MLB
Will Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara’s betting scandal have a TV series?
The production company Lionsgate plans to adapt the former Dodgers player’s language interpreter illegal betting scandal into a television series.
Ippei Mizuhara, Shohei Ohtani’s former translator, is prosecuted for illegally betting and stealing almost $17 million from Ohtani. Mizuhara has also admitted to filing a false tax return.
Lionsgate has announced plans to turn this scandal into a television series that will follow Ohtani’s time in the Major Leagues and how he signed the largest contract in MLB history. At the same time, his interpreter was involved in criminal activities.
Scott Delman and Albert Chen will be producing the series. Albert Chen, the writer of the book Billion Dollar Fantasy, which investigates DraftKings and FanDuel’s attempt to dominate the world of sports betting, will also be a part of the production team.
Chen stated in a press release obtained by Deadline that this scandal is the biggest in MLB history since the Pete Rose controversy. The journalist-turned-producer believes that the story will revolve around trust, betrayal, and the pitfalls of fame and money.
How did Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara meet?
Ippei Mizuhara and Shohei Ohtani developed a decade-long friendship since they met in Japan in 2013. The player was part of the Nippon-Ham Fighters, and he was an interpreter for American players in the franchise, such as Jeremy Hermida, Anthony Bass, and Chris Martin. Ohtani moved to the Major Leagues in 2017 with the Los Angeles Angels, and the team hired Mizuhara as an interpreter.