LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani stated Monday that he by no means wager on sports activities and didn’t knowingly repay any playing debt accrued by his longtime performer, Ippei Mizuhara.
As a substitute, the Los Angeles Dodgers star claims his shut good friend lied to him for years and stole thousands and thousands from the two-time MVP.
Ohtani gave his model of occasions throughout a press convention at Dodger Stadium, 5 days after Mizuhara was fired by the Dodgers following stories from the Dodgers. Los Angeles Occasions and ESPN about his alleged ties to an unlawful bookmaker and money owed of greater than $1 million.
“I'm very saddened and shocked that somebody I belief has executed this,” the Japanese star stated as he sat subsequent to Will Ireton, the group's efficiency operations supervisor, who translated.
“Ippei stole cash from my account and informed lies,” Ohtani stated. “I’ve by no means wager on sports activities and have by no means deliberately despatched cash to a bookmaker.”
Ohtani spoke for practically 12 minutes to a small room full of dozens of reporters, describing a number of methods Mizuhara cheated him. Sporting a Dodgers cap and sweatshirt, Ohtani learn shortly in Japanese from a doc and took no questions.
Ohtani, 29, nonetheless tried to reply an important query, repeatedly stressing that he was by no means knowingly concerned in playing. He didn’t present particulars on how Mizuhara might need stolen the cash to repay playing money owed.
“I by no means wager on baseball or another sports activities, or I've by no means requested somebody to take action on my behalf, and I've by no means gone by way of a bookmaker to wager on sports activities. and he was by no means requested to help in paying bets for anybody else,” Ohtani stated.
Ohtani left the Los Angeles Angels in December to signal a report $700 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers. Ohtani and Mizuhara had been every day companions since Ohtani joined the Angels in 2018 till final week, when Mizuhara's playing grew to become public.
The IRS has confirmed that Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged unlawful bookie, are beneath felony investigation by way of the company's Los Angeles workplace.
Mizuhara informed ESPN on March 19 that Ohtani paid off his playing money owed on the request of the performer, saying the bets had been on worldwide soccer, NBA, NFL and faculty soccer. MLB guidelines prohibit gamers and group staff from betting — even legally — on baseball, and likewise prohibit betting on different sports activities with unlawful or offshore bookmakers.
ESPN stated Mizuhara modified his story the subsequent day, claiming Ohtani was unaware of the playing money owed and didn’t switch any cash to the bookies.
“This was all a whole lie,” Ohtani stated. “Clearly, Ippei didn't inform me concerning the media investigation. So Ippei informed everybody round that he communicated with me on this account to the media and my group and that it wasn't true.”
Ohtani stated he first grew to become conscious of Mizuhara's playing drawback throughout a group assembly after final Wednesday's season-opening win over San Diego in Seoul, South Korea.
Ohtani stated the assembly was a shock — and since Mizuhara was talking to the group in English, Ohtani struggled to grasp all the pieces that was being stated.
“Proper earlier than the assembly, Ippei stated to me, 'Hey, let's discuss one-on-one on the lodge after the assembly,'” Ohtani stated. “So till that group assembly, I didn't know Ippei had a playing habit and was in debt. Clearly I by no means agreed to pay the debt or make funds to the bookie and at last after we acquired again to the lodge that's once I came upon he was in large debt and it was revealed to me throughout that assembly that Ippei admitted that he was sending cash utilizing my account to the bookmaker. At that time, it was an absurd factor that was occurring, and I contacted my representatives at that time.”
Ohtani spoke earlier than the Dodgers' second exhibition recreation towards the Angels at Dodger Stadium. Ohtani was within the lineup, batting second because the Dodgers' designated hitter.
The slugger obtained one other loud ovation from the Los Angeles crowd when he got here to the plate within the first inning towards Reid Detmers, who has pitched alongside Ohtani within the Angels rotation the previous two seasons. Detmers acquired Ohtani to floor out to 3rd.
“To sum up how I really feel proper now, I'm simply shocked,” Ohtani stated. “It's actually laborious to verbalize how I really feel proper now. The season is about to begin, so I'll let my attorneys deal with issues from right here on out. I absolutely assist all of the investigations which might be occurring proper now.”
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