“Had to get coached up some” – MLB fans suspicious over Shohei Ohtani’s delayed press conference amid gambling fiasco

Shohei Ohtani set to address the media on Monday for the first time after the Ippei Mizuhara betting scandalShohei Ohtani set to address the media on Monday for the first time after the Ippei Mizuhara betting scandal

LA Dodgers’ $700 million superstar Shohei Ohtani has announced that he is going to address the media on Monday. This is set to be the first time he faces reporters since his interpreter and close friend Ippei Mizuhara was accused of betting and theft.

The IRS has already initiated a criminal investigation against Ippei. The MLB has also started its investigation into the Shohei Ohtani-Ippei Mizuhara betting scandal. Reports suggest that almost $4.5 million was paid to the bookie from Ohtani’s account. Initially, the player’s camp agreed that the player did make those payments to clear Ippei’s huge gambling debts. Later they changed their statement and said that the three-time All-Star didn’t have any knowledge of these transactions and accused Mizuhara of theft as well.

During the Seoul series, when the Ippei Mizuhara scandal came out, the media tried to get Ohtani’s comments on it. However, his locker was guarded by Dodgers Public Relations employees who kept the press away from him and stated that the Japanese star wouldn’t be in any conference.

Since then Ohtani has reportedly been silent about the ongoing fiasco. However, his sudden announcement of facing the media has made fans suspicious as they think it might just be a part of a big cover-up. One fan wrote:
Had to get coached up some I’m guessing?

Ippei Mizuhara says Shohei Ohtani is anti-gambling

Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara recently opened up on the 3x All-Star DH’s stance against gambling.

In an interview with ESPN, Mizuhara tried his best to steer Ohtani’s name clear and out of this scandal. He wanted to make it crystal clear that the two-way phenom wasn’t ever a gambling person and he hated it to the core.
“He (Ohtani) sees that people, teammates would be gambling all the time, and he’ll be like, ‘Why are they doing this? Gambling is not good,” Mizuhara told ESPN. “He would make comments like that. People would ask him to go to casinos on road trips, and he would never go. No, he’s not into it.”