There is no evidence that Shohei Ohtani bet on baseball or any other sport.
America thrives on controversy, and the world of sports is not immune. As consumers, we are always hungry for the next scandal, irrespective of the scale of the problem and the impact this has on the lives of athletes. The next and new moral dilemma in sports appears to arise every couple of years, with a particular athlete or group of athletes used as an example. However, one remains consistent over time – gambling in baseball.
Currently, the baseball world is occupied by accusations against Ippei Mizuhara, the interpreter for two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani. The allegations include gambling addiction and stealing from the superstars’ coffers to fuel this gambling addiction and debts.
So, where does Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter’s situation stack up against the biggest sports-betting scandals in baseball?
Who can forget the 1919 Black Sox Scandal? While over a century has passed, this incident remains the most extreme scandal in baseball history because no scandal can beat fixing a World Series. It is well documented that several players for the Chicago Black Sox assisted in fixing – at the very least – the first two games of the 1919 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds. That situation resulted in a criminal trial for eight players, notably Shoeless Joe Jackson. While all the players were acquitted, they were banned from playing professional baseball.
Then there’s the Pete Rose case. It turns out that “Charlie Hustle” wasn’t just hustling around the bases; he was hustling with the bookies, too. But the truth (to many) is that Pete Rose should be in Cooperstown. He was betting on the Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies to win, and there is no evidence he ever bet against his team.
Conflicts of interest arise if you bet against your team, which can also involve game fixing, as it did in the 1919 World Series. This problem also occurs if an athlete bets the under on their statistical predictions. Pete Rose did neither.
The accusations involving Shohei Ohtani hardly rise to the level of egregiousness. Critically, the allegations are geared toward his interpreter, which makes Ohtani a victim, not a perpetrator. There is no evidence to date of Ohtani betting on baseball or any other sport.
Even if it is found that Ohtani was involved or knowledgeable, this scandal is a big, nothing-burger compared to fixing a World Series or betting on one’s team. That’s why I believe we need to move on quickly. Let this once-in-a-generation talent continue to play baseball. Neither doubt nor shame should cloud his legacy.
Fantastic article