Shohei Ohtani’s life will be very different in the coming months without Ippei Mizuhara, his interpreter and friend who has always been by his side since his arrival in the Majors.
Although the changes caused by Mizuhara’s firing due to allegations of theft and illegal gambling could shake up the Japanese star stuck to his routine, the Los Angeles Dodgers believe the upheaval could have a positive impact on the relationship between Ohtani and his teammates.
“I would even say it will help internal relations,” team manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday before the Dodgers’ final preseason game. “There will be no more buffer. I think that has already changed in the last few days. I think Shohei is interacting more with his teammates, and there can only be good things about that. »
Ohtani has spent thousands of hours at Angel Stadium over the past six years alongside Mizuhara. The latter helped Ohtani communicate with coaches and players on everything from strategic advice to rehab plans to bravado while playing video games. Roberts and the Dodgers hired Mizuhara after giving Ohtani a contract. Roberts admitted Tuesday that it was sometimes difficult to communicate with Ohtani while Mizuhara had to filter everything.
The new power slugger returned to Anaheim Tuesday without his interpreter, fired last week by the Dodgers after admitting to a gambling problem and being accused of stealing millions from Ohtani.
The Angels welcomed him with a video recalling his best moments with the team before his first at-bat. Ohtani had to wave to the crowd several times during the long ovation given to him by the spectators, before being struck out by his ex-teammate Chase Silseth.
Whether it’s related to the Mizuhara issues or not, Ohtani has slowed down since the Dodgers returned from their tumultuous stay in South Korea, where they opened their season with two games at the San Diego Padres. He didn’t have a hit in six appearances in the three preseason games between the Dodgers and Angels.
Will Ireton will act as the Japanese translator from now on, but the versatile Dodgers employee won’t be as present as Mizuhara. The latter was wherever Ohtani was with the Angels, whether in the gym or on the mound during the pitching instructor’s visits, even on the field when the dugouts emptied when tempers flared. And they also spent a lot of time together off the field.
Get out of your comfort zone
Teammates and opponents have said over the years that Ohtani understands English well enough, but doesn’t always feel comfortable speaking it, like many people understand a second language. Roberts assures that Ohtani is already making several efforts to get out of his comfort zone. “We’re going to be surprised by his knowledge of English and I think that’s a good thing,” the manager said.
Ohtani vehemently denied any knowledge of Mizuhara’s actions in a statement to the media on Monday. Dodgers players and coaches were pleased with the candor with which Ohtani handled the situation. “I think it’s been an important day and now we’re all looking forward to moving forward,” Roberts said. This is also an opportunity for us to support it. »
Ireton is director of performance operations for the Dodgers. He has been with the club since working with pitcher Kenta Maeda in 2016. Born in Tokyo, he completed his high school and university studies in the United States. Ireton has held several positions with the Dodgers over the years. He was also involved in the hiring of Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto this winter.
Roberts is happy to have a trusted member of the organization to replace Mizuhara. “Will is a secret weapon,” the manager blurted. “This guy is the most generous person ever. He is a great help both offensively and for pitchers and he helped us greatly with Ohtani and Yamamoto this winter. It’s a Swiss army knife: it does everything for us. »