Shohei Ohtani’s ex-interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, sent a letter to Judge John W. Holcomb, asking for leniency in his sentencing and outlining the reasons for his gambling issues.
Mizuhara committed bank fraud and tax fraud as he stole nearly $17 million of Ohtani’s money to pay off gambling debts.
Federal prosecutors asked for a 57-month prison sentence, while also asking Mizuhara to pay $16.9 million of restitution to Ohtani, and another $1.1 million to the IRS.
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Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) with translator Ippei Mizuhara against the Chicago White Sox during a spring training baseball game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA Today Sports)
Mizuhara asked for an 18-month sentence in prison, while revealing the factors in his life that drove him to gamble, in his letter obtained by The Athletic.
Mizuhara said he has sacrificed his life and his family’s lives since becoming Ohtani’s interpreter/manager in late 2017.
“Usually, when a Japanese baseball player makes the move to the United States, they would bring over multiple staff members to take care of various tasks, such as a driver, trainer, chef, off-the-field interpreter/support member, etc. However, I was the only person Shohei brought along,” Mizuhara said in the letter.
“So naturally, I had to support him with most of the above-mentioned tasks. I drove him everywhere he needed to be, went on frequent grocery runs, ran random errands whenever he needed them, so I felt like I was on call 24/7.”
Ippei Mizuhara, the translator for Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, during an introductory press conference at Dodger Stadium. (Kirby Lee-USA Today Sports)
Mizuhara said the busy baseball schedule, combined with the international time difference dealing with Ohtani’s management team in Japan, would keep him up late at night on the phone, causing him to lose sleep.
Mizuhara said the offseason was more difficult than the baseball season, due to Ohtani’s demanding schedule.
“The offseason was much harder both physically and mentally. Shohei would train 5-6 times per week, and I was responsible for reserving the facility, setting up and cleaning up all of the practice equipment, filming and tracking all of his exercises, being his training partner (as it was just him and I during all of the offseason training), driving him back and forth, and communicating all of this back to the Angels and his personal pitching/hitting/rehabilitation people in the United States.”
“I would also be running daily errands such as grocery shopping, checking his mailbox, fixing his bicycle, accompanying him when he went back to Iwate Prefecture to visit his family, taking his dog to the vet and groomer, dropping off and picking up his dinners with peers while I waited in the car, helping to coordinate Japanese and U.S. lawyers for his marriage prenup and attending meetings, etc.”
In addition to those tasks, Mizuhara said he was responsible for communicating with the endorsement and brokerage companies to set up Ohtani’s commercial shoots. Those shoots were once per week in between offseason training, leaving Mizuhara with little time off.
Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani (right) and interpreter 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 was doing for Ohtani, Mizuhara said he felt severely 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 per year.
“I felt like I was getting severely underpaid, but I was afraid to speak up for myself, as I was on a one-year contract every year, and I didn’t want to upset them and risk being fired,” Mizuhara said.
Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani (left) and interpreter 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 by to Ohtani, which meant he had to pay higher rent to have a place near him.
“All of these extra expenses were taking a huge 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, doing TV/radio interviews, and appearing in TV commercials, which would have helped me financially, but they were all shut down by Shohei and his company in Japan.”
Among the salary, high demands of his job, and not being able to make any money for himself on the side, Mizuhara said he thought gambling might be an opportunity to help himself financially.
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Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani talks with translator Ippei Mizuhara in the dugout 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 off but by using Shohei’s money,” Mizuhara said. “I felt terribly guilty about putting my hands on his money, but at the time, it seemed like the only solution.”
Mizuhara can now only hope that Judge Holcomb can find some sympathy for him in his sentencing, with his side of the story now out there.
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