Shohei Ohtani’s ex-translator says working conditions led to gambling-related crimes in letter to judge
Shohei Ohtani the former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, sent a letter to Judge John W. Holcomb, asking for a light sentence and citing his gambling problems.
Mizuhara committed bank fraud and tax fraud for stealing nearly $17 million of Ohtani’s money to pay off gambling debts.
Federal prosecutors asked for a 57-month prison sentence and also asked Mizuhara to pay $16.9 million in restitution to Ohtani and another $1.1 million to the IRS.
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Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) with shortstop Ippei Mizuhara against the Chicago White Sox during a spring training baseball game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA Today Sports)
Mizuhara sought an 18-month prison sentence and revealed the factors in his life that drove him to gamble in a letter he received The Athletic.
Mizuhara said he has sacrificed his life and the lives of his family since becoming Ohtani’s translator/manager in late 2017.
“Normally, when a Japanese baseball player moves to the United States, he would bring multiple staff members to take care of various tasks, such as driver, trainer, cook, translator/off-field support member, etc. . However, I was the only one the person Shohei brought,” Mizuhara said in the letter.
“So, naturally, I had to support him in most of the above tasks. I drove him everywhere he needed to be, often went grocery shopping, ran random errands whenever he needed them, so I felt like I was on duty 24 / 7.”
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Ippei Mizuhara, interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, during the introductory press conference at Dodger Stadium. (Kirby Lee-USA Today Sports)
Mizuhara said busy baseball schedulecombined with the international time difference in dealing with Ohtani’s management team in Japan, would keep him up late into the night on the phone, causing him to lose sleep.
Mizuhara said the offseason was more difficult than the baseball season because of Ohtani’s demanding schedule.
“The off-season was much harder both physically and mentally. Shohei would train 5-6 times a week, and I was responsible for booking the facility, setting up and cleaning all the training equipment, recording and monitoring all his training, his training partner ( because it was just him and me during all the offseason practices), driving him back and forth, and communicating it all back angels and his pitching/hitting/rehabilitating personals in the United States.”
“I would also do daily chores such as grocery shopping, check his mailbox, fix his bicycle, accompany him when he returned to Iwate Prefecture to visit his family, take his dog to the vet and groomer, drop off and pick up his dinners with peers while I waited in the car, helping to coordinate Japanese and American lawyers for his prenup and attending meetings, etc.”
In addition to those tasks, Mizuhara said he was responsible for communicating with endorsement companies and brokerage firms to set up Ohtani’s commercial shoots. Those shoots were once a week between off-season practices, leaving Mizuhara with little free time.
Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani (right) and translator Ippei Mizuhara attend the game between the Los Angeles Rams and the New Orleans Saints at SoFi Stadium. (Kirby Lee-USA Today Sports)
With all the work he did for Ohtani, Mizuhara said he felt seriously underpaid. Mizuhara said the Angels paid him $85,000 in 2018, $87,000 from 2019 to 2021, $99,611.16 in 2022 and $250,000 in 2023; but Ohtani paid him roughly $11,000 a year.
“I felt like I was seriously underpaid, but I was afraid to speak up for myself, since I had a one-year contract every year, and I didn’t want to upset them and risk them firing me,” Mizuhara said.
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Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani (left) and translator Ippei Mizuhara (right) pose with Los Angeles Rams mascot Rampage (center) at SoFi Stadium. (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
Another challenge of working for Ohtani was that Mizuhara had to live close to Ohtani, which meant he had to pay higher rent to have an apartment near him.
“All these extra expenses were taking a toll on me and I was living paycheck to paycheck. There were months when I had to borrow money from family and friends to make ends meet.”
Mizuhara said he had opportunities to help himself financially, “such as writing books, giving TV/radio interviews and appearing in TV commercials, which would have helped me financially, but Shohei and his company in Japan shut them all down.”
With the salary, the high demands of his job and the inability to earn money on the side, Mizuhara said he thought gambling could be an opportunity to help himself financially.
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Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani talks with translator Ippei Mizuhara against the San Francisco Giants during a spring training baseball game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA Today Sports)
“Before I knew it, my gambling debt had grown so much that I couldn’t find any way to pay it except by using Shohei’s money,” Mizuhara said. “I felt terribly guilty about getting his hands on his money, but at the time it seemed like the only solution.”
Mizuhara can now only hope that Judge Holcomb finds some understanding for him in his ruling, with his side of the story now in evidence.
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