"Someone did something terrible to Shohei Ohtani" - Dodgers executive lauds star for 'handing everything' perfectly during $17M money scam

Last March, the entire baseball world waited with bated breath to witness Shohei Ohtani's Dodgers debut. However, mere days before the Dodgers' 2024 season opener, a scandal emerged that threatened to bring down the superstar.

Allegations claimed that Ohtani's interpreter, and longtime friend, Ippei Mizuhara had racked up tens of millions in gambling debt through an illegal bookmaker in California. Soon thereafter, accusations that Ohtani himself was engaging in nefarious sports betting were everywhere.

It was subsequently revealed that Shohei Ohtani had been the victim of theft, with Mizuhara stealing some $17 million from the star to fund his habit. Although Ohtani was absolved of any wrongdoing, the scandal tainted his name significantly on the eve of his debut with a new club.

"Ippei Mizuhara is in negotiations to plead guilty to federal crimes in connection with the alleged theft of Shohei Ohtani's money, per @nytmike" - Jomboy Media

Mizuhara had been a confidant of Ohtani's ever since his days in NPB and had served as his interpreter throughout Ohtani's entire six-year tenure with the Los Angeles Angels. Despite losing a friend and having his credibility threatened, Ohtani remained resolute in his claims of innocence and focused on baseball.

In recent claims to USA Today, Los Angeles Dodgers executive vice president Lon Rosen addressed those dark days in March and lauded Shohei Ohtani's composure. In his comments, Rosen said:

"“It was just a real learning experience, he didn’t do anything wrong, someone did something terrible to him. Ippei was not just his interpreter, he was his manager. But even when that happened, he handled everything behind the scenes, and it never took away his focus on the team or on the field"

Focusing on the field was precisely what Ohtani did. In addition to becoming the first player to hit at least 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a season, the Japanese phenom also won his third career MVP and played an instrumental role in his club's World Series win over the New York Yankees.

Shohei Ohtani never doubted his innocence

Even as some pundits were speaking of the possibility of a lifetime MLB ban, Ohtani never wavered in his claims of innocence. As Rosen continued in his words to USA Today:

“I still remember walking into the trainer’s room, right before he was going to speak about that to the rest of the world, we asked him if he was nervous. He said, 'Why would I be nervous? I didn’t do anything"

Perhaps the greatest baseball player ever, Ohtani's demonstration of integrity will, perhaps, go further in cementing his legacy as one of the game's finest.