[Los Angeles Current Affairs] Regarding the illegal gambling incident involving Ippei Mizuhara, a former interpreter who worked with Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers in the US Major League Baseball, a reporter contacted Mizuhara inmate just before the incident was discovered. Tisha Thompson of ESPN. In an interview with Jiji Press, he talked about the situation at the time and questions that still remain.
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◇The lie told to Otani
"Oh, this is Shohei Otani's English voice." Reporter Thompson was able to interview Mizuhara by phone on March 19, 2024, US time, just before Mizuhara was fired by the Dodgers. I immediately recognized the familiar voice on the phone as that of an interpreter. In the process of investigating the case, they initially requested an interview with Otani himself, but Mizuhara agreed to do so on his behalf. It lasted 90 minutes before the opening game of the Major League Baseball in South Korea.
At the beginning, he was quiet, but when he started talking about how he couldn't keep up with Otani's standard of living, he ``vomited all his emotions out all at once.'' He admitted that the debt was at least $4.5 million (approximately 700 million yen), but reporter Thompson had received information that the debt was more than $16 million (approximately 2.5 billion yen). He wondered, ``How can you not tell the difference of millions of dollars?''
About 16 hours later, I received a second call. At the first time, Mizuhara had explained that Otani had agreed to repay the debt and helped send money, but this has completely changed. I heard someone nearby trying to stop me, and I knew the call was going to be cut off. When asked, "Did you lie to Otani?", the answer was "yes." When she learned that Mr. Mizuhara needed a lawyer, "I knew he was in serious trouble." Since then, the phone has not been connected.
◇The duality makes an impression
Mr. Mizuhara was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison for bank fraud and other charges, and was imprisoned in June last year. "What happened during those 16 hours? Who asked you to be interviewed? Why did you agree and what did you think was going to happen? Were you promised something?" Thompson said. I still have many questions.
He visited his childhood classmates and gathered testimonies pointing out falsification of academic background and problematic behavior. ``He didn't have the reputation of someone who did what his superiors told him to do and took his place.'' On the other hand, he acknowledged that he was ``as good as anyone else'' as an interpreter due to his ability to skillfully translate Japanese and American jokes and expressions. That duality left an impression on him.
He also emphasized, ``The person I really want to interview is Shohei Otani.'' Did he see Mr. Mizuhara as a friend, or did he just have a relationship with him like an employee? ``It's a really painful betrayal for someone you trusted and even told secrets to,'' Omonpakaru said.
Still, in 2024, Otani achieved the ``50-50'' record of 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season for the first time in history, becoming the driving force behind the team's World Series victory. "I can't think of any other player who has overcome such a huge turmoil. He was like, 'If you doubt me, I'll show you what I'm capable of.' It's amazing." I hope that someday, many mysteries will be solved.
