As baseball begins a new season this week, a potential gambling scandal involving the Los Angeles Dodgers and baseball's biggest star and reigning MVP, Shohei Ohtani, lurks in the shadows.
So far, we know that $4.5 million of bank transfers were sent from his account to an illegal bookmaking operation. Ohtani’s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, has been fired and stated that the gambling debts belonged to him, not Ohtani.
We do not know a lot, and this story does not make sense to many people who are versed in how offshore gambling works.
It also begs the following questions.
How much was bet under this betting account? We know $4.5 million was transferred, but how much money was wagered?
Did Mizuhara ever win? If so, what were his winning bets? Was he betting on baseball...not just MLB, but ANY baseball?
Was Mizuhara paying for picks, did he use a tout service?
Who did the bookie think he was dealing with? Surely, a street bookie would ONLY let someone with deep pockets wager large enough sums to rack up a $4.5 million gambling debt.
Were the wagers placed using the internet and where are those IP address(es) located, whose house?
Were any bets placed on the phone? Who owns that phone?
Gambling is not legal in the state of California. How will authorities treat Mizuhara and or Ohtani when it comes to violating interstate gambling laws?
Maybe famed sports gambler Billy Walters could comment on how the feds treat an alleged interstate gambling violation.
Pete Rose would like a word
Pete Rose, the old ambassador of baseball, committed the cardinal sin of betting on baseball and lying about it. We know how baseball treated Pete Rose when his gambling accusations came to light.
Will MLB treat its current prize possession, the so-called NEW ambassador of baseball, Ohtani, differently? Only time will tell.
It is easy to come away with more questions than answers from all this. However, I do know for sure: These professional sports organizations decided to get into bed with casinos after years of preaching that gambling is bad for our society. As I said, it is easy to come away with more questions than answers regarding this latest Ohtani bombshell.
However, there should be no question about what America’s true pastime is. It is no longer baseball, it is gambling. That is America’s true Pastime, and baseball knows it.
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