Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers, Overcoming the “Ippei Mizuhara Shock” and Achieving the “Greatest Achievement of the Century
The biggest challenge is not to worry with the support of his new wife and new interpreter!
Two weeks have passed since the tragedy that rocked Japan and the United States. Shohei Ohtani, 29, is still suffering.
Ippei Mizuhara, 39, his interpreter and close friend, stole as much as 680 million yen from his bank account to pay off a debt he had incurred through illegal gambling. Even Otani, who has overcome many adversities, would not be at ease in the face of such a major incident. Although he completely denied involvement in gambling at a press conference on March 26 (Japan time), investigations by MLB and U.S. investigative agencies are continuing. Until everything is clarified and the investigations are settled, he will not have the mentality to perform at his best. ……” (U.S. local media reporter)
Perhaps it is a blessing in disguise that the new interpreter, Will Iaton (35), has a good reputation. Having played for the Philippines in the WBC in the past and worked for Yoshimoto Kogyo as an employee, he is an excellent interpreter.
At the press conference, he used formal English appropriate for the occasion to express Otani’s sorrowful Japanese. I think he conveyed Otani’s sincere personality better than Mr. Mizuhara, who often abbreviated or translated his remarks. He has also served as an interpreter for Kenta Maeda (Tigers, 35) and should be able to support Otani without any problems.
