Shohei Ohtani was a young superstar destined for the Hall of Fame. Ippei Mizuhara was his interpreter, fixer, assistant and protector. They were a team. Shohei and Ippei. But in spring 2024, six short years after first taking Major League Baseball by storm and just months after celebrating a historic contract, their relationship was over.
From 30 for 30 Podcasts, "The Betrayal of Shohei Ohtani" is the story of the desperation, confusion and sacrifice at the heart of that breakup. Based on a never-before-heard interview with Mizuhara and exhaustive original reporting, it's a story about the wild underbelly of illegal sports gambling. A story that will forever bind two men who will never step foot on the same field again.
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Listen to "The Betrayal of Shohei Ohtani"
About this 30 for 30 Podcast
The first two episodes of this six-part series are available now. Tune in Tuesdays and Thursdays for more.
Episode 1: The Letter O
ESPN investigative reporter Tisha Thompson receives a tip that, if true, could damage Ohtani's picture-perfect reputation.
Episode 2: The Interview
A surprising interview takes a strange turn and deepens the mystery around Ohtani and his longtime interpreter, Mizuhara.
Episode 3: Baseball Boy
Shohei's life has been well-documented since he was a young baseball phenom in Japan, but digging into Ippei's past reveals a more complicated picture.
Episode 4: The Bookie
Matt Bowyer was running one of the largest illegal sports betting operations in the country when he thought he scored the client of a lifetime.
Episode 5: The Feds
Encrypted text messages, a trunk full of baseball cards and a private bank account -- federal law enforcement takes us inside their investigation of Shohei and Ippei.
Episode 6: Footnote
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Dodgers fire Shohei Ohtani's interpreter amid allegation of 'massive theft,' by Tisha Thompson
Inside the evolving story of what happened with Ohtani and his interpreter, by Tisha Thompson
Ohtani says he never bet on sports, 'shocked' interpreter stole money, by Alden Gonzalez
How Ohtani's interpreter Ippei Mizuhara became players' lifeline, by Tim Keown
How Ippei Mizuhara descended into a sports betting nightmare, by Paula Lavigne
Millions stolen from Shohei Ohtani funneled to bookie via Vegas casino, by Tisha Thompson
Shohei-Ippei scandal fades as lessons should grow louder, by Dan Wetzel