Ohtani

[Sea Ray]

So what do ya think? I still got lots of questions. How does his interpreter have access to Ohtani's checkbook to the tune of millions of dollars? Where is this interpreter now? Is he being prosecuted? What's his side of the story? What bookie extends a guy making $200K that much credit?

 

[knoxvol52]

Innocent case closed..

 

[Sea Ray]

Innocent case closed..

So Ohtani nor his people noticed the $4.5 mill missing? How did he get access to Ohtani's money? He's just an interpreter

 

[ButchPlz]

So Ohtani nor his people noticed the $4.5 mill missing? How did he get access to Ohtani's money? He's just an interpreter

I have those questions too, but I also doubt that Shohei was the one making bets.

EDIT: and it also depends on what account the money came out of. I know a lot of wealthy people who essentially trust a financial person to manage their accounts, and they'll have several different ones. If the money came out of an account that isn't really used, I guess I could see it. It's a weird situation.

 

[Sea Ray]

I have those questions too, but I also doubt that Shohei was the one making bets.

EDIT: and it also depends on what account the money came out of. I know a lot of wealthy people who essentially trust a financial person to manage their accounts, and they'll have several different ones. If the money came out of an account that isn't really used, I guess I could see it. It's a weird situation.

The bookie disagrees

Report: Bookie says Ohtani was his client

The bookie in the middle of the Shohei Ohtani sports betting scandal reportedly told people that Ohtani was his client, not the baseball star's interpreter

www.am800cklw.com

Who else could afford to bet that much? It pretty much had to be Otani. The bookie isn't going to extend that much credit to anyone else

 

[05_never_again]

The bookie disagrees

Report: Bookie says Ohtani was his client

The bookie in the middle of the Shohei Ohtani sports betting scandal reportedly told people that Ohtani was his client, not the baseball star's interpreter

www.am800cklw.com

Who else could afford to bet that much? It pretty much had to be Otani. The bookie isn't going to extend that much credit to anyone else

The bookie is hardly a reliable source in this. He could be claiming he takes Ohtani's action for clout.

A big detail Ohtani didn't explain yesterday is how Mizuhara had access to his bank account. Many have come out and said that it would not be unheard of for guys in that position to have access to one of many accounts they have because they basically function as personal assistants. Mizuhara was raised in LA, and a big part of his job was taking care of stuff like that for Ohtani in a country where he didn't really speak the language. However, Ohtani had a chance to say that yesterday and he didn't.

I suppose I can buy that Ohtani wasn't the one placing the bets. It is still hard for me to buy that Mizuhara stole the money. Personally, the most likely scenario seems like Ohtani bailed his friend out, and the bookie extended that kind of credit to Mizuhara with the assumption or maybe even the understanding that Ohtani would get involved if payment couldn't be made. Unfortunately for Ohtani, that could still land him in hot water with MLB, and I imagine that is why the story changed.

 

[Sea Ray]

Illegal gambling makes it hard to find credible sources but I don't think the bookie has much to gain here by lying. Common sense says that he's not going to extend $4.5mill in credit to a guy who makes $200K/yr

 

[orangesoda]

Illegal gambling makes it hard to find credible sources but I don't think the bookie has much to gain here by lying. Common sense says that he's not going to extend $4.5mill in credit to a guy who makes $200K/yr

This

 

[TheDeeble]

The bookie is hardly a reliable source in this. He could be claiming he takes Ohtani's action for clout.

A big detail Ohtani didn't explain yesterday is how Mizuhara had access to his bank account. Many have come out and said that it would not be unheard of for guys in that position to have access to one of many accounts they have because they basically function as personal assistants. Mizuhara was raised in LA, and a big part of his job was taking care of stuff like that for Ohtani in a country where he didn't really speak the language. However, Ohtani had a chance to say that yesterday and he didn't.

I suppose I can buy that Ohtani wasn't the one placing the bets. It is still hard for me to buy that Mizuhara stole the money. Personally, the most likely scenario seems like Ohtani bailed his friend out, and the bookie extended that kind of credit to Mizuhara with the assumption or maybe even the understanding that Ohtani would get involved if payment couldn't be made. Unfortunately for Ohtani, that could still land him in hot water with MLB, and I imagine that is why the story changed.

That's my guess. Ohtani was paying his debt without realizing his translator was illegally gambling.

I can't think of a reason Ohtani's spokesperson last Tuesday would say Ohtani new about the gambling losses and paid the debt, then presented the interpreter to ESPN to answer questions about his gambling, and then the next day Wednesday the spokesperson refute his previous statement that Ohtani paid the debt, and instead claim massive theft. I'm guessing they knew he was gambling, but not illegally until the interpreter gave a detailed account to ESPN.

 

[TBrown]

Illegal gambling makes it hard to find credible sources but I don't think the bookie has much to gain here by lying. Common sense says that he's not going to extend $4.5mill in credit to a guy who makes $200K/yr

I haven’t seen any single transaction larger than $500k being referenced.

If the guy went $4.5 in the hole at once, that’s one story. If he lost $4.5mn dollars over the course of 3 years, that’s entirely different.

As mentioned above, very believable for the interpreter to have access to at least one of Ohtani’s bank accounts.

 

[orangesoda]

Ohtani got caught! Ban him or reinstate Pete.

 

[knoxvol52]

Well if Ohtani was betting it wasn't on his team. The guy won 2 of last 3 A.L. MVP's and would have won 3 in a row if not for Aaron Judges great year.

 

[05_never_again]

I haven’t seen any single transaction larger than $500k being referenced.

If the guy went $4.5 in the hole at once, that’s one story. If he lost $4.5mn dollars over the course of 3 years, that’s entirely different.

As mentioned above, very believable for the interpreter to have access to at least one of Ohtani’s bank accounts.

And given that there is an ongoing investigation into the alleged theft, the last part of your post could be something Ohtani has been advised by lawyers not to mention (how Mizuhara got access to the account).

 

[Sea Ray]

We've heard this story before...

Tomase: Ohtani chooses risky but well-worn path out of scandal

John Tomase can’t help but see some historical similarities in the way Shohei Ohtani has handled his involvement in a major gambling scandal.

www.nbcsportsboston.com

Someone should have noticed, "gee, what was the $500,000K check for? Is it tax deductible"?

I get that bookies have credibility issues but so does Ohtani's team seeing as they gave us a false story initially

 

[TBrown]

The bookie has already admitted to using Ohtani’s name for clout, never meeting or speaking with him.

 

[zjcvols]

The bookie has already admitted to using Ohtani’s name for clout, never meeting or speaking with him.

"Did Ohtani bet on baseball? Yes or no"

If the answer is no, I don't really care about the story.

 

[Sea Ray]

$4.5 million going to an illegal gambling ring is a problem for Ohtani and MLB even if it didn't involve baseball games. That's why he changed his story so quickly last week

 

[05_never_again]

$4.5 million going to an illegal gambling ring is a problem for Ohtani and MLB even if it didn't involve baseball games. That's why he changed his story so quickly last week

Yeah, but it is about 1/10th as interesting of a story. He still can get into hot water for it (league rulebook says he can be suspended for a year I think if he was the one that sent the money) but it is nowhere near as interesting of a story.

 

[TBrown]

$4.5 million going to an illegal gambling ring is a problem for Ohtani and MLB even if it didn't involve baseball games. That's why he changed his story so quickly last week

It’s not a problem for either of them.

 

[Sea Ray]

It’s not a problem for either of them.

He must have had some reason for changing his story

 

[05_never_again]

He must have had some reason for changing his story

He probably changed the story because the story he initially told could in theory land Shohei in hot water, especially if Shohei sent the money himself to a guy Mizuhara told him was a bookie.

If Shohei didn't send the money himself, this story goes away as soon as that can be confirmed. If Shohei sent the money but didn't know it was to a bookie, the story goes away as soon as that can be confirmed. If Shohei sent the money himself and he knew it was to a bookie, then it is an interesting story but mostly because Shohei could be looking at a suspension (I doubt they'd suspend him for that, but it theoretically could happen based on MLB rules). If it is able to be confirmed that Mizuhara never bet on baseball as he claimed, then I lose interest in the story as well.

It is only the explosive story many want it to be if Shohei himself was betting on baseball, particularly on his team's games. So far there isn't any evidence of that at all.

 

[TBrown]

He probably changed the story because the story he initially told could in theory land Shohei in hot water, especially if Shohei sent the money himself to a guy Mizuhara told him was a bookie.

If Shohei didn't send the money himself, this story goes away as soon as that can be confirmed. If Shohei sent the money but didn't know it was to a bookie, the story goes away as soon as that can be confirmed. If Shohei sent the money himself and he knew it was to a bookie, then it is an interesting story but mostly because Shohei could be looking at a suspension (I doubt they'd suspend him for that, but it theoretically could happen based on MLB rules). If it is able to be confirmed that Mizuhara never bet on baseball as he claimed, then I lose interest in the story as well.

It is only the explosive story many want it to be if Shohei himself was betting on baseball, particularly on his team's games. So far there isn't any evidence of that at all.

Fwiw Ohtani has not technically changed HIS story. The story has changed, Ohtani’s has not.

 

[05_never_again]

Fwiw Ohtani has not technically changed HIS story. The story has changed, Ohtani’s has not.

True, fair enough. Although Ohtani's lawyers/spokespeople were with Mizuhara when he told ESPN that Ohtani wired the money, then part of the crew that came to ESPN the next day and said that what Mizuhara had said previously was not true. They arranged and attended the initial interview where he said Ohtani wired the money, then did a total 180 the next morning.

 

[Sea Ray]

Fwiw Ohtani has not technically changed HIS story. The story has changed, Ohtani’s has not.

Think about that for a second. Mizuhara announces to the Dodgers (and the world) that Ohtani paid off his debts. Can you give me any logical reason why he'd say that if he was stealing from Ohtani? That makes no logical sense and doesn't even pass the giggle test. How's he going to get away with that? How's that going to end well for him?

 

[TBrown]

Think about that for a second. Mizuhara announces to the Dodgers (and the world) that Ohtani paid off his debts. Can you give me any logical reason why he'd say that if he was stealing from Ohtani? That makes no logical sense and doesn't even pass the giggle test. How's he going to get away with that? How's that going to end well for him?

If Ohtani had something to hide, the absolute last thing he would do is accuse someone of stealing and initiate a police investigation.

He could have just said yeah, I paid off his debt and looked like the greatest friend to ever exist.

You’re the one not passing whatever the “giggle test” is.