Morning Briefing: Shohei Ohtani’s Interpreter Fired, Accused of ‘Massive Theft’
Good morning, Mets fans!
While the Dodgers captured a 5-2 win over the Padres in Seoul on Wednesday, that was far from the biggest story in “The City of Angels.”
Bill Shaikin of the LA Times reported that Shohei Ohtani‘s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, was accused of “engaging in a ‘massive theft’ of the ballplayer’s funds to place bets with an allegedly illegal bookmaker who is the target of a federal investigation.” The accusation comes from Ohtani’s representatives, who did so after finding out that Ohtani’s name came up in said investigation, reportedly involving millions of dollars.
According to Tisha Thompson of ESPN, Mizuhara asked Ohtani to pay off nearly $4.5 million in gambling debt, which he did and Mizuhara promised to never do again. After the news came out, Ohtani’s now-fired interpreter commented:
“I want everyone to know Shohei had zero involvement in betting. I want people to know I did not know this was illegal. I learned my lesson the hard way. I will never do sports betting ever again.”
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
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On This Date in Mets History
2013: David Wright is named as the fourth captain in New York Mets franchise history. He joined Gary Carter, Keith Hernandez, and John Franco as the only Mets to receive the honor.
Birthdays: Anthony Kay (29), Jimmy Yacabonis (32), Bobby Wahl (32), Carlos Carrasco (37), Shawon Dunston (61)
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