Former Shohei Ohtani interpreter allegedly lied about his upbringing and having worked for Yankees and Red Sox
He is now under investigation
The scandal involving Shohei Ohtani and his now former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, only seems to be taking on more and more mysterious turns, especially surrounding Mizuhara‘s persona, as new findings show massive inconsistencies and a web of lies about his public life.
According to a report by Sam Blum of The Athletic, during Mizuhara’s years with the Los Angeles Angels as Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter, it was listed in media guides that he had studied at the University of California Riverside, graduating in 2007.
Here was the interaction between Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and his translator Mizuhara
However, after requesting academic information about Mizuhara, the university through a spokesperson told The Athletic that ‘they have no record of a student named Ippei Mizuhara in their system,’ and there is no indication that he has ever attended classes or even graduated.
He also allegedly lied about his resume
In addition, it appears that Mizuhara also lied about his work experience, as it had previously been reported that he had worked with Japanese player Hideki Okajima as his translator between 2010 and 2012.
During that period, Okajima played for the Boston Red Sox and the same organization in a statement denied that Mizuhara had worked with them, listing Ryo Shinkawa as the pitcher’s translator.
Okajima also signed with the Yankees heading into the 2012 season, but his signing fell through, with the Angels’ media guide indicating that he also served as their translator during that period, an assertion whose veracity is disputed.
