A new podcast series, “The Betrayal of Shohei Ohtani,” is set to debut, featuring the only extensive on-record interview with Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani. The six-episode series includes audio from a March 2024 interview with Mizuhara, conducted hours before Ohtani became embroiled in a scandal that led to Mizuhara’s dismissal.
The first two episodes of the podcast, hosted by Tisha Thompson, recount events leading to Mizuhara’s arrest and reveal original audio from Thompson’s initial interview with him. Hours after this conversation in 2024, the Dodgers fired Mizuhara, with Ohtani accusing him of “massive theft” for using Ohtani’s bank account to transfer money to an illegal bookmaking operation run by Matthew Bowyer.
Federal law enforcement and Major League Baseball have cleared Ohtani of any wrongdoing. Mizuhara was sentenced to 57 months in prison after pleading guilty to defrauding Ohtani. Bowyer received a sentence of one year and one day in federal prison for operating an illegal gambling business.
Mizuhara’s Account and Changing Story
According to a federal affidavit, Mizuhara’s account with Bowyer involved more than 19,000 wagers and accumulated tens of millions in debts. Mizuhara stated in the recorded interview that none of the wagers were placed on baseball, and Ohtani himself never placed a bet. Mizuhara emphasized that Ohtani “never” placed any sports bets, adding that Ohtani “detested gambling” and made comments when he observed teammates engaging in it.
The podcast details how Thompson’s reporting began after a source showed her documents via an encrypted app. These documents, dated September 14, 2023, and October 2, 2023, showed wire transfers of $500,000 each from an account tied to Ohtani to Bowyer, labeled as “loan.” Initial reports indicated these transfers totaled at least $4.5 million.
Thompson then sought to speak with Ohtani through his agent, Nez Balelo. A crisis communications operation, led by Matthew Hiltzik, arranged for Thompson to speak with Mizuhara. During this 80-minute interview, Mizuhara initially claimed that he asked Ohtani to help cover his gambling debts, and Ohtani agreed to pay. Mizuhara stated that he and Ohtani sent the transfers to Bowyer together, which would have implicated Ohtani.
However, hours later, after the Dodgers’ season-opening win against the San Diego Padres, Hiltzik contacted Thompson again, stating, “Ippei lied.” Subsequent interactions were based on notes, as this portion was not recorded by Thompson. Ohtani reportedly learned about the transfers only when Mizuhara spoke in front of the entire Dodgers team, including executives.
Mizuhara, who had access to Ohtani’s bank accounts and impersonated Ohtani in a phone call to gain access to funds, sent the wire transfers himself, according to the federal affidavit. Thompson’s notes from a follow-up call with Mizuhara indicate he admitted to lying, confirming that Ohtani did not transfer the funds, did not know they were being transferred, and was not told about the gambling debts or wires. Mizuhara did state he offered to pay Ohtani back.
Impact and Ongoing Interest
Mizuhara’s initial changing of his story created confusion about the events. However, subsequent federal investigations and reporting clarified that Mizuhara’s gambling debts amounted to more than $40 million, none of which involved baseball bets. Gambling records from legal sites like FanDuel, DraftKings, and MGM showed accounts for Mizuhara but no record of an account for Ohtani.
Ohtani, who now uses Will Ireton as his interpreter, has largely avoided discussing the issue publicly, aside from a prepared statement he delivered days after Mizuhara’s firing. In that statement, Ohtani asserted, “I never bet on sports or have willfully sent money to the bookmaker.” He described himself as “beyond shocked” by the situation.
The first two episodes of the podcast re-examine the events leading up to the initial news break. The subsequent four episodes are expected to delve into the aftermath of the case and its broader implications for sports gambling. These episodes will be released individually, starting on July 30, followed by August 4, August 6, and August 11.
Source: nytimes.com
