Shohei Ohtani’s Decision to Withhold Coordinated Testimony of Ippei Mizuhara During the Press Conference

The scene of the final conversation between Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani and former exclusive interpreter, suspect Ippei Mizuhara, has come to light, revealing Ohtani’s divine response and sparking discussion.

According to the “New York Times,” after the MLB opening game against the San Diego Padres held in Seoul, South Korea, on March 20th, Mizuhara confessed in the clubhouse to the manager and players, saying, 

“I have a gambling addiction and am burdened with a huge debt.” 

He explained to Ohtani that he had taken on approximately $4.5 million (approximately 680 million yen) in debt.

Feeling uncomfortable, Ohtani later met with Mizuhara in a conference room in the hotel basement. Mizuhara reportedly begged Ohtani to adopt the same story he had told his teammates and the media.

Ohtani firmly rejected this request. According to the same newspaper, 

“Ohtani refused the offer and immediately called Nes Balero, his agent. Lawyers, crisis management personnel, and a trusted new interpreter, along with Mizuhara’s wife, quickly arrived.”

Ohtani challenged Major League Baseball from the Japanese baseball world in 2018, stepping into a world of entirely different languages and cultures. The advice he received repeatedly from those around him was,