Shohei Ohtani Continues to Excel Despite the Mizuhara Scandal

Shohei Ohtani seems to be doing well in spite of the fallout caused by Ippei Mizuhara’s gambling scandal. The player now has the support of the Los Angeles Dodgers, allowing him to remain in his A-game.

On Wednesday, Ohtani destroyed numerous baseballs in the game against the Washington Nationals, hitting balls harder and more often than anyone else.

According to the Dodgers manager, Dave Roberts, Ohtani is a league of his own. Roberts also said that Ohtani is much more outgoing now and is spending more time with the rest of the team. According to the manager, it was hard to see him outside of the batter’s box previously.

As a result, many believe that the Mizuhara controversy has ultimately helped Ohtani hone his focus.

In a recent statement, Ohtani praised his new interpreter. He also said that the recent situation helped him understand how supportive the Dodgers are. The baseball star explained that both his teammates and the staff have been very encouraging and added that he feels grateful to be surrounded by such people.

In addition, Ohtani’s personal English seems to be improving and he seems much closer to the team.

Ippei Mizuhara served as Ohtani’s interpreter for years. However, their relationship went further as Mizuhara was also a trusted friend, someone Ohtani would turn to when in need and his de facto manager. However, the baseball star might have trusted his friend a little bit too much.

Mizuhara Betrayed Ohtani’s Trust

Ohtani claimed that he first became aware of Mizuhara’s gambling problems during a recent team meeting. It was then that the baseball pro learned of his longtime friend’s addiction. To make matters worse, it turned out that Mizuhara had allegedly used Ohtani’s bank account to send money to a South California-based bookmaker.

During a press conference in March, Ohtani confirmed that he had been unaware of Mizuhara’s gambling for a long time. He also said that he was beyond shocked and found it really hard to explain how he was feeling.

Mizuhara, who was quickly fired, was hit with bank fraud charges after the investigation uncovered that he might have obtained more than $16 million without authorization from the baseball star.