The Los Angeles Dodgers, the most consistent team in Major League Baseball over the past 11 yearscelebrated a triumphant winter by signing in a span of days the two most sought-after and sought-after free agents in baseball, the Japanese Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
These signings for monstrous figures immediately put the Dodgers, who already looked armed and fearsome, as the most favorite team for the new MLB season above Atlanta, Houston and the NY Yankees.
However, as spring arrived and as the Dodgers played the first two games of the regular season in Korea, The scandal of Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s inseparable friend who allegedly made illegal sports bets, exploded and that he stole a lot of money from the baseball superstar, according to Ohtani said this week when breaking the silence in a meeting with the media.
Ohtani explained during an 11-minute session, in which reporters were not allowed to ask him questions, that he only found out about Mizuhara’s sports betting at the end of the first game in Seoul and that a while later at the team hotel his Then the interpreter confessed that he had stolen money from him. Mizuhara was fired immediately. Ohtani stated and repeated Monday that he has never placed bets on any sport or made payments related to betting.
The case is being investigated by MLB, the IRS and possibly a law enforcement agency, although this has not been confirmed and Ohtani’s representatives have been tight-lipped about it.
Ohtani and other stars at the opening game in Los Angeles
And so, While the public wonders if Shohei Ohtani, the most talented and famous baseball player today, is telling the truth or if he is actually the one who orchestrated those bets, the Japanese will take the field Dodger Stadium this Thursday for the Dodgers’ home opener.
The first official game of the 2024 campaign in Los Angeles, scheduled for 1:10 p.m. local time, will be against the St. Louis Cardinals. It will be broadcast on television on Spectrum SportsNet LA and MLB Network.
Ohtani cannot pitch this season, but he has already started throwing sessions as part of his rehabilitation after right elbow surgery. As has happened in his first games as a Dodger, the 29-year-old star He will be the designated hitter and second in the lineup behind Mookie Betts and ahead of Freddie Freeman, the best 1-2-3 in baseball without any discussion..
In addition to them and other hitters like Will Smith, the catcher who signed an impressive 10-year contract this Wednesday, Max Muncy and the Dominican Teoscar Hernández, the Dodgers will have the debut in Los Angeles of Tyler Glasnow as a starting pitcher.
Tyler Glasnow, made in Los Angeles, returns home
The talented Tyler Glasnow, a 30-year-old giant who comes from the Tampa Bay Rays where he had excellent seasons, was the starter in the first game in Korea against San Diego, when he pitched 5 innings with 2 runs and had no decision. The powerful right-hander grew up in Santa Clarita, in the Los Angeles area, and his return home is both emotional for him and crucial for the team.
The Dodgers, who won one and lost one in Seoul, need Glasnow to be the pitching ace they lacked last year, when after a 100-win season they were quickly eliminated in the divisional round for the second straight time.
The reliable Miles Mikolas is announced to start on the mound for the Cardinals, who have in their lineup the devastating duo of hitters Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado.
The Dodgers’ extensive pitching staff for this season also includes the Japanese Yamamoto, who had a difficult debut in Seoul; Walker Buehler, Clayton Kershaw, James Paxton and young Bobby Miller and Gavin Stone. Buehler and Kershaw are on the injured list.
It should be remembered that the talented Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May underwent surgery last year and will not see the mound for months.
Lots of talent, but potential for an uncomfortable environment
The talent is undeniable in the team led by Dave Roberts. But the first big challenge will be to overcome the scandal and speculation around Ohtani.the man who represents the promise of leading the Dodgers to the promised land but who faces an undeniable distraction.
Ohtani did not “field” questions from the press the other day and possibly will not address the topic again as long as he is not forced to do so. But questions from the media and the general public about illegal gambling aren’t going anywhere.
The entire team – not just Ohtani – will have to deal with the issue for weeks, perhaps months, and even the noise and its repercussions could hover over Dodger Stadium throughout the year.
How much will all this hurt the Dodgers on the field? It will all start this Thursday afternoon.
Keep reading:
– Shohei Ohtani breaks the silence: he says he has never bet and that his interpreter robbed him
– Shohei Ohtani’s message that helped the Dodgers get pitcher Tyler Glasnow
– La Góndola, the air transportation project at Dodger Stadium that divides opinions in Los Angeles