Ohtani interpreter

[Steve D]

Originally Posted by doug.goodman

While Mizuhara is generally described as "the interpreter" and they began as friends, I could very much see his actual job as being more of a personal assistant, in which case having access to all of that info is a very real possibility, especially because of the trust developed thru the friendship.

BUT, the amounts involved would QUICKLY raise red flags to the business management overseeing the accounts.

That's basically what Daniel Kim said during the second game on ESPN. He mentioned that he had been an interpreter for a while with a MLB player, and the job involved being very much of a "personal assistant". If the player went out, had to open a bank account, was buying a home.....whatever; he (Kim) was there to help guide the player through the process.

Another thing I wonder is.....now that Mizuhara has been fired from his job as Shohei's interpreter, what if any, ties does he still have in the USA? His entire existence was to serve as Shohei's assistant/interpreter. Now that he no longer has his job, will he even come back to the USA? And if not, how will that affect any investigation into what happened?

Steve

[Yoda]

How do you short Otani cards?

[Fred]

Originally Posted by Yoda

How do you short Otani cards?

A pair of scissors.

[Snowman]

I was a professional gambler for more than a decade. I know and/or have met hundreds of degenerate gamblers over the course of my life. They all fit a particular profile, though there are various flavors of them. I'd wager some damn good money that Ohtani is not a degenerate gambler. It's far more likely that he bailed out his friend or that his friend had access to his accounts somehow than it is that he's a degenerate gambler looking to launder millions of dollars worth of bets through him.

[doug.goodman]

Originally Posted by Snowman

I was a professional gambler for more than a decade. I know and/or have met hundreds of degenerate gamblers over the course of my life. They all fit a particular profile, though there are various flavors of them. I'd wager some damn good money that Ohtani is not a degenerate gambler. It's far more likely that he bailed out his friend or that his friend had access to his accounts somehow than it is that he's a degenerate gambler looking to launder millions of dollars worth of bets through him.

I am not a gambler, but I have worked with degenerates (gambling & otherwise) for nearly 40 years, and I agree completely.

[ooo-ribay]

“Degenerate Gamblers” would be a good band name. Especially for a country act.

[philo98]

Originally Posted by doug.goodman

I am not a gambler, but I have worked with degenerates (gambling & otherwise) for nearly 40 years, and I agree completely.

I agree as well. There is less than a 1% chance he is a gambler.

[JustinD]

Not sure why it seems that so many people are launching wild speculations, seems like Ohtani is in the crosshairs sometimes around here.

There is nothing at all reported on even a single bet being on a baseball game of any kind, actually each type has already been reported and listed as international soccer, the NBA, the NFL and college football. I think some folks can't place themselves in the same shoes of someone who speaks as much English living in America as I speak of Japanese if I move to Tokyo tomorrow. If I relied 100% on someone else to take care of every day-to-day for me from bills to groceries, they could easily take advantage.

The way of Japanese is not to throw a person under the bus as the shame of the mistake is more than enough punishment. In America, things take a different turn and the transition of this story seems to start Japanese and quickly turn American for the translator.

If anyone thinks they really need to dump their Ohtanis cheap because they got caught up in TMZ, please let me know. He's going nowhere and this issue will probably leave him smelling like a rose to his Japanese fans that think he handled it honorably in decorum.

If I am wrong, I'll take it...but I am certainly not losing sleep.

[Yoda]

Originally Posted by Snowman

I was a professional gambler for more than a decade. I know and/or have met hundreds of degenerate gamblers over the course of my life. They all fit a particular profile, though there are various flavors of them. I'd wager some damn good money that Ohtani is not a degenerate gambler. It's far more likely that he bailed out his friend or that his friend had access to his accounts somehow than it is that he's a degenerate gambler looking to launder millions of dollars worth of bets through him.

Travis, do you feel that your professional gambling experience gave you an edge when buying cards? John

[Snowman]

Originally Posted by Yoda

Travis, do you feel that your professional gambling experience gave you an edge when buying cards? John

No, I don't think so. Perhaps the skills that gave me an edge in gambling (mathematics & statistics) also helped me to analyze the sports card market, but I can't think of anything directly from that world that is particularly helpful here.

[Lorewalker]

Originally Posted by Snowman

I was a professional gambler for more than a decade.

or is it this?

Originally Posted by Snowman

I've lived and breathed gambling for decades.

Not sure either one would qualify anyone to be able to identify someone they have never met and know nothing about as someone who likes gambling or has a problem with gambling.

I will never question your expertise as a data scientist as I have read things you have written on the topic and I am sold but not so much in many other areas you seem to hold yourself as an expert.

[G1911]

I wish I could just tell if a stranger I don’t know is guilty of X sin or Y sin or Z sin. That would be an incredible superpower to have.


I also wish I knew where the posters talking about or implying bets on baseball games are getting their information here and how it relates to Ohtani.

[Steve D]

Here's the timeline according to ESPN:

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/...ara-theft-line

Essentially, it says Mizuhara was lying to everyone at the beginning, through the team meeting after Game 1 against the Padres.

All communications between Shohei Ohtani and anyone else, had to go through Mizuhara, since he was the only interpreter around.

Even during the meeting, Shohei didn't know what was being said, since it was all in English.

After the meeting, Shohei asked someone what had been said.

It was at that point, that a different interpreter was brought in.

Shohei said he didn't recognize any of the things Mizuhara had said.

That's when Shohei's team came out with their side of things, regarding it being a theft, and Mizuhara was fired.

Steve

[Snowman]

Originally Posted by Lorewalker

or is it this?

Where is the contradiction? Both statements are true. Just because I retired from gambling professionally to pursue a career in data science doesn't mean I suddenly stopped gambling altogether. I still gamble regularly. In fact I just gambled this week. Played a poker tournament. Made the final table.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by Snowman

Where is the contradiction? Both statements are true. Just because I retired from gambling professionally to pursue a career in data science doesn't mean I suddenly stopped gambling altogether. I still gamble regularly. In fact I just gambled this week. Played a poker tournament. Made the final table.

Love that you're a multi game guy in Poker. Nice 4th place in the O8 tourney! Since I'm an East Coast old fart I'm a Seven Stud specialist who became a decent Hold 'em player. We likely walked right past each other at the WSOP somewhere along the line.

[SyrNy1960]

Originally Posted by Snowman

I was a professional gambler for more than a decade. I know and/or have met hundreds of degenerate gamblers over the course of my life. They all fit a particular profile, though there are various flavors of them. I'd wager some damn good money that Ohtani is not a degenerate gambler. It's far more likely that he bailed out his friend or that his friend had access to his accounts somehow than it is that he's a degenerate gambler looking to launder millions of dollars worth of bets through him.

Travis, thanks for sharing this. Never heard of degenerate gambler, so I looked it up. Definitely opened my eyes.

https://gamblerspro.com/degenerate-gambler-are-you-one/

I've been collecting cards and sports memorabilia for 45 years, before recently selling everything off. At no point did I ever have the urge to spend money I didn't have, just to get that item I really wanted. It's just not in me.

I now know my Son is a degenerate gambler. I assume it started when he worked at a Casino right after high school. He worked there for a couple of years, but was later fired and banned from the Casino (I assume he stole from them). He had numerous jobs in which he stole from his employers to support his gambling habit. One business fired him for theft, then rehired him (owner was a friend of his mother), then he stole from them again. His only interaction with me over the last 15 years was when he was looking for money. He wasn't a good liar, so I didn't fall for his stories. I wouldn't hear from him for years at at time.

After not hearing from him for the past two years, he reached out to me. He told me that he was arrested for stealing from his employer and that they pressed charges (none of the other business filed charges, they just fired him). He said he was facing jail time and it scared him to death because he has a 6 year old son. I was able to check and verify that he was telling me the truth. He told me how he was going through counseling and how much he has learned from it, blah blah blah. Well, being that I was a legal officer in the military for 25 years, and I have seen many young Sailors turn themselves around after getting into trouble, I let my guard down. I believed and trusted him. I was proud of him for turning a corner to better his life. He was very convincing. He played me for about a month, before working his magic to get money out of me. I guess the father in me wanted to believe in him, more than I should have. He had a debt that he needed taken care, so I wanted to help him, so he could continue to get himself out of debt. Well, once he got the money (not a loan), he again pressed for money a few weeks later. That's when I knew he didn't learn a thing. Possible jail didn't scare him. When he wasn't going to get any more money from me, he got angry and turned back into his old nasty, hateful self again.

It's truly difficult for me to understand the mindset they have. But the above article did help somewhat. It's truly sad to see my Son ruin his life over gambling. And he's not even good at it.

Thanks, Tony

[frankbmd]

I confess.

I'm a degenerate collector.

[chalupacollects]

Originally Posted by frankbmd

I confess.

I'm a degenerate collector.

Welcome to the group!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by frankbmd

I confess.

I'm a degenerate collector.

Or just a degenerate.

[Casey2296]

Originally Posted by SyrNy1960

Travis, thanks for sharing this. Never heard of degenerate gambler, so I looked it up. Definitely opened my eyes.

https://gamblerspro.com/degenerate-gambler-are-you-one/

I've been collecting cards and sports memorabilia for 45 years, before recently selling everything off. At no point did I ever have the urge to spend money I didn't have, just to get that item I really wanted. It's just not in me.

I now know my Son is a degenerate gambler. I assume it started when he worked at a Casino right after high school. He worked there for a couple of years, but was later fired and banned from the Casino (I assume he stole from them). He had numerous jobs in which he stole from his employers to support his gambling habit. One business fired him for theft, then rehired him (owner was a friend of his mother), then he stole from them again. His only interaction with me over the last 15 years was when he was looking for money. He wasn't a good liar, so I didn't fall for his stories. I wouldn't hear from him for years at at time.

After not hearing from him for the past two years, he reached out to me. He told me that he was arrested for stealing from his employer and that they pressed charges (none of the other business filed charges, they just fired him). He said he was facing jail time and it scared him to death because he has a 6 year old son. I was able to check and verify that he was telling me the truth. He told me how he was going through counseling and how much he has learned from it, blah blah blah. Well, being that I was a legal officer in the military for 25 years, and I have seen many young Sailors turn themselves around after getting into trouble, I let my guard down. I believed and trusted him. I was proud of him for turning a corner to better his life. He was very convincing. He played me for about a month, before working his magic to get money out of me. I guess the father in me wanted to believe in him, more than I should have. He had a debt that he needed taken care, so I wanted to help him, so he could continue to get himself out of debt. Well, once he got the money (not a loan), he again pressed for money a few weeks later. That's when I knew he didn't learn a thing. Possible jail didn't scare him. When he wasn't going to get any more money from me, he got angry and turned back into his old nasty, hateful self again.

It's truly difficult for me to understand the mindset they have. But the above article did help somewhat. It's truly sad to see my Son ruin his life over gambling. And he's not even good at it.

Thanks, Tony

Heartbreaking story Tony, thank you for sharing. Gambling is a particularly nasty addiction that not only ruins the life of the gambler but also has devastating effects of those around him as your story so poignantly points out.

I believe the consequences of major league sports embracing gambling will only produce more stories like that of your son in the years to come.

[SyrNy1960]

Originally Posted by Casey2296

Heartbreaking story Tony, thank you for sharing. Gambling is a particularly nasty addiction that not only ruins the life of the gambler but also has devastating effects of those around him as your story so poignantly points out.

I believe the consequences of major league sports embracing gambling will only produce more stories like that of your son in the years to come.

Phil,

Thanks! What’s more frustrating is that he’s to the point where I can’t help him anymore. He only lashes out and says very nasty and hateful things. I have to continue to watch him spiral his life out of control. He’s owes $20,000 in back child support and just continues to dig himself in a deeper hole. My worry and fear is that if he goes too deep down the hole, and he feels he has no way out, he will end his life. My worst nightmare! Before gambling, he was a great kid with a good heart.

[Yoda]

I know from personal experience the torment Japanese go through trying to learn foreign languages; still, I think, Ohtani would have been better served if had started an intensive English course when he decided to jump baseball countries.
If he could handle simple press conference questions in English, without the need for a interpreter with whom he formed an intimate relationship, I wonder if this situation would have arisen.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

So the more I read the more, the odd progression of the story actually seems to make sense.

As weird as the story is, along with the weird change in the story very early on; It actually makes perfect sense. The first statement by Ohtani's reps WAS TRANSLATED BY THE INTERPRETER. When Ohtani found out that what was said was NOT the truth, the story changed TO THE TRUTH almost immediately and they realized that he'd been robbed. That's what made it seem like the story oddly changed almost immediately, because they caught the thief lying about the problem and realized that he stole the money and then issued a fabricated statement that made it seem like the money was actually given to him.

Also, people say, Ohtani had to give him permission to wire the money, but as a business owner who receives wires all the time, I can tell you that many banks allow wires to be sent completely online and all you need is the bank log in and account # information, which a man who was "like a brother" to Ohtani certainly could've finagled access to.

Finally Ohtani is vociferously anti-gambling. He refuses to go to casinos with teammates etc. There's almost no chance he is somehow gambling and blaming the interpreter.

[Lorewalker]

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

Also, people say, Ohtani had to give him permission to wire the money, but as a business owner who receives wires all the time, I can tell you that many banks allow wires to be sent completely online and all you need is the bank log in and account # information, which a man who was "like a brother" to Ohtani certainly could've finagled access to.

Online wires are typically limited as to how much you can send even for very high net worth clients. Even if in this case the wire was not limited from Ohtani's account, the wire would require log in info to a bank account, which most people would not hand off even to a best friend, third party verification (typically a multi digit numeric code that is texted to the account holder's cellphone). Lastly I cannot imagine any banking institution not also requiring verbal confirmation with the account holder that the wire was authorized and that would include asking for other personal info to verify the person they are speaking with is the account holder.

If Mizuhara had all of that info on Ohtani, then Ohtani's people had better examine his bank accounts for additional possible other transactions that Mizuhara helped himself to. They have known one another since 2013.

[Metsfan0507]

Originally Posted by Yoda

How do you short Otani cards?

Borrow Ohtani cards from a friend, sell them, wait and hope you can buy them back later for cheaper to give them back to your friend

[bobbvc]

MLB- "Players, you are not allowed to bet on Baseball"
Also MLB- "Fans, bet on Baseball, (responsibly of course, lol), you don't want to let our sponsors down"
Me- Nothing to see here folks, all seems reasonable, move along.

[chalupacollects]

I mean what are the odds of this happening???

[Vintagedeputy]

I haven't been following this story much, but did I see something that the bets were actually Ohtani's?

[JustinD]

duplicate post -

[JustinD]

update just now -

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/f...th-bank-fraud/

Feds found Mizuhara embezzled over 16 million from Ohtani. He is in the process of taking a plea deal now.

"The U.S. Attorney's Office has obtained recordings of telephone calls in which Mizuhara allegedly spoke to bank employees and falsely claimed to be Ohtani, including providing biographical information, in order to ensure the bank would approve the wire transfers. Estrada also alleged that Mizuhara denied anyone else access to Ohtani's bank account, including his agent, accountant and financial advisor."

This is definitely an outline of how to not trust people explicitly, and understand you need to have checkers for the checkers when your finances are such that 16 million can go missing and it's not noticed. Imagine a situation like Elon, where if you did not have an army of accountants a literal half billion could walk away and you may not notice for a year. Certainly is a different life than I can understand, but I feel for the guy. I hope this pushes him to focus on building his english and being a bit more safe.

[packs]

As someone who is authorized to make wire transfers and does so professionally, I do not believe this version of the story either.

For example, I have to submit my requests to an e-mail address. The request must come from my account and the bank will only call me on my approved phone number to confirm the wire request. The entire confirmation and phone call occurs on a recorded line. I then receive a receipt for the request via e-mail.

So, the only way for that version of the story to be true, is for the interpreter to be in sole possession of Ohtani's personal devices or for he himself to be authorized to draw on the account. We know that isn't the case because if it were, he wouldn't say he was impersonating anyone.

At some point I expect Ohtani's bank to chime in. I highly doubt they want other clients to think their funds are equally as vulnerable to seemingly lax security measures.

[JustinD]

Originally Posted by packs

At some point I expect Ohtani's bank to chime in. I highly doubt they want other clients to think their funds are equally as vulnerable to seemingly lax security measures.

It seems they already are deeply involved and are unlikely to be able to talk about it until after trial.

The recordings and interviews are done and the Feds main charge is bank fraud and seeking up to 30 years. I don't even see an argument here if a conviction is made.

[Snowman]

Originally Posted by packs

As someone who is authorized to make wire transfers and does so professionally, I do not believe this version of the story either.

For example, I have to submit my requests to an e-mail address. The request must come from my account and the bank will only call me on my approved phone number to confirm the wire request. The entire confirmation and phone call occurs on a recorded line. I then receive a receipt for the request via e-mail.

So, the only way for that version of the story to be true, is for the interpreter to be in sole possession of Ohtani's personal devices or for he himself to be authorized to draw on the account. We know that isn't the case because if it were, he wouldn't say he was impersonating anyone.

At some point I expect Ohtani's bank to chime in. I highly doubt they want other clients to think their funds are equally as vulnerable to seemingly lax security measures.

There are different rules for different people though. Your experience sending wire transfers almost certainly differs from that of someone like Ohtani.

Nate Silver, founder of fivethirtyeight.com and an avid high-stakes gambler, had this to say on the matter:

Originally Posted by Nate Silver

Look, people in the gambling part of my world routinely need to exchange large amounts of money, and wire transfers are a convenient method for accomplishing this. And contrary to what you might think, and what I’ve seen assumed elsewhere, they won’t necessarily trigger that much due diligence from your bank, particularly for domestic wires. (Foreign wires are a different story.) Especially if you have a track record of doing so, you can log onto your online banking portal and send a wire without ever getting a phone call or otherwise hearing from a human being. Different customers will have different limits, but a VIP like Ohtani is likely to have high limits. It’s not quite as easy as sending a payment by Zelle or something, but sending a wire isn’t that much harder, either.

[jetsetr1]

Every time read $4.5 mil, my mind thinks what cards I’d have bought lol

[Casey2296]

Originally Posted by bobbvc

MLB- "Players, you are not allowed to bet on Baseball"
Also MLB- "Fans, bet on Baseball, (responsibly of course, lol), you don't want to let our sponsors down"
Me- Nothing to see here folks, all seems reasonable, move along.

100% agree, Manfred and MLB have dropped to their knees and grabbed the hips of corporate gambling.

No reason to keep Jackson and Rose out of the hall anymore.

[Gorditadogg]

Originally Posted by Casey2296

100% agree, Manfred and MLB have dropped to their knees and grabbed the hips of corporate gambling.



No reason to keep Jackson and Rose out of the hall anymore.

Yep. Or even more reason to stay firm and try to hold the higher ground. Things may get very messy soon.

Sent from my SM-S906U using Tapatalk

[packs]

Can you guys explain what Pete Rose or Joe Jackson have to do with Ohtani? I understand the general term "gambling" applies but is there no nuance between potentially gambling on a Premier League soccer game and gambling on a game you're managing? Or throwing the World Series on purpose?

[jayshum]

Originally Posted by packs

Can you guys explain what Pete Rose or Joe Jackson have to do with Ohtani? I understand the general term "gambling" applies but is there no nuance between potentially gambling on a Premier League soccer game and gambling on a game you're managing? Or throwing the World Series on purpose?

Right now, I don't see any connection between Ohtani and Rose or Jackson. If further details come out proving Ohtani was betting on baseball, that definitely changes things, but so far, there is no evidence to make that claim.

[Gorditadogg]

Originally Posted by packs

Can you guys explain what Pete Rose or Joe Jackson have to do with Ohtani? I understand the general term "gambling" applies but is there no nuance between potentially gambling on a Premier League soccer game and gambling on a game you're managing? Or throwing the World Series on purpose?

I am shocked. Shocked! To find out that gambling could be happening in baseball.

Sent from my SM-S906U using Tapatalk

[NiceDocter]

From Casablanca…. Your winnings Sir !

[Casey2296]

Originally Posted by packs

Can you guys explain what Pete Rose or Joe Jackson have to do with Ohtani? I understand the general term "gambling" applies but is there no nuance between potentially gambling on a Premier League soccer game and gambling on a game you're managing? Or throwing the World Series on purpose?

My comment was on MLB embracing gambling in general, I was not trying to make a connection with Ohtani.