were really close,” said Phil Nevin, the Angels’ manager last season. “He’s certainly been a person that you could tell Shohei has been able to lean on, so he’s certainly been a big part of his life.”

Wherever Ohtani went around the ballpark, Mizuhara was rarely more than a few steps behind, usually carrying something that belonged to Ohtani—his luggage, his water, the tablet he used to study opposing pitchers and hitters. They sat together in the locker room and in the dugout, with Mizuhara tasked with managing Ohtani’s complicated schedule and rigid routine as baseball’s only two-way player. Mizuhara told the Athletic last year that he spent more time with Ohtani than he did with his own wife, seemingly apart only when Ohtani was on the mound or in the batter’s box.

Mizuhara’s responsibilities weren’t only administrative, however. He would train with Ohtani, playing catch with him before games and occasionally acting as his bullpen catcher. 

He was a constant presence in other areas of Ohtani’s life. They drove to the stadium together. Mizuhara has said that when Ohtani was injured, he would pick up his groceries. During the baseball lockout before the 2022 season, when players and staff weren’t allowed to communicate, Mizuhara quit his job with the Angels so he could continue to work with Ohtani, only to return when the labor dispute ended.

Mizuhara has 420,000 followers on Instagram, even though he posts infrequently. So, Ippei Mizuhura was a large part of Shohei Ohtani’s life and I for one, can see how he could access Ohtani’s money. The only question to be answered, “Is that what happened?” There are people who want to believe that Shohei Ohtani is a degenerate gambler and that Mizuhura is falling on his sword for Ohtani. There is no evidence of that and I truly hope that is not the case… but now we wait for the investigation. I have no further opinion. We just have to trust the process. Let’s hope the process is fair – we have certainly seen more than our share recently of weaponized prosecutions.

Dodger News & Notes

  • Before you write off JP Feyereisen, remember that he hasn’t pitched in 2 years. He is certainly rusty, but in 2021, he had a 2.75 ERA in 56 IP (allowing just 36 Hits) and followed that up with a 0.00 ERA in 2022 in 24 IP. Of course, he did not pitch in 2023, but he has the lowest batting average allowed of any pitcher since 2021 – .156. He just needs to shake off the cobwebs at OKC – he will be back up soon enough.
  • It’s a mistake also to write off Alex Vesia. He will be fine.
  • Max Muncy had 16 errors in 2023. He’s better this year. Don’t worry about two errors in one game. He’s not Brooks Robinson, but he’s going to hit about 40 bombs this year!
  • Gavin Lux looks relaxed and solid at 2B. I predict a big year for him and I also predict that he will never play SS again. Mookie will settle in at SS just fine and stay there for two or three years.
  • Yamamoto just needs to understand how to pitch in the US. His fastball is flat and teams are sitting on it. I think he is tipping when he is throwing it. He will be fine.
  • Glasnow was nervous in he debut, and could land his curve, but he was solid. Watch him when he lands that curve – he is unhittable.
  • We should learn the minor league rosters soon – the MiLB season starts next Friday.
  • I will tell you this: the Great Lakes Loons play the Dayton Dragons in Dayton Ohio, which is a little over an hour away from Indy and I plan to be there for several games. They also play in Ft. Wayne and Peoria, Illinois which are less than two hours from Indy. The Loons should be loaded.

X-Citing

https://twitter.com/shoheisaveus/status/1771005807032934470?s=20

Next Saturday, we move into our new house from this Air B & B where we are staying. Come on down if you want to help move. 😉

PHOTO CREDIT: KYODONEWS/ZUMA PRESS

This article has 46 Comments

  1. To the theory above: So Othani made 9 wire transfers totalling 4.2 million dollar over 2 years and never did ask Ippei what the money was for ? Hard to believe.

    Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    1. Assuming someone with millions in gambling debts is going to tell the truth when trying to come up with money to cover it. That’s right up there with saying, when they are exposed, “I’ll never do it again”.

  2. There is nothing to see here with the Ohtani stuff.

    He probably helped out his friend and he had no idea what it was for.

    Whatever, gambling is legally in most states now anyway…hopefully we can all move on….

    Go Dodgers

    1. We can move on… but what about the FBI and MLB? They HAVE TO investigate.

      Paying bookies is illegal in California… at least it is today.

      This has to play out.

      1. I agree. But there is zero indication 1) Ohtani made any bets and 2) Bets were on baseball.

        If this occurred in NC it would be totally fine as Ippie could have bet thru ESPN BET or Draftkings, etc. CA is a weird state.

        Lets play some daggum baseball!!

      2. And oddly enough it’s never been a felony in utself. I’ve known a bookie or two or three…….

  3. How did Ippei have access to Ohtoni’s money? When I wire money to pay a large invoice or to a family member, the Bank calls me,texts me to verify the wire. How didn’t Shohei know or been notified what was going on for those large sums of money? Very strange!

    1. Doesn’t Ohtoni have accountants or financial advisors that would have made him aware or questioned that 4.5 million dollars is no longer in his account and why? The whole situation makes no sense that Ohtoni had no clue what was going on.

  4. That last explanation in today’s commentary sounds like the most plausible. His total trust and dependence on an unscrupulous Ippei made him vulnerable to this kind of deceitful chicanery. I honestly believe Ohtani had no idea he was being deceived. I believe he will be completely vindicated.

    1. I think that explanation is actually the most plausible. The fact that he marked loan on whatever it was, kind of seals it for me. It is not all that uncommon for sports figures to be bilked out of money, or led into bad investments, etc by people they trust.

    2. The cover story’s working! That’s exactly what they want you to believe! LOL.

  5. Former Dodger Phil Bickford DFA’d by the Mets to make room on the roster for former Dodger JD Martinez.

    1. Yeah, too bad the Mets snatched up JD. The Dodgers might need a new DH soon. LOL.

  6. There are still some site issues with PHP. It might be a couple of days before everything is fixed.

    In case you don’t know, PHP is a general-purpose scripting language geared towards web development.

  7. Does anyone here know if the show High Heat with Mad Dog Russo and Alana Rizzo on the MLB Network has been permanently canceled?”

    1. AVF:

      They took the winter off and I think it resumes Monday if I am not mistaken. Mad Dog Russo was talking about it on his radio show on XM the other day. They didn’t really give any notice when the last episode was on back in December.

  8. The cover-up is always worse than the crime … mostly. Unless you have entities who are there to hold you accountable who don’t.

    I don’t know what the truth is. I will say, though, that I’m leaning towards losing a lot of respect for Ohtani … and baseball, really.

    It seems, at first glance, that Ohtani’s PR people and his legal people really weren’t on the same page and were not communicating effectively. How on Earth to you have a story about how Ohtani was bailing out his friend who had a gambling problem, to the point where Izuhara, in great detail, describes he and Ohtani sitting together while Ohtani wires the bookie the money; and then, right before the story goes to press, you suddenly do a complete about face and say Izuhara was just a thief and Ohtani had absolutely no knowledge of Izuhara withdrawing millions of dollars?

    The second story completely insulates Ohtani from any legal culpability and exposure to MLB sanction. The first one does not. How convenient! It seems like his legal team took a looksie at that mea culpa that was possibly crafted with the help of PR people and said, “This isn’t going to fly. You’re exposing yourself legally, even if it’s a nice story.” So, the story changes. It’s really effing clumsy! It just made everything worse, IMO.

    But, you know what? It might all work. MLB really really wants this to just go away as quietly as possible – like it never happened. So, chances are they’ll accept the second story at face value and all is well, nothing to see here, folks.

    They better hope, though, that any FBI forensic audit of those books doesn’t reveal a clear fingerprint to Ohtani himself wiring that money. Who knows? I don’t really even fully trust the FBI at this point, and maybe I’m just being overly cynical, but I’m pretty cynical. Draft Kings gets to advertise in MLB stadiums, but a bookie in Orange County gets raided by the FBI? Whatever. That’s just another layer in the BS machine.

    I put this prompt into ChatGPT –

    Me: “How much money does MLB get from partnerships with online gambling?”

    ChatGPT: “As of my last update in January 2022, the exact financial details of Major League Baseball’s (MLB) partnerships with online gambling companies may not be publicly disclosed or readily available. However, it’s known that MLB has entered into various partnerships and sponsorship deals with gambling and sports betting entities in recent years as the landscape of sports betting in the United States has evolved.

    These partnerships often involve agreements for advertising and promotional opportunities, including in-stadium signage, digital advertising, and brand visibility during MLB events. The financial terms of these agreements can vary widely depending on factors such as the duration of the partnership, the scope of promotional activities, and the market value of the partnership.

    Additionally, the legalization of sports betting in several states has opened up new revenue streams for professional sports leagues like MLB, as they can negotiate partnerships and licensing agreements with sportsbook operators to gain access to betting data and offer official league-branded betting products.

    While specific figures regarding MLB’s earnings from partnerships with online gambling companies may not be publicly disclosed, these partnerships are generally seen as lucrative opportunities for professional sports leagues to capitalize on the growing popularity of sports betting and enhance fan engagement.”

    The corruption of institutions is a slow and insidious process, and almost always involves a few people making a lot of money.

    1. Interesting points and lots to consider. I’ve also pondered how MLB fronds upon gambling, yet openly promotes DraftKings via advertisements, partnerships and/or licensing agreements. Personally, I don’t gamble but don’t necessarily hold anything against those who choose to do so; however, MLB comes across as a bit hypocritical on this topic.

      1. To be fair, according to the ESPN story I glossed through, MLB gives strict guidance on gambling to the players – sports gambling by players is ok provided: it’s done legally, I guess states where it’s legal – and through Big Gambling corporations like Draft Kings, who have partnerships with MLB -, and it’s NOT on baseball.

        There’s nothing to suggest Izuhara, or whoever, gambled on baseball. It shouldn’t be THAT big of an issue, and I think battening down the hatches with that second story is overkill and stupid.

        And if that second story is BS, Izuhara is a pretty damn loyal friend to perform legal Seppuku to multiple felonies. There’s a big difference between illegal sports betting and theft of 4.5 million dollars in terms of potential jail time.

      1. The optics are certainly not good and it will be interesting to see how MLB handles this. I’m guessing the evidence will have to be damming for Manfred et co to take as harsh as a position with Ohtani as they prematurely did with Bauer. At least, I hope they learned their lesson; i.e, take the time to thoroughly investigate the facts and credibility of those implicated.

        Then again, it was pretty clear MLB had no problem utilizing the circumstances surrounding Bauer to essentially rid themselves of what was perceived as a nuisance.

        I don’t believe MLB sees Ohtani with the same lenses as they did/do Bauer. Especially when you consider the ramifications within the international footprint of MLB.

        Nevertheless, the two different stories put out there by Ohtani’s camp has justifiably raised some eyebrows. One could speculate on the why, but certainly the latest (victim of fraud) appears to be the least problematic, or perhaps convenient?

        1. The two different stories make it a 100% certainty that Ohtani’s camp lied. If one is true, the other has to be a lie. When lying is established, any story relating to the case is now suspect. Nothing should be believed.

          And I just don’t like lying and liars. I hate attempts to manipulate me by liars and lying.

          “I don’t believe MLB sees Ohtani with the same lenses as they did/do Bauer. Especially when you consider the ramifications within the international footprint of MLB.”

          That’s sure an understatement!

          1. “The two different stories make it a 100% certainty that Ohtani’s camp lied. If one is true, the other has to be a lie.”

            This is an indisputable fact. It will be interesting to see how they spin this.

  9. Great recap Mark.
    There are still a lot of unknowns on the Ippei issue. I suspect Ohtani was just trying to help his friend, but he may have made an illegal payment to a bookie trying to help. Hopefully, Shohei can just get back to baseball without any penalties. Ohtani has been impressive so far with the Dodgers.
    But investing so much money in Ohtani and Yamamoto for 10 and 12 years was a big risk for the Dodgers. Especially when you see the relative bargains in other free agents. JD Martinez was a great DH and team leader last year for the Dodgers and signed this year for One year/$8.9 million AAV. Blake Snell won the Cy Young and signed for only $62 million guaranteed over 2 years with a likely opt out after one year and $29.6 million AAV. Jordan Montgomery is still a FA and will likely sign a short term deal. Lorenzen just signed for only $4.5 million after being an all star last year. The Dodgers could have signed JDM, Snell, and Lorenzen for total guarantees of only $75 million which is $1 billion less than Ohtani and Yamamoto. It is way too early to judge these record signings, but to me they have put too much capital in two players who carry long term risks, instead of investing in many different proven players. Baseball is a team game and even Ohtani could not give the Angels one winning season in 6 years while playing with Trout.

  10. Adding on to what Mark said about J.P. Feyereisen. I look at other stats, but I like the slashline stats the best for both hitters and pitchers. Everyone has heard of Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman. They are 2 of the best relief pitchers of modern day baseball. In fact they have the most saves in baseball history. Rivera 652 saves over 19 years and Hoffman 601 saves over 18 years. The next closest saves leader is Lee Smith with 478 saves over 18 years. I don’t like the “saves” stat when comparing different relievers, because there’s different things to factor in, such as innings pitched and how many years they pitched, but some people like the stat. But back to slashlines, here are Rivera and Hoffman’s career slashlines.

    Mariano Rivera .212/.262/.293/.555
    Trevor Hoffman .211/.267/.342/.609

    And here is J.P. Feyereisen’s career slashline:
    .160/.262/.284/.547
    J.P. Feyereisen has pitched only 90.2 innings in his career. The other 2 guys innings are 1,089.1 (Hoffman) and 1,283.2 (Rivera) in their careers, so I’m not saying………well you know. But J.P. Feyereisen’s .160/.262/.284/.547 career slashline looks damn good. As Mark said “He just needs to shake off the cobwebs at OKC – he will be back up soon enough.” I think so too.

  11. if mad dog never broadcast anything else in my lifetime that would be great!! love alana but he makes me want to regurgitate. they should put him and stephen a smith in a soundproof room and let them scream themselves to death! if ohtani gets suspended it would probably be for a year. he’d be ready to pitch next year! my $million wager, nothing more than a slap on the wrist . and if he didn’t place any bets, so be it. my oldest grandson just got a Bobby Miller rookie card, he’s pumped!

  12. It would be really nice to have a time when all the talk was just about baseball and not some off of the field scandal. I am so tired of this kind of crap. Makes enjoying the game very hard.

    1. I agree. All I have to say on the subject is, I hope Manfred doesn’t get his hands on this.

    2. This is baseball. Ohtani makes Pete Rose look like a Boy Scout. He makes the Black Sox look like a convent of nuns. This is ten times worse than either of those stories. Letting his interpreter take that fall for his gambling on baseball and throwing games is lower than low, and it will be the biggest scandal to ever hit baseball. The Dodgers will be through as an organization when this is all said and done with.

      …. if Bluto happens to be reading, this is trolling.

  13. Freeway Series schedule

    Sunday: Angels (Griffin Canning) at Dodgers (Bobby Miller), 4:10 p.m. (SportsNet LA, Bally Sports West)
    Monday: Angels (Reid Detmers) at Dodgers (Gavin Stone), 6:10 p.m. (SportsNet LA, KCOP)
    Tuesday: Dodgers (James Paxton) at Angels (Chase Silseth), 6:07 p.m. (SportsNet LA, Bally Sports West)

  14. So… how likely does this sound?

    We know that Ohtani and Mizuhara were very close. They spent hours a day together. They worked out together, ate together, and may have had gambling as a pastime. So, when it started to come out that Mizuhara had bet with a bookie, Ohtani stepped up and said, “Oh, I paid his debt, and Mizuhara said, “I’m a horrible gambler. I won’t do it again.”

    But then, Shoheis handlers said, “Wait, it’s $4.5 Million Dollars – How do we explain that?” Mizuhara said, “I’ll take the fall – just take care of me when I am inside and when I get out.” So, Ohtani and Mizuhara really bet together, but Mizuhara was the bag man, and Shohei had plausible deniability. His handlers advised that Ohtani had to disavow any knowledge and accuse Mizuhara of theft.

    I don’t think I am far off….

    1. The money coming out of Ohtani’s account implicates Shohei. No doubt.

      What doesn’t make much sense is why Ohtani would wire the money directly out of his account to pay a bookie if he was complicit. Why not wire the money to his interpreter as a gift or a personal loan?

      The fact the funds came directly out of Shohei’s account seems to corroborate the story that he was a victim of theft, but we’ll have to wait and see. One can see how this could get messy, as you bring up a very valid point.

    2. Very close to what I think happened.
      Only strange thing: Why did they not come out with this plot right away ? Why did they not talk with their lawyers before Ippei talked to ESPN only to change his story a few hours later ?
      I mean hey,they knew about the federal investigations against the illegal bookie for some time.

      Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  15. I could have easily lost 4.5 mil gambling and would have done it for a lot less than 700 mil.

  16. I would suggest that all of us would be wise not to make any assumptions. The facts will eventually come out. Everyone piled on during the Bauer debacle and look how that turned out. The media doesn’t have all the facts and so far, there is no proof that Ohtani bet on anything. Let due process takes its course. The worst part is the waiting and the media circus that is sure to come.

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