Who Is Ippei Mizuhara? Know Shohei Ohtani’s Translator Who Got Fired For Theft

Ippei Mizuhara, Shohei Ohtani’s translator, was sacked by the Los Angeles Dodgers after Ohtani’s lawyers claimed that Mizuhara had committed a “massive theft” by using the player’s funds to place wagers with an allegedly illicit bookmaker that was the subject of a federal investigation.

Who Is Ippei Mizuhara? Know Shohei Ohtani’s Translator Who Got Fired For Theft

Ohtani’s legal team, Berk Brettler LLP, released a statement saying, “We are turning the matter over to the authorities after discovering that Shohei has been the victim of a massive theft in the course of responding to recent media inquiries.”

Employees of MLB were prohibited from contacting with players during the 2021–22 lockout. Mizuhara left the team to stay in touch with Ohtani, but he was later brought back after the owners ended the lockout.

Beyond his role as an interpreter, Mizuhara also filled in as Ohtani’s catcher in the 2021 Home Run Derby and delivered groceries when the player was recuperating at home in 2019 and 2020.

At first, a player representative claimed that Ohtani had sent $4.5 million to pay off Mizuhara’s obligations. However, the representative recanted their assertion in response to more queries from ESPN, stating that Ohtani’s attorneys will issue a statement shortly.

On Wednesday, Mizuhara told ESPN that he had received instructions not to comment on the situation, but he did not specify the source of those instructions.

Ohtani plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers in California, where sports betting is still illegal while being allowed in 40 other states. MLB employees and players are not prohibited from wagering with unlicensed bookies, however they are permitted to wager on sports other than baseball.

Should players or personnel break any of the regulations, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred will take action.

Who is Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter?

Mizuhara was born in Tomakomai, Hokkaido, Japan, and is currently 39 years old. After graduating from University of California, Riverside in 1991, he relocated to the Los Angeles region with his family.

Since the late 2000s, Mizuhara has been employed as a Japanese-to-English and vice-versa translator. Mizuhara played with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in Japan before signing with the Los Angeles Angels and starting his first major league career as Ohtani’s personal interpreter.

Ohtani’s hesitation or incapacity to speak English put Mizuhara in the public eye all the time. Ohtani was frequently accompanied by the interpreter for all of the player’s interviews.

How much does Ohtani’s translator make?

Before being fired, Mizuhara was well-known in the sports world for his strong friendship with Ohtani, who inked a $700 million deal with the Dodgers and chose Mizuhara to be his translator. Mizuhara received yearly compensation ranging from $300,000 to $500,000 for the service.

Is Shohei Ohtani a fluent English speaker?

Although Ohtani is fluent in English, his native tongue is where he feels most at ease. Ippei Mizuhara, his interpreter, is usually present when he speaks to a larger American audience.

 

 

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