Doesn't Add Up: Shohei Ohtani's Statement Still Doesn't Answer This Question
For the first time since a betting scandal engulfed Major League Baseball involving Shohei Ohtani's longtime friend and interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, the star pitcher and hitter read a prepared statement.
However, there is still one thing that doesn't make sense.
How didn't Shohei Ohtani know that Ippei had even SPOKEN to ESPN or was even under federal investigation?
After all, ESPN, the Los Angeles Times and other media outlets were in touch with Ohtani's spokespeople as well as Ohtani's longtime agent Nez Balelo, who even agreed for Ippei to speak with the media outlet! Yet, fans are supposed to believe Ohtani's own people never informed him.
During his statement Monday, Ohtani says that he didn't learn about anything going on until after the Dodgers players meeting Wednesday - nearly three full days after MLB and Ohtani's own representatives and agent knew about it and were in touch with ESPN. Ohtani also says he didn't know that any of the $4.5 million was missing until last week - but didn't give any information on how Ippei could have gotten access to his accounts, let alone do a heavily monitored wire transfer in Ohtani's name.
OHTANI'S TIMELINE DOESN'T ADD UP TO FACTS:
According to ESPN's own timeline and reports, this is how the entire ordeal played out on their end:
The outlet says that they have been investigating the incident for MONTHS but it wasn't until Sunday night when they had confirmation of ties to Ippei and Ohtani.
Here is the timeline that begins back on March 17th:
7:30PM ET SUNDAY, MARCH 17TH: ESPN says that according to an MLB source, Commissioner Rob Manfred while in South Korea, first found out that there was something happening with Ohtani.
3pm ET MONDAY: ESPN contacted Ohtani's agent Nez Balelo to comment on the alleged federal illegal gambling investigation involving Ippei and Ohtani, including two wire transfers with Ohtani's name that totaled $1 million.
5:30pm MONDAY: An Ohtani spokesperson responds to ESPN and the two parties continue to go back and forth multiple times.
8:30pm MONDAY: Ohtani spokesperson confirms to ESPN that Ohtani sent the wire transfers. The spokesperson says he learned this directly from Balelo- who is Ohtani's longtime CAA agent who said that Ippei 'came clean [after hours of asking him] and said that was the truth.
IMPORTANT: It is here that Ohtani's spokesperson quotes Ohtani to ESPN and says "'Yeah, I sent several large payments. That's the maximum amount I could send.'"
24 HOURS LATER…
9:05pm TUESDAY: Ohtani spokesperson confirms AGAIN - 35 minutes later that the gambling debt had amounts to $4.5 million, which ESPN had ‘confirmed through other sources.’
ESPN then says that they need to hear it from Ippei himself.
10:30PM TUESDAY: Ohtani's OWN people then set up the 90-minute on the record interview with Ippei. and the media outlet. He goes on the record and says Ohtani knew, paid off the debt while also not being pleased with him [Ippei] and added that Ohtani never bet on baseball.
The interview is attended by the Ohtani spokesman as well.
10AM WEDNESDAY: The Dodgers play the Padres in South Korea. Ohtani and Ippei are seen in the clubhouse laughing and having a great time. After the game, Dodgers executive Andrew Friedman reportedly says Ohtani had helped cover Ippei's losses
According to Ohtani, this is when he and Ippei went back to the hotel room and Shohei says this is the first time he had heard the whole truth from what Ippei had been saying. This is when Ohtani says he found out it was about betting and illegal gambling. He reached out to his team - the very spokespeople and agent that had known for AT LEAST THREE DAYS NOW that this was all going on and apparently never decided to tell Shohei.
Ohtani's team and lawyers tell ESPN that Ohtani was the victim of a theft.
3:55PM WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20TH: Ippei speak swith ESPN again only this time changing his story and says he lied about Ohtani's involvement.
5:45PM MONDAY MARCH 25TH (A full week later): Shohei Ohtani reads a prepared statement to the press with his version of events and says Ippei stole the money.
Shohei Ohtani discusses alleged gambling ring involving an interpreter of his. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
NO ONE TOLD OHTANI FOR DAYS?
If we are led to believe Shohei Ohtani, that means that not only Ippei, but his agent, spokesperson, the FBI, the Dodgers, MLB, ESPN, any other media outlet, his business manager, and the bank all screwed up in some fashion.
If they did, then Ohtani needs to not only replace Ippei but his ENTIRE team - his manager, accountant, business manager, lawyers, everybody, because they absolutely screwed this up for him in an unbelievable way. Meanwhile, baseball not saying anything about their biggest star in modern history is also wild to me - you'd think they'd be all hands on deck.
Another question? Where is Ippei? Is he even in the country to answer any investigative questions MLB may have for him?
And finally, it's important to realize that we have only officially heard from Shohei Ohtani's side - in a non-court setting reading off a press statement where nobody can be held accountable for what he publicly said yesterday.
We need to learn more and get to the bottom of this, if anything - to fully clear Shohei Ohtani's name and reputation.