Now we got Ohtani blatantly lying about meeting a fan for his homerun ball and the team pressuring her to give it up for peanuts. The hits keep coming for him.

https://sports.yahoo.com/dodgers-couldnt-avoid-drama-even-with-shohei-ohtanis-1st-hr-ball-001841654.html

Maybe his new translator lost something in translating.

This story is kind of wild. Seems like an innocent thing that the dodgers ****ed up and blew out of proportion themselves.

And to the person saying it was for the Dodgers to claim positive press on…..don't have a link but the fox affiliate in LA had a post come across my Facebook feed for some reason. But the headline was essentially how they went out of their way and gave so much to the fan who caught the hr. They got roasted in the comments.

From what I've read it's really not all that uncommon - there was at least one instance with an Aaron Judge homerun ball where the stadium threatened not to authenticate it.

I think some negotiations in past years with milestone balls and fans not willing to part for just a jersey or a bat have led the teams to basically say "you can either take our offer or find someone else to authenticate it".

Regardless, I think it's ****ed up.

But…..Did judge say in an interview after that game that he personally met and talked with the fan and made an exchange?

Also….Was this lie a couple days after bombshell news regarding judge which he also changed his story on…neither story sounding like the most plausible?

I'm commenting on the Dodgers authentication side of things, not the Ohtani interpreter/claims. The latter is more people just wanting drama.

Proposition Joe said:

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From what I've read it's really not all that uncommon - there was at least one instance with an Aaron Judge homerun ball where the stadium threatened not to authenticate it.

I think some negotiations in past years with milestone balls and fans not willing to part for just a jersey or a bat have led the teams to basically say "you can either take our offer or find someone else to authenticate it".

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There have been instances when MLB has had someone on site to do this in anticipation of historic balls. I don't recall the game but the TV announcers had the camera at one point on the MLB employee and commented on their job.

I want to say it was with Judge and passing Maris but that may not be right.

If the fans' story is true and they separated the husband and wife from each other, that's ass-kicking time for most men.

And frankly it's hilarious watching the Dodgers trip over their own feet time and again with Ohtani.

Enviroag02 said:

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What's to stop the person who catches the ball using the game footage of them catching it and subsequently being escorted out to go and authenticate it on their own?

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I mean they can try but will it work? Who's to say they don't buy a game ball from the shop then get two authenticated, for example.

Mathguy64 said:

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Proposition Joe said:

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From what I've read it's really not all that uncommon - there was at least one instance with an Aaron Judge homerun ball where the stadium threatened not to authenticate it.

I think some negotiations in past years with milestone balls and fans not willing to part for just a jersey or a bat have led the teams to basically say "you can either take our offer or find someone else to authenticate it".

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There have been instances when MLB has had someone on site to do this in anticipation of historic balls. I don't recall the game but the TV announcers had the camera at one point on the MLB employee and commented on their job.

I want to say it was with Judge and passing Maris but that may not be right.

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They are typically on site for major milestones. The Judge ball I was referencing I believe was the one that broke the AL record and while there was some complications with it (one fan bought it from another fan on the spot), MLB gave the guy a lowball offer and told him to pound sand without authentication if he didn't take it.

Enviroag02 said:

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What's to stop the person who catches the ball using the game footage of them catching it and subsequently being escorted out to go and authenticate it on their own?

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The milestone balls are all marked, so the fan can still get it authenticated -- but an official MLB authentication carries significantly more weight (read: resale value) I imagine.

htxag09 said:

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Proposition Joe said:

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I'm commenting on the Dodgers authentication side of things, not the Ohtani interpreter/claims. The latter is more people just wanting drama.

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Just people wanting drama?

Again, you're looking at every one of these scenarios in a vacuum. I'm sorry, but when one of the biggest names in sports blatantly lies on camera days after another scandal is uncovered drama will happen. People aren't just out looking for drama in nothing here…..

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Because most of it is piece-mealed, force-fed drama for clicks.

The Ohtani gambling scandal is no doubt a huge deal -- but we've already seen the reporting on it be wildly erroneous because headlines get clicks. First there was talks it was a $4.5m debt that had incurred and had to be paid off. Then it came out this was actually total debt over a long period of time. Two significantly different scenarios.

What's more likely - Ohtani in the midst of a "gambling scandal" thinks he can get away with telling the press he met with a person when he really didn't and there's just no way he'll be found out... or that there was simply a breakdown in communication somewhere in his camp (or something lost in translation)?

Twitter is going to want you to believe it's the former.

I'm still unsure why a first HR ball with a new club a big deal? Seems like a bit of a stretch on importance.

superaggie73 said:

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Proposition Joe said:

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htxag09 said:

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Proposition Joe said:

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I'm commenting on the Dodgers authentication side of things, not the Ohtani interpreter/claims. The latter is more people just wanting drama.

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Just people wanting drama?

Again, you're looking at every one of these scenarios in a vacuum. I'm sorry, but when one of the biggest names in sports blatantly lies on camera days after another scandal is uncovered drama will happen. People aren't just out looking for drama in nothing here…..

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Because most of it is piece-mealed, force-fed drama for clicks.

The Ohtani gambling scandal is no doubt a huge deal -- but we've already seen the reporting on it be wildly erroneous because headlines get clicks. First there was talks it was a $4.5m debt that had incurred and had to be paid off. Then it came out this was actually total debt over a long period of time. Two significantly different scenarios.

What's more likely - Ohtani in the midst of a "gambling scandal" thinks he can get away with telling the press he met with a person when he really didn't and there's just no way he'll be found out... or that there was simply a breakdown in communication somewhere in his camp (or something lost in translation)?

Twitter is going to want you to believe it's the former.

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Is this Ohtani's rep's sock account? I have seen you bend over backwards since the scandal broke fighting for everyone to give him the benefit of the doubt over and over and over again. You may be correct and he is innocent and naive and everyone is just piling on him for clicks, however, you are the only one I've seen write post after post after post defending the guy. Are you the president of the Ohtani fan club or something?

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I just don't fall over myself believing salacious headlines and random twitter accounts (I think one even on this thread trying to give a game-by-game breakdown of where he might have been throwing a game?). It's searching for drama and ignoring the actual facts and most likely scenarios.

Is it the most likely scenario that Ohtani racked up $4.5m in gambling debts and paid them all off via his own bank account and just assumed he'd never get caught doing it, or is it more likely that one of his entourage was siphoning money out of his accounts to cover his debts?

Is it the most likely scenario that Ohtani straight up lied to reporters about meeting with a fan, thinking no one would... ask the fan..., or is it more likely that something was lost in translation between Ohtani saying he talked to the fan or whether his team talked to the fan?

I've got no dog in the fight... as a centerpiece to the Dodgers team this year I certainly wouldn't hate if whichever scenario it is causes Ohtani to under-perform (and I have a sneaking suspicion many of the posters running with this just might be Astros fans still wanting the Dodgers to fall on their faces due to that "rivalry").

But end of the day much of this stuff is no different than running to TMZ or E! to check on the new celebrity gossip.

At this point any Ohtani HR ball is gonna be highly sought after. Years from now it could very well be looked at as a Ken Griffrey or Babe Ruth HR ball. He's going to end up an all time great.

I can see how his first as a Dodger has some significance.

Wow up to $16 million in theft.

Ippei Mizuhara has been charged with stealing more than $16 million from Shohei Ohtani, according to federal investigators. https://t.co/t4R7QFlEMf

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 11, 2024

AggieViking15 said:

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Wow up to $16 million in theft.

Ippei Mizuhara has been charged with stealing more than $16 million from Shohei Ohtani, according to federal investigators. https://t.co/t4R7QFlEMf

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 11, 2024

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Ok, 4.5 mill I could see but 16 million there is no way

n_touch said:

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AggieViking15 said:

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Wow up to $16 million in theft.

Ippei Mizuhara has been charged with stealing more than $16 million from Shohei Ohtani, according to federal investigators. https://t.co/t4R7QFlEMf

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 11, 2024

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Lol Ohtani has either 1. Has so much money 16 million is nothing to him when it goes missing, 2. Is a complete and utter idiot who has no concept of money or 3. Was in on it. You choose.

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Well we already knew 1. Hes got so much $$ coming in he can afford to let LA not pay him for 10 years.

He appears to be 2 to the max.

And 4. His original story that he helped out his friend in need is now a complete fabrication if you believe his story now.

So it winds up being the scenario that was most plausible - part of his entourage was siphoning money off of him without his knowledge, when he found out he attempted to help him make it go away quietly (I assume with long-term reimbursement), but he realized quickly that wasn't possible and his legal team had him shift to "protect yourself" mode.

Not as scandalous as some were hoping.

n_touch said:

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AggieViking15 said:

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Wow up to $16 million in theft.

Ippei Mizuhara has been charged with stealing more than $16 million from Shohei Ohtani, according to federal investigators. https://t.co/t4R7QFlEMf

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 11, 2024

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Lol Ohtani has either 1. Has so much money 16 million is nothing to him when it goes missing, 2. Is a complete and utter idiot who has no concept of money or 3. Was in on it. You choose.

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right would you rather go down as an absolute idiot or as a diabolical evil genius

Mathguy64 said:

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I still don't buy how some chump making $100k a year can get $16MM in the hole to a book. They would let Shohei get that deep. They would let Lebron on MJ get that deep because they can get that money from those kinds of celebs. Pay up or get exposed and the celebs have that kind of cash flow.

But this dude? Yeah I don't buy that.

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The report is that he paid/transferred out $16MM to the book.

Not that he owed $16MM.

Mathguy64 said:

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Proposition Joe said:

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Mathguy64 said:

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I still don't buy how some chump making $100k a year can get $16MM in the hole to a book. They would let Shohei get that deep. They would let Lebron on MJ get that deep because they can get that money from those kinds of celebs. Pay up or get exposed and the celebs have that kind of cash flow.

But this dude? Yeah I don't buy that.

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The report is that he paid/transferred out $16MM to the book.

Not that he owed $16MM.

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He was in $16MM in the loss column all together. That may be in one chunk or $1MM a month for 16 months but it doesnt change the fact that a book is letting your yard guy lose large sums of money. If he was even $1MM in the hole at one point I dont buy it,.

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This is a good example of why headlines can drive perception. Some don't fully comprehend that owing $5MM or $16MM or $100MM at one time is wholly different than losing that over time.

I'm sure there's more than our fair share of TexAgs sports bettors that have lost $10k betting. That doesn't mean the same thing as they made a $10k bet and lost it.

Why exactly would you believe that if this guy was losing large sums of money and settling up, that the bookie would suddenly want to halt the arrangement? That is literally the exact square a bookie wants.

Proposition Joe said:

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Mathguy64 said:

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Proposition Joe said:

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Mathguy64 said:

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I still don't buy how some chump making $100k a year can get $16MM in the hole to a book. They would let Shohei get that deep. They would let Lebron on MJ get that deep because they can get that money from those kinds of celebs. Pay up or get exposed and the celebs have that kind of cash flow.

But this dude? Yeah I don't buy that.

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The report is that he paid/transferred out $16MM to the book.

Not that he owed $16MM.

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He was in $16MM in the loss column all together. That may be in one chunk or $1MM a month for 16 months but it doesnt change the fact that a book is letting your yard guy lose large sums of money. If he was even $1MM in the hole at one point I dont buy it,.

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This is a good example of why headlines can drive perception. Some don't fully comprehend that owing $5MM or $16MM or $100MM at one time is wholly different than losing that over time.

I'm sure there's more than our fair share of TexAgs sports bettors that have lost $10k betting. That doesn't mean the same thing as they made a $10k bet and lost it.

Why exactly would you believe that if this guy was losing large sums of money and settling up, that the bookie would suddenly want to halt the arrangement? That is literally the exact square a bookie wants.

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In another tweet he said the bets were placed between 2021-2024. That is not a little amount here and there. That is a lot of money and I don't care who you are or how much money you have you will know that 16+ million dollars is missing in that short of an amount of time.

Not to mention this came to light a month ago and they are already talking a plea deal? Talk about fast tracking a case. They already started lies at the very beginning and now they will have to cover those up. None of it makes sense.

US Attorney Martin Estrada: “The best do not appear to have been made on the sport of baseball.”

They were placed between 2021 and 2024. Ippei Mizuhara, according to Estrada, set up the account for Shohei Ohtani and didn't have access to Ohtani's reps or financial advisors.

— Alden González (@Alden_Gonzalez) April 11, 2024

If Ohtani has been betting large sums of money on sports for 4 years, we'll see evidence of it.

Until we do, it's not unthinkable to think over a 4 year time frame $16MM could have been siphoned off what is now a $700MM man. Don't think total dollars, think percentages. $16MM over 4 years is $330k/month.

Instead of a $700MM man, lets take a $250k net worth guy. That's roughly $120 a month.

Now, Ohtani was not yet a $700MM man, but the point stands that he's high net worth and it's not exactly unheard of that high net worth individuals don't keep great track of their finances. Entourages siphoning hundreds of thousands (and millions) of dollars isn't a rare occurrence in entertainment industry.

And again, you don't even have to go that far back for a similar story. The Jaguars employee stole and gambled away $20MM over a 4-year span before being caught -- and he wasn't actually caught by the Jaguars, he was caught because Fan Duel flagged some high dollar wagers and alerted the NFL.

I think before that a Kings guy stole $15MM.

I think some of you grossly overestimate how closely many high net worth individuals and businesses monitor their money.

A seeming confession from Ippei Mizuhara, via text to a bookmaker, on the day @TishaESPN's story ran. pic.twitter.com/YvX5jCk893

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 11, 2024

More headlines that get eyeballs but leaving out the actual details.

Mizuhara opened the bank account for Ohtani in 2018.
Starting in 2021 bets were made with the bookie. Averaging 25 bets a day. A total of 19,000 bets in all.
In late 2021 the phone number and email on Ohtani's bank account was changed to Mizuhara's.
Mizuhara's winnings were deposited into his own bank account, not Ohtani's.
Mizuhara repeatedly texted the bookmaker for more credit.
Mizuhara was recorded multiple times calling the bank impersonating Ohtani to get more funds transferred.
In late 2023 Mizuhara started ghosting the bookie (likely because he was down big).


So either the federal investigators are in on the coverup, Ohtani is not only one of the greatest baseball players of his era but he also has time to partake in a massive gambling addiction, and additionally he has setup Mizuhara over the years by having him call the bank and pretend like he is Ohtani to move funds...

Or part of Ohtani's entourage with far too much control, far too little oversight and with a gambling addiction has siphoned off money from him for a couple of years and finally got caught.

I mean, I'm just part of the Ohtani Fan Club here but I know which one sounds more likely. But that doesn't make for titillating headlines and tweets.