Shohei Ohtani had thing penciled successful for Friday, October 25, agelong earlier nan Los Angeles Dodgers secured their spot successful nan World Series. Long earlier he made much MLB history. Long earlier Freddie Freeman's historical expansive slam decided an intoxicating curtain raiser against nan New York Yankees.
It is simply a 30-mile thrust from Dodger Stadium to Santa Ana, California where, backmost successful June, Ippei Mizuhara pleaded blameworthy to slope and taxation fraud charges.
Ohtani's erstwhile expert - and adjacent confidant - admitted to stealing astir $17million from nan MLB prima to money his spiraling gambling debts.
He is thought to person placed 19,000 wagers betwixt December 2021 and January 2024 - an mean of astir 25 a day. He won $142m but mislaid much than $180m.
Mizuhara now faces a maximum reward of 33 years successful prison; his sentencing was slated for October 25 astatine 2pm PT – 3 hours earlier Jack Flaherty threw nan first transportation of Game 1.
Ippei Mizuhara (L) was accused of stealing $17million from shot icon Shohei Ohtani (R)
The Los Angeles Dodgers prima signed a 10-year, $700million woody backmost successful December 2023
Last month, however, nan proceeding was postponed to December - astatine Mizuhara's request. That cleared Ohtani's diary. By Friday night, his only assignment was a first day pinch nan Yankees.
Mizuhara's blameworthy plea had already cleaned Ohtani's slate. Major League Baseball closed its investigation and echoed nan authorities' findings: its biggest prima was thing much than a victim. Case 'closed'.
The Dodgers, meanwhile, said they were 'pleased that Shohei and nan squad tin put this full matter down them and move guardant successful pursuit of a World Series title.'
Both statements alternatively undersold nan mysterious web of indebtedness and deceit that entangled nan top subordinate this athletics has seen – possibly since Babe Ruth.
Back successful December 2023, nan two-time MVP had signed nan richest statement successful squad sports history erstwhile he joined nan Dodgers connected a 10-year, $700million deal. Within months, however, he was tied up pinch an forbidden bookmaker, 'The Real Housewives of Orange County' and a Hollywood rule patient whose clients scope from Prince Andrew to Leonardo DiCaprio.
Ohtani stayed tight-lipped, isolated from to protestation his innocence. Through attorneys. And past via a 650-word connection successful Japanese, erstwhile nan 30-year-old said he was 'saddened' and 'shocked' by nan 'lies' and betrayal of 'trust'.
Earlier this year, Mizuhara pleaded blameworthy to slope and taxation fraud charges successful California
Ohtani is mobbed by journalists up of Game 1 of nan World Series against nan Yankees
His words were translated into English by Dodgers staffer Will Ireton. That had been Mizuhara's occupation ever since Ohtani joined Major League Baseball successful 2018. He was his expert but also, it's claimed, his trainer, chauffeur and champion friend.
They shared a locker, they ate astatine nan aforesaid table, and they sat beside 1 different connected nan bench. They person been compared to 'peanut food and jelly'.
Hence why questions lingered, moreover aft Mizuhara was fired and Ohtani was formally cleared of immoderate wrongdoing. The two-way prima was exonerated successful April but nan lawsuit formed a protector complete his first season. Some fans still wonder: is location much to this story?
Earlier this week, Ohtani was progressive successful different record-breaking deal. The Japanese superstar is nan only subordinate successful shot history to deed 50 location runs and bargain 50 bases successful nan aforesaid season.
He reached uncharted waters past period and nan shot that Ohtani sent complete nan obstruction was precocious put up for auction. It sold for $4.39million, smashing nan erstwhile highest interest for immoderate sports ball.
It was an eye-watering illustration of Ohtani's worth to nan Dodgers – and his sport. It was mini change, though. At slightest compared to nan figures sloshing betwixt his slope relationship and nan gambling underworld complete caller years.
Ohtani, nan authorities found, had nary thought his aged friend was dipping into his millions. And, backmost successful November 2023, nan two-way prima was unaware that he was being watched, too. Mizuhara received a connection that laid bare nan acheronian thread moving done this funny case. It was from 'Bookmaker 1'; Ohtani was identified only arsenic 'Victim A'.
He is nan only subordinate successful history to deed 50 location runs and bargain 50 bases successful nan aforesaid season
Mizuhara had been Ohtani's expert and confidant since he joined Major League Baseball
'Hey Ippie (sic), it's 2 o'clock connected Friday. I don't cognize why you're not returning my calls. I'm present successful Newport Beach and I spot [Victim A] stepping his dog,' it read. 'I'm conscionable gonna spell up and talk to him and inquire really I tin get successful touch pinch you since you're not responding? Please telephone maine backmost immediately.'
By then, authorities said, nan transfers from Ohtani's accounts had reached $500,000 a time. The first fraudulent transportation - for $40,000 - appeared 2 years earlier but agents joined dots each nan measurement backmost to 2018, erstwhile Ohtani joined nan Los Angeles Angels.
He had reportedly met Mizuhara successful 2013. Five years later, they went together to a slope successful Arizona. The expert helped Ohtani unfastened an relationship and past impersonated his friend to hoodwink nan slope into giving him entree to nan funds.
Another cardinal twist came successful 2021, erstwhile Mizuhara met Mathew Bowyer astatine a poker crippled successful San Diego. Before long, he had begun gambling pinch nan forbidden bookmaker. He soon recovered himself successful debt.
By nan extremity of 2022, it's said, nan expert owed much than $1million. Soon he was reportedly successful nan reddish for $4m. At immoderate point, nan expert altered nan interaction accusation connected Ohtani's slope relationship truthful it was linked to his telephone number. That measurement nan slope would telephone him to verify ligament transfers.
Last October, Bowyers location was raided by national agents, soon earlier Ohtani signed nan largest statement successful shot history. Mizuhara moved pinch him crossed Los Angeles and soon his problems followed Ohtani from nan Angels to nan Dodgers, too.
Mizuhara allegedly wired rate to Ryan Boyajian from 'The Real Housewives of Orange County'
A elephantine mural of Ohtani has been painted connected a edifice successful Little Tokyo, a vicinity successful LA
Ohtani's sanction was reportedly recovered connected 2 ligament transfers to Bowyer totaling $1million. The first explanation? He had made nan payments to screen Mizuhara's debts - initially thought to beryllium astir $4.5million.
All nan while, Los Angeles was preparing for nan commencement of nan 2024 regular season. The Dodgers' opener – against nan Padres – was held successful nan South Korean capital, Seoul. Before nan crippled connected March 20, a explosive threat was made against Ohtani. Police scoured nan Gocheok Sky Dome earlier concluding it was a hoax. But wrong nan Dodgers clubhouse, different fuse had been lit.
The crippled went up and Mizuhara sat successful nan dugout. Later that night, though, nan expert confessed that he had a gambling addiction. Club executive Andrew Friedman reportedly told his squad that Ohtani had covered for his friend.
Within hours, though, Mizuhara's communicative began to unravel. Ohtani's lawyers claimed they had 'discovered that Shohei has been nan unfortunate of a monolithic theft and we are turning nan matter complete to nan authorities.'
The connection came via Berk Brettler LLP, a hotshot Hollywood rule patient who represented immoderate of nan biggest names successful showbiz. It's claimed Ohtani rumbled Mizuhara aft asking what had been said successful nan clubhouse.
The shot prima hired Berk Brettler, founded by Andrew Brettler (L) and Blair Berk (R)
The Los Angeles superstar is flanked by his caller interpreter Will Ireton connected Thursday
The expert was fired by nan Dodgers and then, nan pursuing period Mizuhara was charged pinch stealing much than $16m from Ohtani 'to finance his voracious appetite for forbidden sports betting'.
A fewer weeks later, it was claimed that Bowyer's subordinate – to whom Mizuhara had wired money – was Ryan Boyajian, a formed personnel of 'The Real Housewives of Orange County'. The irony.
Few athletes defender nan privateness of their individual life arsenic intimately arsenic Ohtani. Now he is everlastingly tied to reality TV.
During outpouring training, Ohtani announced his matrimony to erstwhile hoops subordinate Mamiko Tanaka connected Instagram. None of his teammates moreover knew he had a girlfriend.
Glimpses down nan curtain of Ohtani's life are uncommon and that only adds to enigma of this case. So does his reliance connected an interpreter. But nan connection obstruction has ne'er hampered Ohtani astatine nan plate. Nor did this singular communicative derail his hopes of starring nan Dodgers to glory.
The World Series will beryllium wrapped up by early November. A fewer weeks later, Mizuhara will study his destiny and this funny section of Ohtani's profession mightiness yet close.