Recently, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the famous American professional baseball club, signed a new 10-year deal with the professional baseball pitcher, Shohei Ohtani, for the mind-blowing $700 million. But it wasn’t long before the professional player’s name was tangled in a gambling scandal that resulted in the firing of his interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara.
Allegations against the interpreter claim that he stole some $4.5 million from Ohtani’s bank account. While initially, Mizuhara claimed that Ohtani helped him cover accumulated gambling debts, he later rejected such claims.
On the other hand, Ohtani claimed that he was not aware of Mizuhara’s gambling. Once news of the scandal broke out, the professional player said that he was shocked to learn about the actions of his interpreter and friend. Additionally, Ohtani said that he never knowingly wagered or gave other people money to place sports bets.
The news about the $700 million contract signed between the Dodgers and Ohtani was also discussed during a recent podcast with the popular UFC commentator, Joe Rogan. In a recent episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience,” the host along with one of his guests discussed a unique angle of Ohtani’s story.
Discussing the topic with Brian Simpson, a popular standup comedian, Rogan questioned: “Do you think that the situation with someone like that, who comes from another country… Do you think that organized crime comes with him?… Little bit of Yakuza action?” Simpson responded that this scenario is “definitely feasible,” considering that Ohtani’s family remains in Japan.
Simpson and Rogan Discuss Theory for Ties to Organized Crime
Contemplating on the power half a billion dollars brings, Simpson said that a person with that much money is “unbossed.” Moreover, speaking about the dark side of money he said: “You can just have somebody wiped out, you can flip it on them.” Simpson added that people with such money have power, and no one can exploit them.
Rogan continued the conversation with talks about organized crime, drawing a parallel about speculations of ties between the mafia and Frank Sinatra. The host of the show added that at the time, Sinatra was likely a “terrible guy to piss off.” Rogan said that if a person is tied to the mafia in any way, leaving it behind may be “real dicey.”
According to the host of the show, it is likely that Yakuza offers protection which is payable of course. Simpson said even if that’s the case, this doesn’t mean that Ohtani isn’t smart to avoid it. However, Rogan’s response was: “Does it, or does it mean that this may be the cost of doing business where he lived?”
Picturing a scenario where the baseball player is tied to Yakuza, the duo wondered if that organization could help him abroad, in the United States especially. According to Simpson, even if Yakuza can help in some cases, protecting the player all the time across the United States is impossible.
It is important to note that there’s no evidence or any form of data that suggests Ohtani participated in gambling activities or is related in any way to criminal organizations. So far, the only person suspected of criminal activities is his interpreter who is accused of stealing money from the baseball star.