For several years now, the name Shohei Ohtani has been appearing in baseball headlines. Nicknamed “The Sho”, the Japanese superstar has became the most thrilling and versatile player in the league. Unfortunately, Ohtani stirred up controversy lately when his interpreter was connected to a gambling scandal.
Ohtani’s translator Ippei Mizuhara was accused of placing illegal bets on baseball games, including some featuring the Angels. This was shocking as Mizuhara has been part of Ohtani’s inner circle for a long time. This news left everyone pondering whether or not Ohtani had any involvement in or with such matters. This would be nothing short of detrimental to the two-time MVP’s career.
Any form of betting on baseball is completely forbidden by MLB law and anyone found guilty is meted against strict penalties. One name that comes to mind is Pete Rose, who hasn’t been put in the Baseball Hall of Fame due to his gambling incidents. The game’s credibility could be preserved by hard-line league rules that monitor betting activities hence ensuring observance among all players, coaches and team personnel. Hopefully Ohtani wasn’t directly involved, because this would be a huge stain on his legacy.
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