On Dec. 9, 2023, Shohei Ohtani, arguably the best baseball player today, signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers for 700 million. There has been a lot of excitement about him joining the Dodgers; however, his transition has had some obstacles. During the 2023 season, Shohei Ohtani underwent Tommy John surgery and another major elbow procedure. Due to this, Ohtani may not pitch again until 2025 according to MLB executives.
Another hurdle for the player was when he was recently accused of gambling 4.5 million dollars on an illegal gambling site. Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s interpreter, has been gambling on illegal sites using Ohtani’s name, and upon further investigation, it was revealed that Mizuhara had stolen a total of $16 million to pay off gambling debts. Ohtani was also being questioned regarding the matter, but he still showed up to play since opening day and has 5 consecutive multi-hit games – – the first such stretch of his Major League career.
Even Ohtani’s first homerun for the Dodgers has sparked some controversy. Ambar Roman, the fan who caught the home run ball, was disappointed when she gave the ball back to the Dodgers. After she caught the ball, security took her to a secret room in the stadium where they discussed giving the ball back to Ohtani in exchange for different merchandise. Ultimately, the fan received a signed bat, a signed ball, and two signed hats, valued at around $10,000; however, the ball she surrendered would have most likely sold for over $100,000. Going over the facts about the exchange, it’s clear to say that the Dodgers took advantage of her. Even though Ohtani has been through so much this year, I believe that he will still be the Dodgers’ star player for years to come.
