Dodgers fans desperately searching for a silver lining to Shohei Ohtani’s ongoing betting scandal got exactly that from manager Dave Roberts on Tuesday in Anaheim.
“Actually, I would say it’s going to help internal relations,” Roberts said before his team’s final spring training game against Ohtani’s former club, the Angels.
Rodgers’ statement has some logic behind it.
Ohtani has relied heavily on his longtime friend and performer Ippei Mizuhara since he first came to the Major Leagues from Japan in 2017. But now that the Dodgers have fired Mizuhara amid allegations that he stole millions from Ohtani to cover betting losses with an illegal sportsbook in California, Roberts says his team’s new $700 million man is being forced to interact with his teammates.
“There’s no longer a buffer,” Roberts said. ‘I already saw it. In recent days, I think Shohei has been interacting even more with his teammates, and I think that only has advantages.”
Shohei Ohtani jokes with Dodgers teammate James Outman before Tuesday’s exhibition
Roberts (left) believes Ohtani (far right) will open up more without the dismissal of Mizuhara (near right)
Confusingly, by virtue of last week’s Seoul Series against the San Diego Padres in South Korea, the Dodgers were already 1-1 in the regular season entering Tuesday. And it was in Seoul that scandal erupted last week when ESPN reported $4.5 million in suspicious wire transfers from Ohtani’s bank to the bookmaker, which is said to be under federal investigation.
Ohtani spokespeople first told ESPN that the 29-year-old slugger was covering Mizuhara’s extensive gambling debts. Later, after ESPN spoke with Mizuhara about the allegations, Ohtani spokespeople disavowed the translator’s comments to the network and instead offered a statement from attorneys representing the two-time MVP.
Major League Baseball has since announced its own investigation into the matter, while Ohtani read a statement to reporters in which he repeated his spokesmen’s claims against Mizuhara, while denying that he ever violated MLB rules. when betting on baseball.
“Just on a personal note, I am very sad and surprised that someone I trusted did this,” Ohtani began.
“Obviously, today there are things that I have limitations to be able to talk about. I hope you understand. I have a document in front of me that I will refer to that details what happened.
‘I never bet on baseball or any other sport, nor did I ever ask anyone to do so on my behalf, and I never went to a bookmaker to bet on sports. Until a couple of days ago I didn’t know this was happening. Just to review the result. In conclusion, Ippei has been stealing money from my account and telling lies.’
Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara are seen leaving a press conference in Seoul last week.
Mizuhara was a fixture alongside Ohtani with the Angels.
The couple first met when Ohtani was playing for Japan’s Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, where Mizuhara worked as a translator for the American players.
When Ohtani crossed the Pacific to join the Angels, becoming baseball’s biggest two-way star since Babe Ruth, Mizuhara came with him and was quickly signed by the Anaheim club.
And Mizuhara was more than just a performer. She managed Ohtani’s schedule, managed his scouting reports on opposing players, managed Ohtani’s workout records and also occasionally worked as a pitching partner, according to ESPN.
Perhaps most importantly, Ohtani trusted Mizuhara as his intermediary with coaches even as the Japanese star’s English improved.
Ohtani chats with his former Los Angeles Angels teammates as he returns to Anaheim on Tuesday
Roberts, however, is not worried.
“I think he’s very capable,” Roberts said. He’s been here for quite some time now. It is something that will happen naturally, but if he needs help or support, he has it.”
Teammates say Ohtani understands English but isn’t always comfortable speaking the language.
The Dodgers have hired Will Ireton to replace Mizuhara as Ohtani’s interpreter, but Roberts expects his star slugger’s communication will improve.
“I think we’ll all be surprised at how much English he knows, and I think that’s a good thing,” Roberts said.