The Shohei Ohtani interpreter scandal has one way or the other change into even weirder.
Final we left the Los Angeles Dodgers star, his camp had accused his longtime interpreter Ippei Mizuhara of stealing $4.5 million to cowl his unlawful playing money owed, although solely after telling a reporter Ohtani had agreed to provide him the cash. Since then, Mizuhara has been fired and MLB has opened an investigation into the matter.
The scenario has naturally drawn scrutiny for the 39-year-old Mizuhara, and it seems the highlight is burning some holes into his résumé earlier than assembly Ohtani, specifically his training and previous expertise in baseball.
UC Riverside says Ippei Mizuhara by no means attended the varsity
Earlier than this week, Mizuhara had been extensively reported to have been born in Hokkaido, Japan, moved to the U.S. at a younger age, attended Diamond Bar Excessive College in Los Angeles County and graduated from the College of California-Riverside in 2007.
It seems that final half, which was acknowledged as reality within the Angels’ 2023 media information, isn’t true. UC Riverside informed The Athletic’s Sam Blum it has no document of Mizuhara attending the varsity:
“Our college data don’t present a scholar by the identify of Ippei Mizuhara having attended UC Riverside.”
UC Riverside reportedly did not reply when requested if Mizuhara may have attended the varsity underneath a special identify, however he undoubtedly glided by the identify in highschool, as his highschool soccer coach described him as a tough employee to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune final week.
Pink Sox say Ippei Mizuhara by no means labored for the staff
The lore of Ohtani and Mizuhara’s friendship relies round them each becoming a member of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in 2013, Ohtani as a rookie first general decide and Mizuhara as an interpreter for the staff’s English-speaking gamers.
Earlier than that Mizuhara was stated to have labored his first job in baseball as an interpreter for Boston Pink Sox pitcher Hideki Okajima from 2007 to 2011.
The Pink Sox launched a press release Friday saying Mizuhara had by no means labored for them in any manner:
“We’re reaching out to all of you due to experiences in varied shops stating that Ippei Mizuhara labored for the Pink Sox as an interpreter, which is inaccurate. Mizuhara was by no means employed by the Boston Pink Sox in any capability and was not an interpreter for Hideki Okajima through the pitcher’s time with the staff. Please know we now have completely checked our recordsdata to make sure we’re offering correct info.”
Mizuhara apparently simply wasn’t that good an interpreter both, when you imagine Jon Heyman of the New York Put up. That makes much more sense now.
Ippei Mizuhara could not have labored for the Yankees both
After the Pink Sox, the Angels media information acknowledged Mizuhara continued to interpret for Okajima with the New York Yankees in spring coaching of 2012.
As The Athletic notes, there’s one drawback with that: Okajima reportedly failed a bodily with the Yankees on Feb. 17, 2012, earlier than the start of spring coaching. It is doable Mizuhara may have interpreted for Okajima within the time between when he signed the minor-league deal and the beginning of camp, however that appears unlikely.
So what does all this imply?
We all know Mizuhara graduated highschool in 2003 and joined the Fighters in 2013, the place he met Ohtani. Within the 10 years between, he was extensively reported to have attended faculty within the U.S. and labored for 2 completely different MLB groups, however there’s now a gaping gap in that background. It actually makes you surprise what sort of vetting the Fighters did when hiring him.
From there, Mizuhara befriended Ohtani, went with him to the USA for the Angels and adopted him to the Dodgers. He wasn’t simply an interpreter, he was Ohtani’s private assistant and one in all his greatest mates. It will be simple in charge Ohtani for getting so near a questionable character, however the slugger was solely 19 after they met, in a rustic the place deference to elders is famously a cultural norm.
There are such a lot of methods this saga may go within the coming months as MLB and different authorities examine, however thus far evidently each day of this scandal has made the scenario worse for Mizuhara.