Shohei Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters

Lua error in Module:Unicode_data at line 293: attempt to index local 'data_module' (a boolean value). is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher that plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Los Angeles Angels (MLB) and the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball's (NPB) Pacific League.

Ohtani was the first pick of the Fighters in the 2012 draft. He played in NPB for the Fighters from 2013 through 2017 as a pitcher and an outfielder. Ohtani recorded the fastest pitch by a Japanese pitcher and in NPB history at 165 kilometres per hour (102.5 mph). The Fighters posted Ohtani to MLB after the 2017 season, and he signed with the Angels. He won the 2018 American League Rookie of the Year Award. He hit for the cycle on June 13, 2019.

Controversy over interpreter's payment to bookmaker

Ohtani speaks some English, but is not fluent; He knows Spanish, but prefers to speak to the media through an interpreter who translates from Japanese to English, and English to Japanese.^[1] Ippei Mizuhara was Ohtani's personal interpreter when Ohtani played for the American teams Angels and Dodgers; That interpreter has known Ohtani since he was 18, starting in 2013 when Ohtani played for a Japanese team.^[2] Mizuhara also became a confidant, conditioning coach, and throwing partner.^[3]^[4]

In March 2024, an investigation by ESPN, found that $4.5 million in wire payments, were made from Ohtani's bank account to a Southern California bookmaking operation that was under investigation by federal law enforcement; On the evening of March 19, Mizuhara told ESPN in a 90-minute interview that he had asked Ohtani to repay the debts and that Ohtani himself transferred them to the bookie; Mizuhara also told this story to the Dodgers clubhouse after a game that day. However, as ESPN prepared to air the interview on the morning of March 20, Ohtani's law firm issued a statement reading, "We discovered that Shohei has been the victim of a massive theft, and we are turning the matter over to the authorities." That afternoon, the Dodgers fired Mizuhara, who had signed a contract with the team when Ohtani joined.^[5]^[6]

"Ohtani’s representatives accused his interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, of a “massive theft” of Ohtani’s money in order to pay off an illegal bookmaker [...]. And whether it involves Ohtani or not, it’s already baseball’s biggest gambling scandal since Pete Rose in 1989", according to a Politico article in 2024's first quarter.^[7]

Shohei Ohtani Media

Ohtani batting in 2013 for the Fighters
Ohtani with the Fighters in 2015
Long day for Mariners fans, and a big day for Shohei Ohtani.
Los Angeles Angels VS. Cleveland Indians
Shohei Ohtani in July 2022
Wasn’t expecting this curveball, but… SHOtime came to the U.S. Embassy! No better representative of the shared 🇺🇸🇯🇵 national pastime than Ohtani-san. He’s changed the history of the game in Japan and America.
Ohtani with the Dodgers in 2024
Shinzo Abe awarding Shohei Ohtani the Prime Minister Trophy at the 2018 Japan Professional Sports Grand Prize Award Ceremony
U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel with Shohei Ohtani holding a Visa for Ohtani's dog, Dekopin.