Around Baseball 2024

[BigCecil]

Just woke up in AZ. Turn on TV. Real baseball on. Manny smashes first pitch into LF stands. So good to see it back!!

[Spanky__99]

Just woke up in AZ. Turn on TV. Real baseball on. Manny smashes first pitch into LF stands. So good to see it back!!

 

[L54]

Betts was basically a pure 2B. Last played SS at like 19 years old

 

Yes. He said himself he hasn’t played since HS

[L54]

Yamamoto sucks

[glory]

 

This story is wild. MLB is going to bend over backwards to protect Ohtani here, most likely.

[The_DH]

 

This story is wild. MLB is going to bend over backwards to protect Ohtani here, most likely.

 

I 100% agree with your point. No way they'll let Ohtani burn. He left a lot of money unmanaged which seems to be a red flag.

[The_DH]

This is part of why I get pi$$ed off at the Rose situation. He gets banned from baseball but Ohtani gets protected.

[L54]

Ohtani is the golden boy. Can do no wrong

[L54]

This is part of why I get pi$$ed off at the Rose situation. He gets banned from baseball but Ohtani gets protected.

 

Pete Rose is white it doesn’t matter

[Stangstag]

 

This story is wild. MLB is going to bend over backwards to protect Ohtani here, most likely.

 

At the very least, the league should be doing an investigation. Maybe that starts soon/next week.

 

But yeah I agree hard to see Ohtani facing any punishment even if he was the one actively making bets.

[Stangstag]

This is part of why I get pi$$ed off at the Rose situation. He gets banned from baseball but Ohtani gets protected.

 

We don’t even know what exactly happened yet, chill out

[Eat My Shatkins]

It'd be kind of hilarious if Ohtani were to get busted for gambling on baseball and Yamamoto couldn't hack it in MLB.

[BTS]

Neither version of the story really checks out.

 

1) A bookie allowed an interpreter to rack up a 4.5M debt for some reason and then Ohtani was good enough to pay it off, but realized that was illegal and then lied about it.

2) The interpreter had access to 4.5M of Ohtani's cash, stole it, gambled on it, and Ohtani only learned about this after laughing it up with his pal after yesterday's game.

[The_DH]

Neither version of the story really checks out.

 

1) A bookie allowed an interpreter to rack up a 4.5M debt for some reason and then Ohtani was good enough to pay it off, but realized that was illegal and then lied about it.

2) The interpreter had access to 4.5M of Ohtani's cash, stole it, gambled on it, and Ohtani only learned about this after laughing it up with his pal after yesterday's game.

 

The third point is that he leaves so much money "sitting around" in cash and not even in money market accounts managed by a professional.

[Nexii]

So what's the most likely story? They were gambling illegally together? I couldn't see the interpreter taking the fall if he wasn't involved somehow

[Carlos Danger]

So what's the most likely story? They were gambling illegally together? I couldn't see the interpreter taking the fall if he wasn't involved somehow

 

Why wouldn’t the terp take the fall. Making $300k as a terp. Makes nothing if Ohtani goes down. Takes the hit and Ohtani pays him for life behind the scenes or something like that.

 

Not saying Ohtani did anything wrong. Just saying why the terp would take a hit.

[The_DH]

So what's the most likely story? They were gambling illegally together? I couldn't see the interpreter taking the fall if he wasn't involved somehow

 

I'd guess he made all the bets on Ohtanei's behalf. But no way Ohtanei didn't know.

[BTS]

Why wouldn’t the terp take the fall. Making $300k as a terp. Makes nothing if Ohtani goes down. Takes the hit and Ohtani pays him for life behind the scenes or something like that.

 

Not saying Ohtani did anything wrong. Just saying why the terp would take a hit.

 

Isn't he looking at potentially years of jail time, and a completely tarnished reputation? I'm not sure there's a sum of money that would convince me to spend years in prison.

[Brownie19]

Neither version of the story really checks out.

 

1) A bookie allowed an interpreter to rack up a 4.5M debt for some reason and then Ohtani was good enough to pay it off, but realized that was illegal and then lied about it.

2) The interpreter had access to 4.5M of Ohtani's cash, stole it, gambled on it, and Ohtani only learned about this after laughing it up with his pal after yesterday's game.

 

That's a fair point. What bookie let's some interpreter rack up a $4.5M debt? He's probably end up with cement boots well before that.

[Laika]

I'd guess he made all the bets on Ohtanei's behalf. But no way Ohtanei didn't know.

 

Yeah if I had to guess, this would be it.

 

Ohtani's life is so boring he wanted to gamble. Knew enough to know he shouldn't do it directly. Had interpreter friend do it, under interpreter's name.

[Brownie19]

Isn't he looking at potentially years of jail time, and a completely tarnished reputation? I'm not sure there's a sum of money that would convince me to spend years in prison.

 

Wouldn't he only go to jail if Ohtani decides to press charges? Or was the gambling itself illegal?

 

I mean if he's spends 6 months in jail in exchange for like $50M, which will setup his family for several generations - I think some would consider that.

[The_DH]

Probability of arrest & conviction of the interpretor: 0.0%

[Carlos Danger]

Isn't he looking at potentially years of jail time, and a completely tarnished reputation? I'm not sure there's a sum of money that would convince me to spend years in prison.

 

The owner operator could be fined or serve up to 5 yrs max depending if it remains a Fed case or it is deferred to the state.

 

The people actually placing bets need to know it was illegal and would probably plea out so the Prosecutors could get the operator. If no criminal history and with a good attorney maybe a fine or suspended sentence if that.

[Laika]

The Feds like to charge people with nebulous s*** like "Wire Fraud" if they do anything with money that is remotely illicit

[Terminator]

The Feds like to charge people with nebulous s*** like "Wire Fraud" if they do anything with money that is remotely illicit

 

Ohtani has to know this. Or at least know enough that when you make 4.5M in transfers that it would likely get some scrutiny from the feds.

[Terminator]

Neither version of the story really checks out.

 

1) A bookie allowed an interpreter to rack up a 4.5M debt for some reason and then Ohtani was good enough to pay it off, but realized that was illegal and then lied about it.

2) The interpreter had access to 4.5M of Ohtani's cash, stole it, gambled on it, and Ohtani only learned about this after laughing it up with his pal after yesterday's game.

 

Agreed, none of this is adding up.

 

Ohtani has got to know that you can't just make 4.5M in cash transfers like that. Or he should at least know enough to ask someone if that's kosher, at which point he would find out that he can't transfer money like that. The IRS is obviously going to take a look at those transactions lol.

 

But maybe he had a plan to conceal it somehow and was just hoping sneak by with plan #1. The story blew up in their faces, Ohtani's lawyers told him he is potentially facing felony wire charges and now they have to resort to #2?

 

That kind of seems somewhat plausible I guess? But so does Ohtani being completely bored out of his mind in Orange County so he and his interpreter buddy bet on sports. And they bet big sums of money to make it interesting.

[Laika]

Just a simple dude, wiring $4.5m to the Yakuza on a weekday, then playing fetch with his dog and having dinner with his real human female wife who he is definitely 100% sexually attracted to, he's not a gay robot at all, who said that? Where is he?

[wilko]

Just a simple dude, wiring $4.5m to the Yakuza on a weekday, then playing fetch with his dog and having dinner with his real human female wife who he is definitely 100% sexually attracted to, he's not a gay robot at all, who said that? Where is he?

 

He's 100% gay. Look at his dog.

[mphenhef]

Isn't he looking at potentially years of jail time, and a completely tarnished reputation? I'm not sure there's a sum of money that would convince me to spend years in prison.

 

Enough money to support your family going forward might make it worth it to some people.

[The Cats Ass]

The Feds like to charge people with nebulous s*** like "Wire Fraud" if they do anything with money that is remotely illicit

 

Where is Mizuhara at the moment? Who's to say he even comes back from Asia. He'll just take his payout from Ohtani and live out his life of luxury in Japan.