Here's the article: https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/...er-fired-theft
Did we just find out Shohei's leak?
Maybe he'll be in a booth next to Charlie Hustle soon.
Here's the article: https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/...er-fired-theft
Did we just find out Shohei's leak?
Maybe he'll be in a booth next to Charlie Hustle soon.
Isn’t this the most 2024 story ever?Originally Posted by gut
The bookie, who accepted the bets, is Matthew Bowyer.
He was under investigation by the feds in 2023 for his bookmaking operation:
https://twitter.com/DanaGentryLV/status/1725228862433608136
There are some rumors that the "confidential source" was the controversial Robinhood702, aka RJ Cipriani, a known snitch. I'll get to that in a little bit.
The assistant, Ippei Mizuhara, was a longtime friend and assistant/interpreter for Ohtani. What is certain is that Ohtani's account paid the $4.5m debt for Mizuhara directly to Bowyer. Ohtani's spokesman claimed that he paid it off in order to help Mizuhara, but then retracted that statement and said it was actually Mizuhara stealing from him.
Mizuhara claimed that he did not bet on baseball, but this has not been verified.
It is unclear if Mizuhara was betting on his own, or if he was a beard for Shohei Ohtani's degeneracy, as gut suggested was possible.
It does seem that Ohtani's story about Mizuhara committing "theft" is likely bullshit, and that at the very least, he decided he didn't want to take public credit for knowingly sending money to an illegal bookmaker.
Now, about this Bowyer guy... He is a 48-year-old failed actor. with some bit parts between 1997 and 2003: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0101480/
He was part of the ring involving Wayne Nix, who is a former MLB player convicted of illegal bookmaking: https://www.reviewjournal.com/busine...-exec-2989245/
This has a Las Vegas connection in that shady former MGM Grand (and later Resorts World CEO) Scott Sibella was prosecuted for knowingly letting Nix gamble at MGM Grand, despite knowing his illicit source of funds. He got fired from Resorts World once these federal charges were filed.
Nix was also the bookie used by former MLB player Yasiel Puig, who then was charged with making false statements when he lied to federal authorities, denying the gambling occurred. Had Puig simply admitted to the gambling, he would not have been charged.
And what is RJ Cipriani's (Robinhood702) connection here? Maybe nothing, but he is a known Vegas snitch who had a longtime feud with Scott Sibella, leading to what appeared to be a very frivolous arrest and very questionable charges being filed against him, for what was an extremely minor incident at Resorts World. There is some belief that Cipriani was the "source" who communicated with above LV journalist Dana Gentry, as she has covered Cipriani's gripes in the past, and might have a close working relationship with him.
https://twitter.com/Slim_Pickem/status/1770587813337260510
A rough timeline:
- Ohtani rep goes on record W/ESPN stating Ohtani transferred $4.5MM himself to bookmaker on behalf of Ippei.
- Spokesperson for Ohtani delivers Ippei to ESPN for statement. Ippei says Ohtani NEVER bet & felt bad for him & paid off his debt so he’d never do it again.
-Spokesperson for Ohtani says Ippei is lying after he gives his 90 minute statement to ESPN.
-Ohtani’s lawyers claim “massive theft”.
-Ippei then says Ohtani had zero knowledge of his debt or his gambling habit in general.
At this point I think one of two things have to be true.
Either...
Ohtani had such a close friendship with Mizuhara that he decided to bail him out of the gambling mess, presumably with Mizuhara working off his debt in the coming years. (Note that Mizuhara is said to make $300k-$500k per year working for Ohtani.)
-OR-
Mizuhara was Ohtani's gambling beard.
This was not a theft. Almost zero chance.
Agreed not a theft.
First option there is obv most likely.
Be funny if option 3: Ohtani wife has the gambling issue, interpreter soppokku'd himself.
Asians love gambling
Genuinely surprised to see this though, close to shocked
I hope this doesn’t impact his career, it shouldn’t
Interpreter got a 4500000% reload bonusIsn’t this the most 2024 story ever?
Ippei’s and Ohtani’s (via attorneys) stories getting walked back when Ohtani’s possible exposure/complicity became a concern.
Personally, i think this is a ruse to distract us from Dave Roberts saying Ohtani wants to play the outfield and the Dodgers are unwrapping fresh weighted balls.
Why would the Dodgers risk Ohtani’s arm? For what gain? So Will Smith can DH?
This immigrant crime wave just keeps getting worse.
I wonder just how naive Ippei might have been. I have no sense of the guy at all.
He blew up a sweet sweet ride. Be working a Cinnabon in Tokyo soon.
He’s pretty much polarized to either the best friend in the world or the worst given how it’s played out.
If he’s the worst, yeah it’s over. Probably seppuku or off a high rise.
If he’s the best, he’s going to get a huge raise for the next 30 years.
This was my first thought. Ohtani is so pure, like I legit just think he is innocent of almost anything. PEDs, drugs, some freaky shit, you’d just say no way. Pretty much any vice you’d say no chance.
But all of us have sat many times next to some wealthy and normally reserved Asian at 4AM while they chainsmoked and pounded the BJ table yelling monkey monkey.
It’s probably the assistant who got caught up, but it’s not the no fucking way with Ohtani that you’d give him with almost any other vice. I think everyone cheats, but if it was PEDs, I’d say no fucking way. Not that dude. But gambling?
Just optics, it’s almost the worst scandal he could find himself associated with.
https://twitter.com/calicojoemlb/status/1770607736499442159
This was from less than 24 hours ago.
Much like the steroid era, when it was happening, I'm guessing this is gonna get swept under the rug pretty quickly. MLB can't lose Shohei right now.
I made the Pete Rose comparison earlier, but really that might become a common talking point 30 years from now about HOF appointments, like the steroid era. "He has the stats, but he bet on baseball".
Pete will get put in the HOF 20 years after he dies.
Much like the steroid era, when it was happening, I'm guessing this is gonna get swept under the rug pretty quickly. MLB can't lose Shohei right now.
I made the Pete Rose comparison earlier, but really that might become a common talking point 30 years from now about HOF appointments, like the steroid era. "He has the stats, but he bet on baseball".
Pete will get put in the HOF 20 years after he dies.
Big nothing to see here coming.
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Very confident it was Ohtani betting. And very confident he was betting on MLB. How can any degenerate gambler resist MLB? 15 games a day for 6 months straight. It's impossible to resist.
This is on CBS Mornings today
Watching it now and they're saying no evidence Ohtani is involved
Ohtani should announce he’s retiring to play basketball.
Then come back in 2 years.
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