SEOUL — For years, it was almost impossible to see Shohei Ohtani anywhere without his longtime translator, Ippei Mizuhara, just a few steps away. Shui was suddenly fired on Thursday for his involvement in illegal gambling, and it was almost impossible to see Ohtani after that.
Ohtani did not enter the Los Angeles Dodgers clubhouse during the 50 minutes reporters were allowed in before Thursday’s Seoul series finale against the San Diego Padres. Nor did he venture into the hallway that leads from the clubhouse to the dugout, where more than three dozen cameras from English, Japanese and Korean news media await during batting practice.他第一次公開露面是在第一局下半時，他出現在甲板圈上，從喬·穆斯格羅夫手中奪取了第一球安打，並在以15-11 失利的情況下錯失了兩個home run.
The two-time MVP, who was guarded in his locker room by two team PR officials after the game, told Japanese reporters “Otsuka-kun” — roughly translated as “Thank you for your hard work” — he exited behind an official without answering any questions before the club boarded a flight back to Los Angeles.
The Dodgers fired Suwon after Ohtani’s representatives accused him of engaging in “massive theft” by using players’ money to place bets with an alleged illegal bookmaker that is under federal investigation.
Berk Brettler, the firm representing Ohtani, made the accusation following an investigation by the Los Angeles Times. The newspaper learned Ohtani’s name came up in the investigation of Orange County resident Matthew Bowyer. Mizuhara, 39, made a bet with Bowyer, the newspaper reported.
Suwon did not respond to a request for comment. Ohtani is not currently subject to disciplinary action, according to MLB officials, and he is not believed to be under active investigation by the league.
deeper
Dodgers fire translator Shohei Ohtani over ‘massive theft’ accusations
No players spoke publicly before the game and the barren home clubhouse was packed with reporters. Suwon left little sign of his short tenure with the team. Ohtani was without his usual companions as he strolled through the dugout Thursday night.
“That’s what it is,” Mookie Betts said after the game. “I hope Sho does well, but at the end of the day, you have to make sure we take care of your job. Like I said, whatever cards we’re dealt, you have to play them.”
The Dodgers lost the final game of the series 15-11. Ohtani, who went 1-for-5 with a sacrifice fly in the second inning, did not answer questions after the game and was escorted out of the clubhouse by the team’s public relations officer.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said there was no consideration for Ohtani for Thursday’s game, noting that Ohtani was participating in a batters’ meeting when Roberts spoke to reporters around 3:15 p.m. local time. An abnormal day is still a normal routine.
Of course, a lot has changed in the past 24 hours. During the ninth inning of Wednesday night’s season-opening win, Ohtani laughed with Mizuwon on the air as if nothing was wrong. The scene felt normal, a celebratory moment after Ohtani’s first game with his new club after signing a 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers last winter. Ohtani’s time in the majors and his rise to global stardom with the Angels and now Dodgers cast Mizuhara as his shadow.
After the game, Suwon stood in front of an unsuspecting clubhouse and delivered the news that would be made public the next morning.
The meeting was brief and sudden, according to multiple people in the room. They described a “bizarre” and “bizarre” scene that included Dodgers owner Mark Walter and CEO Stan Kasten.
“I can’t comment on this meeting,” Roberts said Thursday.
Shohei Ohtani and backup interpreter Will Ireton stood in the Dodgers dugout Thursday. (Jung Sung-joon/Getty Images)
According to team sources, the version of the story Mizuhara told in the room was similar to what he told ESPN during his initial interview on Tuesday.
The player’s involvement was initially described as helping Suwon, according to Ohtani’s spokesman. Daegu diverted funds to pay off Suwon’s gambling debts of approximately $4.5 million. The money was not given directly to Mizuwon because Otani did not trust his translator not to “gamble it away.” However, before Suwon’s interview with ESPN was published, a spokesperson denied Suwon’s claims and said Ohtani’s lawyer would issue a statement.
Suwon said Wednesday that Ohtani had no knowledge of his gambling activities, debts or attempts to repay them.
After the meeting, when the media was allowed into Gocheok Skydome’s home clubhouse, Suwon had already hid in the corridor and did not appear until the end of Daegu’s argument with reporters, quickly explaining three questions in English. By morning, as initial reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN circulated, the Dodgers confirmed that Mizuwon had been fired. Mizuhara has been Ohtani’s primary interpreter since arriving in MLB, and his relationship with Ohtani even predates Ohtani’s relationship. However, confusion remains within the organization, especially after Ohtani’s representatives denied many of Suwon’s claims in an interview with ESPN.
Roberts, who spoke before a packed room of media members about a story that is sure to make global headlines, declined to comment on the nature of the allegations or the decision-making process and timing behind Suwon’s firing.
Kasten declined to comment ahead of Thursday’s game. So does president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman.
“There’s not much to say,” Friedman said. “There’s really not much to say.”
The Dodgers quickly developed a temporary contingency plan for Thursday. With MLB rules limiting the number of interpreters in the dugout, the Dodgers began to rely heavily on Mizuhara as a go-between for the coaching staff and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the only interpreter in the major leagues. He made his debut Thursday after signing a 12-year, $325 million deal last offseason. The role of Mizuhara, at least today, is played by Will Ireton. Dodgers show operations manager Ireton served as the club’s translator for most of Japanese right-hander Kenta Maeda’s four seasons in Los Angeles.
Yamamoto noted that the focus remains on the games, rather than the stories that make headlines.
“I don’t have much information about it,” Yamamoto said through translator Yoshihiro Sonoda. “So I don’t have anything to say.”
The next steps remain unclear. Prosecutors have not yet contacted MLB, league sources said. MLB declined to comment, and Ohtani’s agent, Nez Balelo, declined multiple requests for comment after spending much of the week in the Gocheok Skydome.
It’s the second notable off-field incident for the Dodgers during their weeklong trip to South Korea, after reports of a bomb threat ahead of Wednesday’s Opening Day cast a pall over the most anticipated season. potential shadow. The Dodgers have been that way since they moved to Los Angeles. The $1.2 billion the Dodgers spent this offseason, headlined by Ohtani’s acquisition, was always going to draw more attention, and with it, close scrutiny.
“We’re here to play baseball,” Roberts said.
—Sports Newsof Andy McCullough, Dennis Lin, Sam Blum and Britt Ghiroli contributed to this report.
(Top photo of Shohei Ohtani on Thursday: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
