In early 2024, Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter of Shohei Ohtani, was indicted for embezzling nearly $17 million from the baseball star to pay off gambling debts. Mizuhara had been Ohtani’s trusted translator, helping him communicate with the media. The scam involved impersonating Ohtani to authorize unauthorized wire transfers. Ohtani said he was shocked and saddened by the betrayal, adding that he had rusted Mizuhara. The interpreter in turn pleaded guilty to bank fraud and tax evasion, which may result in imprisonment and restitution to Ohtani.

After an investigation lasting months, an incriminating recording of Mizuhara pretending to be Shohei Ohtani has been released. Discussing the incident, Fuzzy on his YouTube channel talks about how the fanbase is divided on who to believe and who to throw under the bus. The implicating recording revealed had the banker asking, “Who am I speaking with?” Confidently, Mizuhara’s voice answers, “Shohei Ohtani.”

It continues to say, “I tried to log in to online banking and it told me it’s not available to me at the moment.” The banker further asked, “What is the reason for this transaction?” to which Mizuhara said “Car Loan.” We can see that Ippei Mizuhara has allegedly tried to use different reasons to take cash out of Shohei Ohtani’s bank account.

Ippei Mizuhara reportedly had a debt of $16 million from his addiction to gambling, which had led him to take money from Ohtani’s account. Discussing the incident, Fuzzy said, “Ippei, my man, you didn’t even try. And honestly, if you still think that Shohei was the guy that gambled and spent almost $17 million, you need to stop sniffing Sharpies because I’m worried about ya.”

The YouTuber criticized the translator for misusing the situation, specifically stating that Shohei wasn’t involved in the gambling. Using the phrase “stop sniffing Sharpies,” the YouTuber made a playful reference to the impaired judgment of the fans who are still criticizing Shohei Ohtani.

Steering clear of the bet: MLB’s battle against gambling and its distractions

Recently, MLB has intensified its fight against gambling, particularly with the expansion of the industry. Some have suffered more than others, like the Detroit Tigers and Cincinnati Reds. Tigers’ pitcher Matthew Boyd is facing suspension following allegations of illegal betting, while Reds’ outfielder Jake Fraley was also implicated in the activity.

Adding to that complexity are new sports betting laws that different states have put forward. For one, MLB itself witnessed more violators in 2023 than in any prior year: In March 2023, for instance, it found Chicago White Sox player Tim Anderson and pitcher Michael Kopech taking part in wagering-related issues, drawing on a question to how close an athlete could entertain themselves and take a chance against compromising the sport.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has been very vocal about the need to keep the sport free of gambling, in lieu of which the league has introduced educational programs to ensure that players understand the consequences of betting. Either way, the consequences are sometimes sever enough to ruin a player’s life as well as career – remember Tampa Bay Rays’ pitcher Pete Fairbanks being suspended for 50 games in 2023? Be it player or someone in their team, the consequences are too serious to ignore.