Shohei Ohtani‘s former interpreter initially told a reporter that the Los Angeles Dodgers slugger had agreed to cover his massive gambling debt,according to a newly released audio recording. But the interpreter reversed course less than 24 hours later, admitting that he had lied.
The interview, which federal authorities later said “created an international incident,” is featured in “The Betrayal of Shohei Ohtani,” a new six-episode series from 30 for 30 Podcasts. Ippei Mizuhara, the interpreter who said he and Ohtani were “like brothers,” initially told ESPN investigative reporter Tisha Thompson in a 90-minute interview that Ohtani helped him pay off debts to an illegal bookmaker. Mizuhara detailed how he started betting with the bookie…