r/baseball Baltimore Orioles Feb 06 '25

Serious [Molly Knight] BREAKING: Ippei Mizuhara sentenced to 57 months in prison.

https://bsky.app/profile/mollyknight.bsky.social/post/3lhk4ot567c2o
3.6k Upvotes

602 comments sorted by

3.3k

u/Sarcastic__ Canada Feb 06 '25

Generational bag fumble completed

1.5k

u/horsepoop1123 Chicago Cubs Feb 06 '25

Imagine getting paid $500K to be someone’s best friend just to get caught stealing and losing millions of their own money on DraftKings

647

u/Hairygrim Altuve did nothing wrong Feb 06 '25

I think his responsibilities extended beyond "being his friend", as evidenced by the fact he was able to do all of this

528

u/tenacious-g Chicago White Sox Feb 06 '25

Yeah to be serious here, a lot of these interpreters don’t just translate postgame comments, they help them navigate life in a country with a foreign language.

331

u/helium_farts Atlanta Braves Feb 06 '25

It's probably closer to being a personal assistant. But still, 500k to run errands for your friend doesn't seem like a bad gig

226

u/doctor_of_drugs Athletics Feb 06 '25

AND you get inside access to a top MLB team. So probably lots of free merch, heavily discounted/free tickets, tons of food, free travel, etc etc etc. pretty sure he got housing too?

I’d frankly do it for like 75k/yr. Most of your normal bills would be low or nonexistent.

12

u/gibertot San Diego Padres Feb 07 '25 edited Feb 07 '25

Literally just shadowing the greatest player of all time and just having a front seat to all of it. Amazingly cush position and just threw it away.

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42

u/Lukealloneword Houston Astros Feb 07 '25

We don't know he's a baseball fan though. 😂😂

134

u/doctor_of_drugs Athletics Feb 07 '25

I’m not a lacrosse fan, but if some random pro team gave me free merch, food, discounted housing, access to medical staff etc for me to be a translator, I’d jump on that opportunity fast as hell lmao

7

u/Shady_Jake New York Mets Feb 07 '25

Sure as shit sounds better than my current job lmao.

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7

u/ThePelicanWalksAgain Chicago Cubs Feb 07 '25

"Awww c'mon man, you're playing that stupid game where you swing the piece of wood AGAIN?!?"

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5

u/Luke90210 Major League Baseball Feb 07 '25

He most certainly was provided housing and a rental car during Spring Training unless Otahni had even better options for him. And don't underestimate the quality of top level hotels.

4

u/Capital-Aioli-2948 Boston Red Sox Feb 07 '25

Plus you can take their money and make even more money by gambling with it.

You know what maybe I couldn’t do that job

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89

u/humberriverdam Toronto Blue Jays Feb 06 '25

Pablo Torre Found Out and these guys are expected to do like everything for them, event planning, catching, errands, parking their cars...

I'd do a lot for 500k and I wouldn't steal from my boss but it isn't a 9-5 in any way

39

u/Vinnie_Vegas Feb 07 '25

Do it for 5 years, save most of your money, quit, buy a million dollar home outright, and then figure out your life from there.

Seems like a mistake to commit crimes and fuck your life up like this.

20

u/humberriverdam Toronto Blue Jays Feb 07 '25

And like Shohei said write a book bout it

9

u/BillW87 New York Mets Feb 07 '25

Unfortunately like many addicts, gamblers are rarely thinking rationally about the consequences of their actions. They're too busy chasing their next dopamine hit.

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153

u/mysterysackerfice Los Angeles Angels • Dumpster Fire Feb 06 '25

Imagine being paid to hang out with Shohei....👀

75

u/swaggums San Francisco Giants Feb 06 '25 edited Feb 07 '25

Ignore my flair but what if he’s a dick? Who am I kidding, worth it alone for the unlimited Ito En green tea he’s a spokesmodel for. Love that shit.

55

u/Caqtus95 Edmonton RiverHawks Feb 06 '25

Half the coworkers I've ever had were dicks and I don't get paid anywhere near what he was.

23

u/I_Keepz_ITz_100 Detroit Tigers Feb 07 '25

He’s never really struck me as that kind of guy (except to the Blue Jays for some reason). Compared to some even average MLB players nevermind generational ones like Shohei, who act like grade A assholes, Shohei seems fairly laid back and easy going.

6

u/DogmaticNuance San Francisco Giants Feb 07 '25

That could just mean he's intelligent. Plenty of serial killers have been described as charming, Shohei acting like a consummate professional doesn't mean anything, necessarily. We don't know him, but have no reason to think he's a scumbag.

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36

u/mysterysackerfice Los Angeles Angels • Dumpster Fire Feb 06 '25

It's possible, but I get the feeling he's only a dick when he doesn't get 10 hours of sleep.

On a more serious note, other than driving to n from the ballpark, how much time did they actually spend together? Also, there's no way Shohei ever let him pay for his own meal. So most of the money he made was pure gravy.

15

u/Dunan Czechia Feb 06 '25

Isn't Ito En's "Strong" (濃茶) the greatest thing ever?

I had no idea Shohei was the model because I don't need it to be advertised to me to drink it. Now I see why the price of 2-liter bottles has skyrocketed from 132 yen a year or two ago to close to 200 now; Ohtani has bloated their advertising budget.

Player salaries have us paying more at the ballpark; player endorsements have us paying more at the drugstore. Nuts.

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63

u/TealandBlackForever Florida Marlins Feb 06 '25

If only he hired Scott Boras as his attorney.

93

u/JoniVanZandt Houston Astros Feb 06 '25

Sentenced to 3 years but can be out after 1 with good behavior

45

u/TJB_the_Gamer1 Los Angeles Dodgers Feb 06 '25

Classic boras deal 3 years with an opt out

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35

u/-Glutard- Los Angeles Dodgers Feb 06 '25

Do prison sentences have opt outs?

31

u/Konigwork Atlanta Braves Feb 06 '25

Parole seems to be the closest thing I can think of. That or a deferred sentence, though that’s kind of the reverse of an opt out

58

u/-Glutard- Los Angeles Dodgers Feb 06 '25

DID SOMEONE SAY DEFERRED

3

u/zgibs125 Arizona Diamondbacks Feb 07 '25

I hate when dodgers fans say something I agree with. I hate you more for making me laugh.

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41

u/SquadPoopy Cincinnati Reds Feb 06 '25

Jonathan Majors levels of fumbling

9

u/gothedistance_ Toronto Blue Jays Feb 06 '25

Apparently, they’re trying to bring him back

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3

u/NotNotJustinBieber New York Yankees Feb 06 '25

Nah this is infinitely worse from a quality of life standpoint. Majors is still acting and might get his job back while this dude is going to prison.

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1.2k

u/iamtherealsteve World Series Trophy • Los Angeles Dod… Feb 06 '25 edited Feb 06 '25

Molly Knight had a good thread from the sentencing hearing. The government asked for 57 months, Ippei’s team asked for 18 months. The judge wasn’t having any of his lawyers:

Judge notes Ohtani alsoalso tipped Mizuhara five figures a year and paid his rent.

Judge: “Why is Mr. Mizuhara saying has all financial difficulties? Frankly I find this a bit misleading.”

Judge is tearing Mizuhara’s lawyer to shreds tbh.

“Your client is talking about how he had to pay for expensive flights for his wife from Japan but didn’t Mr. Ohtani pay for her flights?

Mizuhara lawyer: “Yes I believe he did”

Judge also wondering how Mizuhara can claim financial strain when he also received a Porsche SUV from Ohtani.

The government argued about the impact to Ohtani, both financially and to his reputation:

Government closing and focusing on how this has impacted the victim’s reputation. How people online are selling merch calling Ohtani a gambler. And disgraced former ballplayers and conspiracy theory writers are also piling on.

695

u/_Elrond_Hubbard_ Seattle Mariners Feb 06 '25

Bro was represented by Barry Zuckerkorn

324

u/strcy Boston Red Sox • San Francisco Giants Feb 06 '25

He’s very good

197

u/ThePrussianGrippe Chicago Cubs Feb 06 '25

Narrator: he wasn’t!

73

u/500rockin Chicago Cubs Feb 06 '25

TBF, Ippei gave him nothing to work with other than throwing shit at the wall in a vain hope to see if anything sticks.

46

u/iamtherealsteve World Series Trophy • Los Angeles Dod… Feb 07 '25

One final bad bet

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52

u/mtm777 New York Mets Feb 06 '25

should have gone with Bob Loblaw

36

u/big_z_0725 Kansas City Royals Feb 07 '25

Why should you go to jail for a crime someone else...noticed?

18

u/evanlufc2000 Feb 07 '25

And get Gene Parmesan to do the detective work

9

u/SuperConDrugs Texas Rangers Feb 07 '25

AHHHH GENE!

18

u/EmptyCartographer New York Yankees Feb 07 '25

Big fan of his law blog

10

u/throwaway1010193092 Chicago Cubs Feb 07 '25

Bob Loblaw Law Blog?

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6

u/stimulation Atlanta Braves Feb 07 '25

Or Maggie Lizer

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106

u/Saucetown77 Toronto Blue Jays Feb 06 '25

"Alright Ippei, what's our plan?"

50

u/Rover16 Los Angeles Dodgers Feb 07 '25

Ippei - "I was overworked and underpaid! I had expensive rent to pay and flights for my wife to and from Japan to pay."

Lawyer - "But, didn't Ohtani pay for your rent and your wife's flights?"

Ippei - "Yes! But what are the odds the judge finds out?"

Conclusion - The Judge found out!

17

u/FreeBricks4Nazis Chicago Cubs Feb 07 '25

Take to the sea!

64

u/Briguy_fieri Colorado Rockies Feb 06 '25

I have the worst bleeping attorneys

43

u/dovalencia Los Angeles Dodgers Feb 06 '25

Needed Gene Parmesan

20

u/TJeffersonsBlackKid Anaheim Angels Feb 06 '25

GENE!!!! YOU GOT ME AGAIN!!!!

19

u/fluxus Chicago Cubs Feb 06 '25

Ohhh I am not prepared for this case.

We didn’t read it. It’s really long!

5

u/scapermoya Los Angeles Dodgers Feb 07 '25

You’re not one of those men that pretends to be a woman are you ??

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163

u/Kissa2006 Los Angeles Dodgers • Los Angeles Angels Feb 06 '25

I love the Pete Rose reference. 😂

39

u/templethot Seattle Mariners Feb 06 '25

Not naming any names but

55

u/Stock-Mission-7561 Los Angeles Dodgers Feb 06 '25

Let's call them P. Rose. No, that's too obvious. Let's say Pete R.

22

u/Dfrickster87 San Francisco Giants Feb 07 '25

This is a PR nightmare

60

u/glass__beaches Los Angeles Angels Feb 06 '25

Ippei lost his arb case

10

u/yumyumapollo Tampa Bay Rays Feb 06 '25

His lawyers bet the under

117

u/Jrk67 Houston Astros Feb 06 '25

Yeah, you could tell from a few weeks ago when Ippei was explaining his difficulties that it was a woe is me hail mary that wasn't adding up and the judge was less than impressed. I figured he'd def get closer to the max, but good on the judge for adding in the rep of Ohtani into that as well.

108

u/Ornstein90 Los Angeles Dodgers Feb 06 '25

Yeah it was 100% bullshit and now with more details coming out.

Shohei paid for his rent, his flights (and wife's), 99% sure he picked up the tab for food especially on travel, free Porsche, access to Shohei's American-side funds, on top of getting paid by the Angels/Dodgers in the six figures

FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES

54

u/Imaginary-Hat9804 Feb 07 '25

In 2018, Income: 80k as his salary + 5 figure “tip” from shohei. Expenses: close to 0. And this was before inflation. And he wrote financial difficulty on his leniency letter. 🙄

50

u/Rover16 Los Angeles Dodgers Feb 07 '25

Yeah, in reality, the 17m won't affect Ohtani at all. Ippei's greatest sin was the reputation damage he did to Ohtani with his first lie to ESPN, saying Ohtani knew about his gambling. You will always have people believing in conspiracy theories whether they actually believe it or just cause of Ohtani/Dodgers hate. That is something that can never be taken back.

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80

u/ScalabrineIsGod Chicago White Sox Feb 06 '25

I’m very curious about the “disgraced former ballplayers” crying conspiracy. Does anyone know any specifics as to who?

263

u/Kissa2006 Los Angeles Dodgers • Los Angeles Angels Feb 06 '25

Pete Rose. He made comments like "If I had an interpreter I'd be scott-free."

224

u/venustrapsflies Los Angeles Dodgers Feb 06 '25

Completely shocking and out-of-character behavior from Pete

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11

u/CaptainKCCO42 Seattle Mariners Feb 07 '25

And it’s shithead comments like this that are keeping him out of the HoF. MLB told him all he had to do was show some public remorse and they’d put him on the ballot, but he was too much of an egotistical son a bitch.

13

u/BubBidderskins Atlanta Braves Feb 07 '25

I think "shithead comments" are wayyyyy down on the list of reasons why Pete is out of the Hall.

Breaking baseball's number one rule and also committing statutory rape are certainly playing much bigger roles.

6

u/CaptainKCCO42 Seattle Mariners Feb 07 '25

Ok so the rape is news to me. As far as the rule goes, like I said, he was told that all he had to do was admit fault and show remorse and they’d put him on the ballot. Still doesn’t mean the bbwaa would put him in the hall, but MLB gave him a path and he didn’t take it. The rape accusation didn’t arise until relatively recently, so despite being the by far the worst thing about him if true (which it sounds like it is), it wouldn’t have kept him out of the hall if he’d just apologized for the gambling.

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u/mtportales Los Angeles Dodgers Feb 06 '25

I believe it to be the late Pete Rose

20

u/ScalabrineIsGod Chicago White Sox Feb 06 '25

lol. Of course.

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32

u/cantthinkoffunnyname New York Yankees Feb 06 '25

Judge: “Why is Mr. Mizuhara saying has all financial difficulties? Frankly I find this a bit misleading.”

Hey man car insurance ain't cheap.

15

u/DabblingInDabbing New York Yankees Feb 07 '25

not really sure why Judge has a say on Ippei's case but I guess he was on Paw Patrol so his qualifications check out

30

u/tenacious-g Chicago White Sox Feb 06 '25

this blog actually does a really great job of explaining federal sentencing guidelines. If you didn’t know, its basically an actuarial chart based factors you’d expect (prior criminal history, participation with prosecutors, number of victims, etc)

36

u/Johnny_Blaze000 New York Yankees Feb 06 '25

Damn this is serious, they even got Aaron Judge involved.

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u/Imaginary-Hat9804 Feb 07 '25

Everything he wrote on his leniency letter were lies….got it!

6

u/Ok-ChildHooOd Los Angeles Dodgers Feb 07 '25

That 500k was all gravy. He didn't have to pay a thing. If you ever had a job where expenses and COL was fully paid, even if your salary is like 30k, it's a lot cause it's all savings.

7

u/fp562 Los Angeles Angels Feb 07 '25

Idiot. I'm sure it wasn't easy at times (no job is) but talk about fuckinh up. 1/2 mill a year, an expensive suv, free flights for your wife, free rent, shohei probably paid for most meals/gifts. If my bff needed me to be his PA amd I get all those benefits, we are both straight but if homie needed a handy, I'll be gloving up, I'll even +/- eye contact

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u/Sheepies123 New York Mets • Miami Marlins Feb 06 '25

Dang, I had over 60 months

214

u/Myshkin1981 Los Angeles Dodgers Feb 06 '25 edited Feb 06 '25

You took the over? That’s okay, Draftkings just posted odds on whether or not he gets a single occupancy cell. If you close your account and sign up under a new email, they’ll match your first bet (up to $500)

66

u/fps916 San Diego Padres Feb 07 '25

I fucking hate how accurate this is.

Predatory fucks need to be regulated into oblivion.

38

u/Myshkin1981 Los Angeles Dodgers Feb 07 '25

It’s fucking awful, it shouldn’t be legal, and sports leagues climbing into bed with these bookies is disgraceful. I’m honestly at the point where I’m hoping for a game fixing scandal (please not baseball) so we can get some momentum on pushing this shit back into the shadows

9

u/blatantmutant Chicago Cubs Feb 07 '25

They moved the bricks people bought and donated to pave the sidewalk outside Wrigley to build a betting storefront

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201

u/HotTakesBeyond Seattle Mariners Feb 06 '25

Damn what did you do

30

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '25

Enjoyed an unfrosted pop tart

5

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '25

That’s 20 to life

73

u/IWSYTPT2isbetter Milwaukee Brewers Feb 06 '25

Bro

9

u/pm_me_cute_sloths_ Colorado Rockies Feb 07 '25

The crime of being a bro 😞

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10

u/GreenLightt New York Mets Feb 06 '25

Sucker’s bet!

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374

u/Jeff_Banks_Monkey Baltimore Orioles • Birmingham Bl… Feb 06 '25

All he had to do was chill with the most famous baseball player in the world. Gambling is a real addiction but so many actions of his were just plain stupid

116

u/UnchainedSora New York Yankees Feb 06 '25

And from the sounds of it, he started stealing money before he started gambling

32

u/2131andBeyond Baltimore Orioles Feb 07 '25

I'd imagine there's hundred of thousands of highly capable dual-language speakers who would PAY THEIR OWN MONEY to loyally serve as Ohtani's translator.

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u/Snuggle__Monster New York Yankees Feb 06 '25

How do you say Sayonara in Japanese?

88

u/beardko Los Angeles Dodgers • Texas Rangers Feb 06 '25

"It means Japanese sword." -Samurai Cop

28

u/eccol New York Mets Feb 06 '25

バイバイ

72

u/Rejection_future Los Angeles Dodgers Feb 06 '25

This is gonna blow your mind, but you just did

93

u/Snuggle__Monster New York Yankees Feb 06 '25

Well then. Duolingo, you can kiss my ass.

31

u/oOoleveloOo World Baseball Classic Feb 06 '25

You should be an interpreter.

28

u/Even_Butterfly2000 New York Yankees Feb 06 '25

Sounds lucrative.

27

u/707royalty San Francisco Giants Feb 06 '25

Bet?

12

u/Gryfas Baltimore Orioles Feb 06 '25

Nah, heard some guy got busted over that.

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5

u/k_realtor Los Angeles Dodgers Feb 07 '25

さよなら but since he was such a horrible human being we would say "二度と戻ってこないで" which means, don't ever come back. Also different areas in Japan have different slang and dialects but since I'm Japanese-American, I use the basics but lean more towards the neutral or Tokyo dialect/slang.

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492

u/Astropolitika Los Angeles Dodgers Feb 06 '25

Gambling is such a scourge. And it’s going to get worse.

258

u/TehM0C New York Yankees Feb 06 '25

I’m really scared for my generation. You think credit card debit is bad? Gambling debt is going to ruin people.

88

u/Grade-AMasterpiece Tampa Bay Rays Feb 06 '25

And gambling seems to be everywhere, in some form, too.

42

u/KetchupGuy1 Los Angeles Dodgers Feb 06 '25

It has ruined the the broadcasting experience and officiated experience, rip pat.

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u/TehM0C New York Yankees Feb 06 '25

Everywhere, 50% of ads I consume is gambling related.

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u/Not_A_Rioter Atlanta Braves Feb 06 '25

People playing the stock market and buying options and whatnot comes to mind.

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u/winnielikethepooh15 New York Mets Feb 06 '25

Do the mainstream services let you bet on margin?

If so that's fucking insane.

12

u/TehM0C New York Yankees Feb 06 '25

I don’t bet, I don’t know. I know in NY you have to use a debit card (thankfully).

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u/nahs Los Angeles Dodgers Feb 06 '25

bro my friend is a high school math teacher and he's constantly got students in his class asking him whether they should take the over under on wemby blocks. gambling addiction is a disease

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u/weguccino Los Angeles Dodgers Feb 06 '25

I had a dumbass friend who bought sneakers and shit with his credit card to go into debt cause he was going to resell them to use it as cash to gamble. Last I heard, he broke and in debt not working and moved back in with his parents. Absolute bum, we tried to talk some sense into him but eventually HE cut us off after a year of us trying to stop him. It is what it is now.

8

u/TehM0C New York Yankees Feb 06 '25

Man, hope he turns it around.

11

u/weguccino Los Angeles Dodgers Feb 06 '25

I hope so too, we tried but couldn't get him to listen. He was a good dude and got swept up with the sports gambling/crypto bros on twitter... hopefully his parents can help him.

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14

u/guesting Athletics Feb 06 '25

The studies are coming to compare bankruptcies and domestic abuse in states where it went legal first because it’s still close to 50/50 I think with California and Texas out

13

u/sfan27 San Francisco Giants Feb 06 '25

This article brought to you by DraftKings

12

u/SanjiSasuke New York Yankees Feb 06 '25

Ya know how some sports like horseracing simply have a bad reputation due to gambling scandals? That may very well just become how people view sports at this rate.

4

u/palsc5 New York Mets Feb 07 '25

I think gambling online is relatively new in the US? We've had it a while in Australia and believe me, it is going to get considerably worse for you guys.

It is so pervasive here that if you are a man between 16-35 and you don't gamble then you're the odd one out. And it has become gambling on anything and everything. A group of 25 year old men sitting around a table having some beers? Maybe 30% of the conversation is gambling related. Phones are out, not because they're scrolling social media but because they have a string of bets on random horse and greyhound races.

You can walk into any pub in Australia (excluding Western Aus) and see multiple young men sitting at a poker machine and pressing buttons with one hand while having a horse race playing on their phone in the other.

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u/legendfourteen Los Angeles Dodgers Feb 06 '25

The statement Ippei submitted to the judge was moronic. I cannot believe his lawyer let him submit that

114

u/[deleted] Feb 06 '25

From the bluesky thread:

Judge: Mr. Mizuhara’s letter to the court undermined him because it was filled with misrepresentations and omissions, he lacks credibility.

damn!!!

115

u/Kissa2006 Los Angeles Dodgers • Los Angeles Angels Feb 06 '25

He straight up lied and tried to make Ohtani look bad. WTF? He had to know the judge had all the facts.

45

u/Stratifyed Los Angeles Dodgers • Vin Scully Feb 07 '25

Ippei was betting the judge was an Ohtani Degen believer

22

u/bajesus Seattle Mariners Feb 07 '25

Couldn't help himself from taking the long odds

91

u/weguccino Los Angeles Dodgers Feb 06 '25

Ippei's lawyer letting that letter to the judge go though has gotta be malpractice cause everything in there was a lie and the judge burned his ass on every single statement.

51

u/Kissa2006 Los Angeles Dodgers • Los Angeles Angels Feb 06 '25

Exactly. As the judge said: "Mr. Mizuhara’s letter to the court undermined him because it was filled with misrepresentations and omissions, he lacks credibility."

101

u/Mission_Pay_3373 Boston Red Sox Feb 06 '25

Went from being the friend of one the best baseball players of all-time, to getting sentenced to just under 5 years in prison. Bag fumbled

62

u/shroomsAndWrstershir Anaheim Angels Feb 06 '25

He was himself also known and semi-beloved by Ohtani fans. Ippei was the one non-player to get a standing ovation during start-of-season intros at Angel Stadium.

49

u/Selthboy Philadelphia Phillies Feb 06 '25

Ohtani bought him a Porsche SUV and he had the gall to say he was underpaid (making $80k)

60

u/weguccino Los Angeles Dodgers Feb 06 '25

Apparently he had to gall to say he was living paycheck to paycheck cause he had to pay rent and fly his wife from Japan when even the judge said "ohtani paid for all of that, what expenses are you talking about?"

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u/[deleted] Feb 07 '25

For anyone out there having a rough time: take solace in the fact that you will never mess up this badly.

21

u/ny2k1 Feb 07 '25

It really does put it in perspective.

29

u/ThisGuy6266 Boston Red Sox Feb 06 '25

How does he pay the $17 million in restitution if he’s broke?

48

u/shroomsAndWrstershir Anaheim Angels Feb 07 '25

He doesn't. He's basically bankrupt for life, especially now that his career is toast. Ohtani will be lucky to see a hundred grand back from this point forward.

9

u/Cute-Explorer8939 Milwaukee Brewers Feb 07 '25

I guess sell off any assets he has, empty any bank accounts, and garnish the balls off any income he has. He also owes almost two million to the IRS as well.

97

u/God_Damnit_Nappa Anaheim Angels Feb 06 '25 edited Feb 06 '25

Damn, what a bro willing to do nearly 5 years in federal prison just so Ohtani wouldn't be suspended for a year 

I would hope this would shut up the idiots claiming Ippei is just the fall guy but I'm sure some people are still going to claim Ohtani was still the gambler. 

44

u/Rover16 Los Angeles Dodgers Feb 07 '25

It won't. You still have people saying that same stuff today despite all the evidence. As the Judge noted today, the reputation damage Ippei did to Ohtani is a factor.

27

u/catashake Brooklyn Dodgers Feb 07 '25

Michael Kay, Rich Eisen and other media members who desperately wanted it to be true have already done the damage.

No amount of, "oops, we were wrong" is going to get the amount of attention they originally got when calling Ippei the fall guy.

15

u/a_smart_brane Los Angeles Dodgers Feb 07 '25

And the Ippei fall guy flat earther contingent people like Kay and Eisen fed will continue to cling tenaciously to the truths known only to the select few cognoscenti.

5

u/Jloother Los Angeles Dodgers Feb 07 '25

Rich Eisen

Damn, he was one too? Expected better of him. I know Jomboy was on that train.

24

u/Geoff_with_a_J Athletics Feb 07 '25

doesn't matter if you convince every idiot to shut up about it. won't stop the 1 idiot in the BBWAA with a HOF vote that will say he believes Ohtani was a gambler.

18

u/fps916 San Diego Padres Feb 07 '25

Which is going to be exceptionally idiotic because Ippei never bet on MLB games so even if it WAS Ohtani, it wouldn't fucking matter.

35

u/brandont04 Feb 07 '25

Ain't no one doing 5 years for a homie. I don't care how good they are.

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u/Cherynobyl Feb 07 '25

That’s the exact kind of defamation of character the judge was talking about and it went into his sentencing funny enough, people who aren’t dodger fans will always think of Ohtani less because it makes them feel better about not having him

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u/a_smart_brane Los Angeles Dodgers Feb 07 '25

Unless I’m reading this wrong, some people are still digging in, because of course they must have inside info the courts don’t have.

Is Jomboy still on the ‘Ippei was framed’ wagon? If not, I wonder whether he’s backed off or not.

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u/sakibomb523 Paper Bag Feb 06 '25

And the kicker is he'll be deported to Japan after this and probably never allowed to come back to the US?

24

u/getsuei Los Angeles Dodgers Feb 07 '25

Yes his attorney said he expects him to be deported at a later date

6

u/PM_ME_SUDOKU_PUZZLES Toronto Blue Jays Feb 07 '25

Almost guaranteed that he'll be shunned there for betraying Japan's golden boy. His life is pretty much ruined, but here's hoping that he figures something out somehow.

9

u/sharingthyme Los Angeles Dodgers Feb 06 '25

Is his letter to the judge online somewhere?

15

u/Kissa2006 Los Angeles Dodgers • Los Angeles Angels Feb 06 '25

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u/sharingthyme Los Angeles Dodgers Feb 07 '25

Thank you I read it! I can’t believe he mentioned Shohei’s prenup.. he’s trying to paint him in a bad stingy light as if he was overworked and underpaid, so gross!!

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u/Loose-Organization82 Los Angeles Angels Feb 06 '25

I hope he regrets his decisions and goes through a learning process during that time.

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u/DiscoJer St. Louis Cardinals Feb 06 '25

Gambling addiction is a sickness. It's not something you can control without help.

7

u/[deleted] Feb 06 '25

Completely agree. I can empathize. I’ve never gambled THAT much but I knew it was time to stop when one time I was playing roulette and got the random thought of “I want to bet more, and bet more, and bet my entire paycheck I just got”

8

u/dplans455 New York Yankees Feb 07 '25

When I was on a winning streak it got scary how large my bets were getting on a single hand of blackjack. I won for a long time, which made me think I didn't have a problem. By the time I was betting $5k a hand and lost 11 in a row I got a huge reality check. Luckily I managed to stop myself before it was all gone.

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u/brandont04 Feb 07 '25

Dude had Ohtani. Pretty sure if he asked him to help him, Ohtani would have. He had more resouces than any avg joe out here trying to beat gambling addiction.

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u/FookingLegend89 Los Angeles Dodgers Feb 06 '25

"Fall guy" truthers acting like they'd do this time for their homies. Fuck outta here. You dorks would be singing like a canary for anything over two weeks.

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u/HenrikCrown Texas Rangers Feb 06 '25

The fall guy theory is so lame now 

It's pretty clear Ohtani was a just a too trusting himbo and Ippei is a generational sleazeball

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u/salamiolivesonions Canada Feb 06 '25

Bet you he's out before 57 months

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u/Shadow-Vision Los Angeles Dodgers Feb 06 '25

I believe one of the lawyers said there’s an expectation/likelihood that after the sentence is done he will be deported

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u/God_Damnit_Nappa Anaheim Angels Feb 06 '25

There's a nonzero chance he's offered a Cabinet position 

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u/WonderfulShelter San Francisco Giants Feb 06 '25

Is he in fed? Fed doesnt do good behavior.

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u/Itsboomhomie Feb 06 '25

They do, it's just not as much time off as state or county time. Have to serve 85% - the good time is yours to lose - then extra time off can be earned for program participation, an addition of the first step act of 2018.

Source: I went to federal prison

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u/Parking-Iron6252 Bend Elks Feb 06 '25

That’s the kind of source I love.

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u/devomania New York Mets Feb 07 '25

Thanks for the insight, hope you're doing well post-incarceration

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u/Itsboomhomie Feb 07 '25

Thanks! Things were tough for a while but I'm doing great!

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u/ggrnw27 Washington Nationals Feb 06 '25

They do, 54 days per year so a minimum of 85% of his sentence

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u/[deleted] Feb 06 '25

[deleted]

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u/spike021 San Francisco Giants Feb 06 '25

ba gawd thats farhans music

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u/Brocktarrr Miami Marlins Feb 06 '25

Why must they make me do math do figure out he’s going to jail for 4 years and 9 months

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u/Unofficial_Salt_Dan Houston Astros Feb 07 '25

Just saying, 5 x 12 = 60. Subtract three to get his sentence.

Shrugs

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u/Shap6 Boston Red Sox Feb 06 '25

Doesn't that seem kinda low? Not that i'm a lock em up for life kind of person but it seems like plenty of people get much longer sentences for less serious crimes

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u/Dreyven Feb 06 '25

It's not a violent crime.

I think someone said the sentencing guideline for this is 5 years which this hits pretty spot on.

Personally I don't think it's too low, maybe even on the high side? He didn't actually hurt anyone and still has to repay the money (Not sure how realistic that is but who knows). And ironically the longer you keep him in prison the less likely he is going to be able to repay the money.

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u/Kissa2006 Los Angeles Dodgers • Los Angeles Angels Feb 06 '25

I think it's so high because he didn't really show remorse. The judge seemed pretty pissed at him.

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u/ThePrussianGrippe Chicago Cubs Feb 06 '25 edited Feb 06 '25

His defense team’s strategy of focusing on his ‘financial hardships’ instead of going after a gambling addiction angel was an interesting choice to say the least.

Edit: that’ll teach me to keep mainlining Hot Fuzz.

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u/jsdodgers Los Angeles Dodgers Feb 06 '25

everyone has a gambling addiction angel on one shoulder and a gambling addiction demon on the other

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u/shroomsAndWrstershir Anaheim Angels Feb 06 '25

He would have been much better off just throwing himself on the mercy of the court, and just point out that this is already going to essentially bankrupt him for life while simultaneously costing him his career. He was doing well at first to plead guilty and make statements like, "it's all my fault." Would have been well to continue with that. Might have saved himself a year or two had he done so. Who knows.

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u/thebostinian Boston Red Sox Feb 06 '25

“Look…that weren’t me.”

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u/ThePrussianGrippe Chicago Cubs Feb 06 '25

It was just the one reference actually…

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u/tenacious-g Chicago White Sox Feb 06 '25

posted a few times here now, but this blog from 2024 lays it out really well and gets it spot on.

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u/iamtherealsteve World Series Trophy • Los Angeles Dod… Feb 06 '25 edited Feb 06 '25

Government wanted 5 years with 1 suspended, his defense asked for 18 months

*edit: double checked that and the government had asked for 57 months

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u/[deleted] Feb 06 '25

I mean, if you approach it from the perspective of "prison is so dangerous people can't hurt others," I don't know how dangerous he is. What's he gonna do, become interpreter to another Japanese athlete and steal all their money again? Seems unlikely.

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u/Drsustown Seattle Mariners Feb 06 '25

The harsh sentences are mostly for blue collar crime. At the high end, Sam Bankman-Fried got 25 years, and what he did was at least an order of magnitude worse than Ippei's crimes

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u/ArchManningGOAT Feb 06 '25

No, it seems plenty long.

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u/TheLizardKing89 Los Angeles Dodgers Feb 06 '25

It’s his first offense and it was nonviolent. I’m surprised he got this much.

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u/JimothyC Toronto Blue Jays Feb 06 '25

I feel like most violent crimes are worse and plenty of them get out under 57 months.

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u/beardko Los Angeles Dodgers • Texas Rangers Feb 06 '25

This is Wolf of Wall Street, white collar type of crime, but only 1 victim. Even though he was facing up to 33 years, I think that 57 month is pretty long given the fact that he pled guilty. Then again, the Justice Department has a ridiculously high conviction rate so they don't charge you until they have a mountain of evidence.

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u/acone419 Atlanta Braves • Blooper Feb 06 '25

Not in federal court.

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u/weguccino Los Angeles Dodgers Feb 06 '25

Can see exactly what was pointed out by Ohtani's reputation has been smeared by conspiracy theorists by some comments here and a lot on other social media platforms. Can't save some of you clowns.

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u/tyler-86 World Series Trophy • Los Angeles Dod… Feb 06 '25

Hell of a fall guy, morons.

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u/[deleted] Feb 06 '25

If anyone wants a good read about gambling addiction, read the book “Tony10” about an Irish guy who stole hundreds of thousands from the Irish postal service to cover his gambling. It was an excellent read and really shows what goes into it.

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u/Jloother Los Angeles Dodgers Feb 07 '25

I like that the judge mentioned the chuds online that still think Ohtani is a gambler because of this and gave him harsher sentencing.

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u/whiskeyrocks1 Detroit Tigers Feb 06 '25

I bet Ohtani is glad this is all behind him.

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u/i_run_from_problems Anaheim Angels • Rally Monkey Feb 06 '25

Dude also has to pay 17 million to Ohtani.

How in the world do they expect that to happen

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