BREAKING NEWS: Shohei Ohtani (大谷翔平)'s former interpreter stole more than $16M & more details

Ben Verlander and Alex Curry break down all the latest news after the DOJ announced charges for Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter. Ippei Mizuhara allegedly helped Ohtani open the bank account back in 2018 and stole more than $16 million from him. Federal authorities conclude Shohei Ohtani was a victim of fraud and was not a part of the gambling scheme.
#FlippinBats #MLB #ShoheiOhtani #ohtani #shohei #baseball #japan #losangeles #dodgers
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BREAKING NEWS: Shohei Ohtani (大谷翔平)'s former interpreter stole more than $16M & more details
• BREAKING NEWS: Shohei ...

[@FlippinBatsPod]

What are your thoughts on the investigation?

[@zhc2200]

Ohtani probably knew Ippei gambles. That's irrelevant, it's Ippeis busniness. What he didn't know was that Ippei embezzled millions from him covertly to feed his gambling habit. That makes it Ohtani's business by default and must be investigated. Case closed. Billy Joel had 90 million stolen from him. Robert De Noro had 77 million stolen from him. Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan also had millions pilfered from them. The same people that troll you for posting Ohtani highlights were probably the same ones chomping at the bit to railroad Ohtani.

[@JustJayC]

Zero chance 16 million goes missing. Financial institutions and his advisors/reps/accountants didn't miss it. This is bogus, man. The patriot act would not allow this in real life.

[@allenhayesmusic]

Fastest criminal investigation for a complex multi million dollar gambling I have ever seen

[@JoshuaMartian-go3tm]

Despite Ohtani being cleared by the feds/IRS, that wont stop the tin foil hat people and haters from still believing Ohtani was the one who bet. I just hope he focuses on punishing other teams, learns fluent english and doesn't try to save Ippei.

[@kapilagarwal9244]

He's cleared now.

[@studiodsr]

People want to believe Shohei is guilty for two reasons. 1. They just don’t like him (or the Dodgers) 2. They don’t want to believe that there are people as talented, decent, kind, hard working, and massively successful as Ohtani is. They want to believe anything that will bring him down to size so they can feel better about themselves and their lives. It’s sad really

[@neilwang1924]

Sounds like the kind of thing that people do in the golden age of bringing people down.

[@amanomana]

You can't be a two-way player unless you devote 24 hours to baseball. He's been doing that for over 10 years. He has more to do than count the balance in his bank account.

[@user-hj3lg9jb5d]

Listening to Ben speaks so emotionally just made me cry. Thank you for believing in Otani-san and being biggest fan of him.

[@demi7733]

Dodgers org should sue those pundits that called Shohei a deplorable gambler! Sue these irresponsible journalists who talk with their mouths not connected to their brains! Sue them for defamation!

[@Michael-kf7gm]

It’s not defamation to speculate. It’s okay to be a Shohei fan. It’s not okay to be a crazy person. Please get yourself some help.

[@F1derful.]

@@Michael-kf7gmyou need help you racist hater

[@shinestar2912]

@@Michael-kf7gm Tell that to Fox news. Dominion is still counting the money they won.

[@demi7733]

@@Michael-kf7gm it is not defamation if you speculate on your own but if you broadcast it to your thousands of followers and having any facts to back it up it is defamation! Especially not personally talking to the person involved !!!

[@demi7733]

@@Michael-kf7gm you should be The one getting yourself some help for being to gullible and believing speculation

[@user-yf8sx2tl8p]

Many media outlets, including ESPN, talked badly about Ohtani. Where is the apology? Please take responsibility for spreading lies without investigating.

[@orangeorange9719]

They believe Ippei not federal authority.ESPN spread the image Ohtani is new Pete Rose.They are bad.

[@onnt758]

Exactly

[@wholewheaties]

To answer Ben's question of "Why do you want Ohtani to have done something wrong?" because people are jealous and racist at the same time.

[@kellycarmona1737]

Thank you for speaking the truth. Japanese people are not obsessed with money and when you're wealthy, you don't check your accounts online. You just know you got cash flow!!

[@kevinreily2529]

They are definitely jealous, because he makes so much money. I don’t think it’s racism, all reporters lie nowadays to get attention!!! I am in Japan right now, I’ve been here five times, and the Japanese are very honorable. They trust people, especially other Japanese.

[@Michael-kf7gm]

That’s rich…there are literally Japanese businesses that refuse service to non-Japanese patrons. And you’re calling his critics racist? The Japanese culture is one that prioritizes the Japanese over all other cultures, so much so that they refuse service to non-Japanese.

[@Michael-kf7gm]

@@kellycarmona1737 that’s the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard

[@skrattaoppar9753]

​@@kellycarmona1737except Ippei

[@TSFPK]

You know what kind of human-being Ohtani is. We do too. Anyone who knows what kind of man he is knew Ohtani was innocent. It was so upsetting to see all the media going crazy and trying to label him as some sort of criminal when he was a complete victim. Ohtani doesn’t deserve this. All he ever did was to try harder than anyone else to achieve his dreams. I seriously want American media and conspiracy theorists to apologize to Shohei Ohtani. We Japanese, will just keep on supporting him, even harder now.

[@user-ie7ot4yr6g]

Anyone who still doubts Shohei Ohtani is like professing that you can't read long sentences. LOL!

[@BootsandUtes]

Ben is possibly the only sports media with integrity when the news first broke. I am embarrassed by how many American media outlets handled this story.

[@ar63naqw]

ベンはこの件でずっと冷静だった。ベン、ありがとう。

[@jackson3579]

It is astounding to see how so many people out there even after the investigation completely cleared him still insisting on asking more questions! They are just total losers who can not stand the success that Ohtani has!! For me, it is pure jealously of these people..

[@mikiohirata9627]

Do they happened to be MAGA and Trump followers who still believe that vote was stolen or Biden didn't win ????

[@takuyafunaki2889]

like Rich Eizen

[@Michael-kf7gm]

Did you know that “cannot” is actually a single word, not two? Also, you should know that I personally blame Shohei’s mother for this whole debacle now that Shohei is cleared.

[@RunForPeace-hk1cu]

@@Michael-kf7gmhis mother isn’t capable of managing his money from abroad in a financial system that is foreign to them. He’s also 30yrs old. He’s not a child. He can do with his money as he please. 😂😂😂😂 🤡🤡🤡🤡 You should blame Ippei for betraying his trust. You must be a pathetic human being if you don’t trust a single person in your life. Nobody is immune to misplacing their trust on someone close to them. Unless you think you are above the fray

[@wanyelandy8847]

I am not surprised after after Amber Head's trial case. It is even on the main stream media. To me, never underestimate someone's maliciousness if they ignore the facts.

[@zrpggamer]

People think that the only guy ever who can pitch and hit has the time to do 25 bets every day. My man even if Shohei wanted to, he is way too busy working on his game.

[@saraperez5720]

Thank you Ben! I was touched by your heart felt expressions. I was hurting for Sho, I was so happy that Dodger management and his new teammates were beside him, supporting him. 💙⚾️💙

[@FlippinBatsPod]

You and me both!

[@IsThisThePrizeIveWaitedFor]

The people who convicted Ohtani without hearing the facts should feel ashamed. I appreciated that both of you were some of the few voices that didn’t immediately jump to conclusions when the news first broke.

[@richardyounkins]

They won't feel anything. They are part of this country that are willing to give up Presumed Innocent Until Proven Guilty. Flat Earthers.

[@sheahsu7094]

Well said. I hope he surrounds himself with multiple layers of people whom help him from here on.

[@maxie9078]

I read it, all pages. I don’t know Ohtani personally but I am outraged and my question to Ohtani is “how could you keep your cool like that!?” If I were him I might be arrested for assaulting Ippei or couldn’t get out of bed blaming myself ever trusted Ippei. Ohtani seems strong but we don’t really know what he is going through. I hope Ohtani gets over this trauma and continues to chase his dream and have a happy life.

[@Michael-kf7gm]

I blame Ohtani’s mother.

[@biscuit3312]

Otani is an innocent person who grew up as a baseball player. In order to fulfill his dream of becoming the best baseball player in the world, he has lived his life by making thorough choices and avoiding everything that would be negative. However, he says that the most important thing he wants to do is to become a person worthy of being trusted by others. He doesn't want to let anyone down, and if someone expects something from him, he wants to live up to it. There is no doubt that he was deeply hurt by someone like his family this time. However, even when he was viewed with suspicion from around the world, he said that if he couldn't achieve results due to mental illness, it was his own fault. Anyway, the man named Shohei Otani has a mental strength that cannot be understood by haters who don't even read the indictment, no matter how many times he is reborn.

[@Michael-kf7gm]

@@biscuit3312 I think we should kick him out of MLB

[@benverlander8783]

Not sure why people are ROOTING for him to have committed a crime. It’s wild. This is a sad situation where a good guy has been taken advantage of

[@skynetcafe8299]

Ms.カリーの指摘は正しいですね。 まさに水原はその大谷の弱い部分につけ込んだ訳です。 彼女はなかなか聡明ですねぇ･･･。 なんなら私の嫁さんになるかい？w

[@alexschmollinger6576]

@benverlander8783 With all do Respect Shohei Ohtani is the Greatest MLB Player Since Babe Ruth And MLB Fans like me Enjoy Watching Shohei Ohtani And that is Coming from a Baseball fan and Not a Fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers MLB, MLB SportsAnalysts and the News Media Rushed to Judgement When it came to the Gambling Scandal Against Shohei Ohtani and Now Shohei Ohtani has been Cleared of Wrong Doing Shame on MLB and all the Clowns on the Sports Shows Who Where Calling Shohei Ohtani a Crook When he was the Victim of Ippei Mizuhara Who Stole his $$$ Money Shohei ohtani is the Greatest MLB Player Since Babe Ruth

[@mickeymelendez1605]

​@@skynetcafe8299That's your point of view. Ohtani's not a baby. Don't make me laugh 😂

[@jasonleetaiwan]

It's because he signed with the Dodgers. That's why people don't like him. It's not him. It's the Dodgers. People are envious of the organization and are always putting them down for winning a championship in 2020 when only 60 regular season games were played.

[@RajDeelish]

Because they either like to see rich people fail (lots of people), or are Dodger haters.

[@Rosemarry467]

Shohei is honest man and never doubt he could do gambling. I feel he is deeply hurt but he never showed off his sadness in front of people. he is amazing person. to all those had suspected he was involved with gambling are haters.

[@user-sw4ej]

大谷選手が犯人だと報道するアメリカメディアが多いことは日本でも報道されていましたので、真実が分かり安心しました。

[@gabriellecoco6183]

I tuned into Rich's channel eagerly anticipating his take on Ohtani once all the facts were out, only to be left sorely disappointed. Rich proceeded to offer his own explanations and excuses, claiming he had no prior knowledge of Mr. Mizuhara's questionable behavior. Not once did he extend an apology to Otani. It appears there are numerous individuals uncomfortable with the idea of a Japanese player, whose English proficiency may be lacking, dominating the sport of baseball-originating from the United States-and thus, they seek to undermine him.

[@kellycarmona1737]

Rich needs to he canceled. His disdain for Shohei is borderline racism.

[@ttman1233]

If you guys are talking about Rich Eisen's channel, I agree. It was weird how he went from gushing about Trout-Ohtani in the WBC to saying 'well, I wanna know this and I wanna know that b/c the whole thing is just so out there.'

[@AMIPARIS-fe2yj]

Thank you Ben👏👏👏

[@stacieburton67]

For those who are still questioning how Shohei or his accountants didn’t notice that $16mil was missing from his accounts, the answer is right there in the report. Shohei believed that his agent and accountants were able to see and manage all of his accounts. However, the truth was that Ippei had denied them access to the account in question by falsely telling them that Shohei wanted the account to be kept private. The agent and accountants do not speak Japanese, nor do any of their employees speak Japanese, so all communication was going through and coming from Ippei. They did not know what was in the account, nor did they know what transactions were taking place within that account. I would employ everyone to actually READ the report, because the facts are all there. It might be 37 pages, but it’s really not a hard read… like 10-15mins max for crying out loud 😅

[@stacieburton67]

I mean, I’m sat here in the UK, not even a baseball fan and hadn’t heard of Shohei before this news broke and even I can tell he is an innocent victim. Granted, since then I have obsessively watched every video I can find on the guy because I find him truly fascinating and a joy to watch and I am now a fan! Go Dodgers! ⚾️

[@dylee2846]

​@@stacieburton67Thank you for being Otani's fan.

[@ameliabedelia7018]

I’d rather form my own opinion based off of rumors and scandal. I will still have a side eye for Ohtani.

[@buddhavaro]

well said Ben. Thank you for always speaking the unbiased truth.

[@scoooby1514]

Honestly, my respect for Shehei got even bigger. If I were him, I would've blasted on social media like "My interpreter is a gamble addict and pathological liar. Look at his sketcy past and all the red flags. People who trust him over me and believe the scapegoat conspiracy shit should get their brain checked." or smth lol But of course Shehei just focus on the baseball and let people say whatever they want. What a guy.

[@jimmyplinzo]

For me, those who are still accusing or doubting Shohei, they struggle to believe that there is someone that is so straightforward and devoted to baseball like Shohei so they need to find some dirt on him, but by doing that it just shows their own flaws. Let`s go Shohei! 🔥🔥🔥

[@Michael-kf7gm]

We just think he’s stupid now to let this happen.

[@allenchen5730]

​@@Michael-kf7gm Things always happen, even smart people can be deceived.

[@streetj3sus]

U are delusional believing these mlb celebrities are angels

[@johnchieze530]

expect this public behavior when the country is divided over the sky being blue

[@mikelp72]

Oh brother

[@YK-he7jc]

I think it concludes everything and Shohei continues hitting home runs to 60.

[@hd7704]

"Turns out 99% of the internet are gambling and fraud experts." 😂😂😂

[@goatyachty1762]

Ben as a dodger fan I will take my bias out of all this, even though that's almost impossible to completely do. You said something truly amazing and the best line I've heard ANYONE say on this investigation. "If you don't want to read a 37 page report, that's fine and understandable, but then you have no room to say anything". This rings so true to so many things. People love headlines and it shocks me that no one reads reports, articles, or studies... but then have such a strong opinion or disagreement with the consensus of professionals. Man you took the words right out of my mind!

[@laud7]

It's funny how the victim suffers due to others' own insecurities and doubts about him. Not understanding how this could happen due to his culture, language barrier and the trust he had for his best friend. Shohei already has to live what his best friend did to him. On top of that, some of the public is still doubting the story even though it already had a criminal investigation unit and other government departments clear him of any wrong doing. It's quite sad and appalling the treatment he has received. Props to both of you for articulating and putting this video out on KZbin.

[@jasonbourne7316]

What the both said is so true, sadly true. Ippei played a lot of roles on behalf of Shohei in the states. He totally had Shohei’s confidence, and reneged. Japanese people including myself are furious about Ippei. He should be brought to justice immediately and be severely convicted.

[@dylee2846]

It's so sad to think of the shock Shohei must have had. I hope he gets through it well...

[@mikiohirata9627]

TY Ben and Alex for making this appeal for any ordinary person be they Americans or Japanese to understand the dynamics of this crime. I feel very sad when I think about how Shohei must be feeling after all this. But your sympathetic portrayal of Shohei touched my heart.

[@alexandrebenois7962]

Even middle-class people don't check their account balance all the time. You wouldn't be worried if you knew millions and millions are coming into your accounts ALL THE TIME.

[@melonsuika1253]

especially if you know your expenses, only when you have big purchase then that's the time you check.

[@itsyourgirlzuzu]

I just hate the fact that so many people are hating on Shohei for not speaking English. I have seen lots of hate and sad statements from the American people. it's just so sad.

[@HoratioNegersky]

I worked for an attorney who had that kind of life, too busy to be himself for the banks during the daytime. I impersonated him constantly at his behest, I still remember his social. I'd never ever give it out or misuse it because I take the fiduciary responsibility seriously. It's totally likely Shohei didn't have the time OR interest to monitor his bank account closely, he's not in this for money. He has regularly shown that in other life decisions.

[@kotama4162]

I believe Shohei’s innocence from the bottom of my heart!! I think Shohei would never have noticed even if it was much more than 16mill because it’s Shohei!! All he thinks about and lives for (now it is for his wife too!) is baseball. And thank you, Ben and Alex for your words for Shohei!! You guys are more than great TV hosts! You two are great human beings, too!!

[@OmitoHashimoto]

Ben! You’re great judge of character and understood Ohtani’s character and integrity before jumping to wild conclusions. All these other journalists could learn a lot from you.

[@nrpy09]

What became clear from the recent press conference by the judicial authorities is that Mizuhara did not resort to tapping into Ohtani san’s bank account out of desperation from gambling, but rather, he intentionally stole from Ohtani san’s bank account to gamble with Ohtani san’s assets from the very beginning. Could there be a more typical motive for a thief? Regardless, all we can do is hope that Ohtani san’s wounded heart heals as soon as possible.

[@sceek561]

Thank you so much for this video. It’s so refreshing to hear. It’s so disturbing seeing people make judgments without proof.

[@umbrobose1503]

大谷をずっと信じて応援してくれた【FOX Sports】は、水原の嘘を拡散させた【ESPN】よりもずっと公平で正しかった。ありがとう💝ベンさん｡｡

[@otaniayun5994]

most people seek drama & want to see a good man fall...especially a unique talent such as ohtani...who has such a big heart & charisma...most people cannot accept how one man on this earth can be nearly flawless...in every aspect of his life

[@laurielum5005]

Thank you for speaking out for Shohei!!!!

[@billzzy1644]

Ben Verlander you were good. journalists must remain neutral until the results of the investigation are available. some reporters published articles that mixed personal feelings and even a little racism, and now they are writing differently, pointing out the player's attitude. a player can't speak english? no, people get criminalized even if they speak eng well. that's the world we live in. news in the U.S. there are many fraudulent crimes.

[@Iolo3]

What disappoints me about this (beside the huge betrayal by Ippei) is the number of people that continued to doubt Ohtani right from the beginning and even after new details started to come out. They just want to see him go down no matter what so I hope people connected to Ohtani will inform him about those individuals so he can ignore them from now on even if he happens to see them by chance either on or off the field

[@tamangel5164]

Ohtani has dedicated his life to becoming the best baseball player in the world. これほど野球に人生を捧げている選手は彼しかいない

[@naomisuzuki7001]

Ben, thank you for your amazing coverage on this situation!!! you've always kept a level head and reported the facts with no fluff. Glad things are getting cleared up for shohei! As someone who has followed him for years and seen all his interviews, i always got the sense he was a victim in this situation. He was so trusting:( - Great video and analysis!!!

[@FlippinBatsPod]

Thank you!

[@bballmemories]

Thank you Ben for being fair throughout this situation and not pushing your narratives unlike some of your colleagues at Fox.

[@tyo1973]

Hey, Ben, you can search and tell out how much his personal spending was when he was in Japanese Professional Baseball. He only used a few hundred dollars per month for his smartphone games and all the rest went to the saving. He was living in the team dorm and dined at the team dining hall. He is only interested in baseball and all his wish is to raise the whole baseball industry back to the top sports with supporting kids getting interested in baseball. He is still just a baseball kid with a dream.

[@Elephant2024-wi2li]

Thanks for the update, Ben and Alex. Hard to believe anyone could go through that kind of $$$. Gambling can be such a sickness. Feel bad for Shohei Ohtani. He trusted Ippei.

[@Msogenki1]

Thank you, Ben San. I have known that Shoei is innocent from the beginning.

[@harumih.3727]

There are still many doubters and haters who don't believe the truth and who want to believe their own "obsession" of hatred, who may be wanting to be "Detective Colombo"??? They don't know how to respect and how to trust the truth. Sad.

[@kharapar1337]

You’re right. Cannot understand those people’s heart. Are they’re born losers?

[@ryo-lf6vd]

I agree. People who refuse to see the truth and keep spewing delusions should look at themselves in the mirror. I'm sure their image will look distorted.

[@marj6515]

Shohei san is 100 percent innocent.

[@alexsakon]

Well said Ben. $16M is a LOT but as Shohei is someone who doesn’t seem to care about money it’s not surprising that he was oblivious to his bank account balance. Also as a Japanese I’d say that Ippei was a good interpreter. The new guy is a lot more awkward and he also made a huge interpretation error in saying that Shohei met or spoke with a fan who caught the first HR ball. He never said that. He said that the “team was able to talk to that fan and get the ball back” and this poor interpretation has lead people to think that Shohei lied when he did not.

[@tomahawk-gb5ii]

アメリカのメディアの多くが翔平を疑っているときに、翔平を信じてくれていたベンに感謝します。

[@frankieg3409]

I know Ben is a Shohei stan, but it still surprises me seeing him wholeheartedly defending a Dodger, thanks Ben.

[@Mr1stcat]

I remember all the idiots online here on KZbin "Pete Rose 2.0" 🤦‍♂️

[@Ret_Chrogames]

Ahh, pete rose, the guy that admitted to statutory rape

[@streetj3sus]

We still believe Ohtani is the new Charlie hustle

[@trevorcarey3997]

Pete Rose in 1989 deny but partially admitted he bet on sports (later he said he bet on baseball) And players who used steriods deny but partially admitted by saying the trainer injected without their knowledge or say did'nt know it was steriods. In this case a guilty person will not totally deny unless he is totally innocent like Shohei, and the hater's that knocked and accused him will look like fools.

[@annunakian8054]

All of the doubt & hate has been perpetrated by ESPN & ESPN alumni + Pete the lying degen Rose. I lost alot of respect for ESPN after this & all respect for Pete Rose, who most likely did fix games he participated in. Why would u trust him after he lied for decades & only came clean at his convenience?? Ichiro is the real hit king & real ones know that's a fact. Wayyyyy more classy than him too.

[@mikio6444]

Thank for being the one voice of reason this past month

[@FlippinBatsPod]

Thank you!

[@stevest8675]

Yes. Thank you.

[@ryansmith17s]

The people who call Ohtani "fool" in this case are ordinary people who care more about money than baseball. Ohtani is a strange guy who values ​​baseball more than money. No more than that. But you know what? So he has a special talent. And I want to tell the skeptics. You should know that not everyone looks at the numbers in their account every day and grins.

[@memotsubasa93]

this is crazy... poor ohtani

[@FlippinBatsPod]

WILD

[@Sunygal95]

Now we can sue those who will keep saying Ohtani gambled or asking related questions for injuring his reputation and harassment . So keep on criticizing him, you’ll pay big time!

[@Katsutoyo98]

FBI would not do a cover up for MLB, so I totally believe in Ohtani's innocence. By they way, I am waiting for Michael Kay's take on this latest development, but I can't find it on KZbin.

[@juniorbeckham2928]

For real, they don't give a damn.

[@b-rad3681]

It’s on there , he doubled down on his take & called out dodger fans and Ohtani fans saying that dodger fans shouldn’t be in love with Ohtani and defending him because he hasn’t been a dodger that long . My rebuttal to that is I guess it’s okay for Yankee fans to be in love with Juan Soto then because he hasn’t been a Yankee that long lol . Michael Kay is a hack

[@mkate1947]

Micheal Kay will keep his barking. He’s the loudest of them all.

[@stevest8675]

Exactly. Fed investigate.

[@b-rad3681]

@@mkate1947 loud & wrong . He is a clown . Any respect I did have for him is out of the window . His gripe with Ohtani is that Ohtani doesn’t talk to the media , that’s the only thing he’s going after Ohtani for now with the recent updates on this Ippei situation ! I don’t think it’s that big of a deal but Michael Kay is making it a huge deal that Ohtani doesn’t answer questions or talks to the media ! It wasn’t an issue when he was with the angels but now it’s an issue to him apparently because of the Ippei situation which if this never happened Michael Kay wouldn’t be saying anything about Ohtani not speaking to the media he’s just piling on at this point

[@sdsudjrtz]

They only accused ohtani because there jealous that his hard work paid off. These people have nothing going on in their sad lives and need to hate on others.

[@user.3448]

We, Japanese, watched Shohei grow up in Japan. He is a national treasure. Ippei is a shame, even though I understand that gambling addiction is a disease.

[@culturalhouse2643]

Well said Ben . 👏🏼

[@gameboyn64]

People are questioning how he could not know 16 million went missing but choose to ignore that shohei let his mom manage all his money while in japan and subsequently let mizuhara manage his money while in the states. Im sure there are a lot of people, especially married people, who let someone else that they trust manage their money and would not know if a percentage of it went missing. Happens a lot in crime documentaries.

[@kapilagarwal9244]

No way he bets 16 million of his own money with what we know about Ohtani so conspiracy theories are case closed. As to how he didn't notice: he probably like most people doesn't look at the line items on his bank account since he's focused on baseball. Also the average young single pre family, person doesn't look at their bank statement line by line either if they have a stable income and money isn't a concern. You just notice your back account going up with each direct deposit and in Ohtanis case regardless of the theft his bank account is going up a million dollars plus a month. So that's how he didn't notice in addition to the fact that he trusted his former friend and was basically constantly lied to. TLDR: -Bank account goes up every month by hundreds of thousands or even millions it's hard to know from your monthly statement -He has people on his payroll as part of his expenses as an athlete so it would look like any other expense -It's harder to discover fraud than you think -Ippei perpetually lied to Shohei and had unique access (basically like a family member abroad to help him + more)

[@user-we5sd2ul5i]

We're very much appreciate your honest and unbiased opinion on Ohtani. Greetings from Tokyo 🇯🇵

[@gsmarcom]

This proves again, sadly, that there are really evil people in this world, including Ippei and those who still falsely accuse Ohtani despite all the facts in the 37 pages report

[@FlippinBatsPod]

Exactly

[@Kotaro1326]

For most people (myself included) if something like what happened to Shohei Ohtani were to happened to us I think we would break...and just losing $16 million dollars is not what hurts Ohtani but the betrayal of a close trusted friend of many years and having society talk badly about him as if he’s some criminal. The man is truly a Superman amongst men. Not only is he a super athlete but Shohei Ohtani also has nerves of steel.

[@ucyousee]

So sad about that. But thanks for this video.

[@JesusEsDios007]

Thank you Ben for having common sense. Other "experts" are still in denial and are just haters.

[@mnplumberman]

They didn't ask questions like "How does that much money go missing without Shohei noticing?" They asked "How does this much money go missing without Shohei noticing, because I would notice, so he must have known, and is guilty." People are dumb.

[@mmacwebb7306]

From Japan, I really thank you for Dodgers to find out and stand for Ohtani. Also, thank you for your comment. I really sorry Ohtani he lost his friend at least.

[@inoko3423]

大谷は聴き取り調査を受けた日に第一号のホームランを打ったらしい。集中するのが難しかったと思うけど結果を出したのが素晴らしい💪

[@rdpaik]

Who wanted Shohei to go down? Let’s count: 1) all the fans of teams who didn’t get him this year 2) Angel fans 3) Dodger haters 4) Japanese haters 5) Asian haters 6) Pete Rose fans 7) Babe Ruth fans 8) Perfect people (inage-wise) haters 9) Jealous people 10) People who loves famous people falling from grace 11) News media who want big stories 12) Papparazzi 13) IRS 14) People who hate MLB 15) People who hated the deferred salary plan he got

[@wholewheaties]

Haters and typical Americans cannot fathom how someone could allow millions of dollars to slip out of one's bank account without noticing. Fortunately, Shohei Ohtani, a national treasure to Japan, is not tainted in worldly desires like most of us nor does he care to pursue fortune or fame. He got to where he is now purely devoted to the sport of baseball and his fortune and fame is nothing but a byproduct of his efforts. Haters like Michael Kay need to thank Ohtani for making baseball a global sport. No one started watching baseball because of Juan Soto.

[@rjfischer571]

Ippei, knew the accounts were in jeopardy once Shohei got married...

[@LL-tc1re]

Was thinking the same. His wife may have eventually uncovered it once she has access to his accounts and see new wire transfers. Shohei looking at bigger picture of portfolio and not daily changes. I assume the growth of his overall portfolio and yearly endorsements including salaries runs in the hundreds of millions and covered up the multiple wire transfers over 2 years. Good thing they caught him before he wired the rest of the debt balance of 40m.

[@rdpaik]

The bookie he was working with was under federal investigation. He was probably tipped this story would come out and made a preemptive strike interview with ESPN to try to control the narrative.

[@AF-oc1ko]

I usually don’t like Ben…But he’s 100% right here

[@mimispike]

翔平はMVPを獲ったときも、一平と一緒にとったと遇したか、盾を一緒に持ったり一平に持たせたりして共に写真を撮りもした。 それほどまでに翔平に感謝され、報われる一平とはどんなに素晴らしい通訳者かと評価が高まったが、こんなにも冷酷に身近な人を欺ける人物であったかと驚愕するばかり。

[@user-yc6rt6wf6g]

as Ben said he just wasn't an interpretter i think he was way more than his best friend because he took care of all the buissnesses as well he was closer than most wives husabands moms it's harder than most peoples mind to make close relationships in a different country when people follow every place you go and do what ohtani is doing in baseball

[@BrennanLDaly]

for me the biggest takeaway from the whole situation is just... sad. it's really sad- i feel like shohei and ippei's friendship was genuine but ippei was weak and used his position to help himself. it's human to want more money when you spend every day with a mega-millionaire. but yeah... just sad

[@yukitake5100]

I think something that is also not properly acknowledged is that Mizuhara was at every meeting from the beginning with Ohtani to set up his bank account in the US, getting Ohtani´s social security number, visa appointment and was the one interpreting all the information to Ohtani from agents, bank employees, government officials etc. It would be quite easy in this instance to take advantage of Ohtani even if Ohtani had not had complete trust in Mizuhara.

[@atomicave]

Well said Ben !!! Michael Kay needs to go away. Some people just cannot admit when they are wrong , instead double down.

[@HaRUhisEMp]

Thank you

[@kennogawa6638]

That's a healthy chunk of change!

[@HZAres]

Giving someone that much control over your life is never a good idea. They aren't your parents, they don't have 100% of your wellbeing in mind, the league really need to do something official about translator so foreign players don't get taken advantage of.

[@PainandSorrow]

Feds are not going to cover-up for Ohtani. Anyone trying to implicate Ohtani at this point is just a hater.

[@eyebeebak]

The people who still think Ohtani is guilty are the same people that bet on sports and lost.

[@tmuny1380]

Thank goodness this is all over ! Kudos to his accountants that do his tax returns !

[@kazuewa25]

Ben, I was really touched with what you expressed today about Shohei. I am Japanese living in Europe so cannot hear what people are still taking about Shohei in the US. As a big fan of Shohei, I have firmly believed in him and been impressed with Ippeis commitment, though it reveals now Ippei is just a swindler and lier. Disappointed.

[@shuichiroyasuda4072]

Thank you very much Ben. I have been waiting to hear this. Those who cannot sympathize with the shock of Otani being betrayed by someone he trusted wholeheartedly may be people who have lost their innocence to the point that they are forced to doubt Otani's purity. Also, Otani himself may feel sorry about the trouble he has caused everyone at the Dodgers due to the mistake made by his interpreter, but why is it that the more fundamental issue is not being reported as to the responsibility of the Angels, who were Ippei's employers and had supervisory responsibility, for failing to manage Ippei's actions at the time he engaged in illegal gambling and fraudulent transfers? Why don't those who doubted Ohtani try to criticize the illegal gambling operators for their role in escalating the involvement of someone who may have had a gambling addiction in illegal gambling?

[@tinorodriguez89]

Just say rich eisen is a tool

[@robertocontreras86]

The guy placed more than 182 million total bets...holy smokes.

[@tothemax1517]

I love how the place where Ippei drew the line was betting on baseball 😂

[@shaindaman13]

Speak for yourself Ben. I am SERIOUSLY pissed at anyone that accused him not knowing or even questioned it condescendingly. Dammit you’re supposed to be innocent until suspected guilty. Oh wait. No you’re not. It HAS TO BE PROVEN.

[@Michael-kf7gm]

That’s the way it works for everyone else, why not Shohei too? Now that we know Shohei isn’t a gambler, we must ask ourselves - how could he be so stupid to let this happen?

[@DoDaUrkel]

Sometimes I don’t agree with you Ben haha, but you hit the nail on the head here, man. Couldn’t have said it any better. There’s a human aspect that is being forgotten. Even when you have factual proof these days.

[@agentbb007]

I wish I was so rich that someone could steal $16 million from me and I wouldn’t notice haha

[@hidetravel5934]

Although my native language is Japanese, and I felt that there was no lie in what he said at the press conference. Those who doubted him must have hardly ever heard him speak English. People judge whether someone is a liar by the pitch of their voice and facial expressions. Also, as Homer's epics, written in ancient Greece, people tend to trust those of the same race and language more easily. However, since Otani hardly speaks English in public, I think it was difficult for most Americans who do not understand Japanese to tell whether he was telling the truth. And some fans and reporters were originally dissatisfied with that. Of course, he responds to interviews through an interpreter to avoid misunderstandings due to cultural and linguistic differences, and since he is a superstar, it is understandable that he is careful about what he says. There are two sides to everything, and ironically, this time it may have backfired.