Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani has utterly denied any involvement in sports betting of any kind or that he agreed to pay off former translator Ippei Mizuhara‘s gambling debt to a California bookmaker, reported to be some $4.5M. Ohtani’s statement came during a press briefing before the March 25 exhibition game at Dodgers Stadium against the Los Angeles Angels.
Reading in Japanese from a prepared statement, which he read in an animated albeit for the most part not overly emotional voice and was translated for those in attendance by Dodgers employee Will Ireton, Ohtani stated that he first learned of Mizuhara’s problem at a postgame meeting following the Dodgers’ 5-2 win over the San Diego Padres in Seoul, South Korea on March 20 in a special season-opening series.
The story being presented at that time by Mizuhara contradicted Ohtani’s statement, as Mizuhara…
