Attorneys for Shohei Ohtani, a renowned Major League Baseball player, have raised accusations that his long-term interpreter embezzled millions from him, despite receiving a substantial salary.
Ippei Mizuhara, aged 39, had been by Ohtani's side throughout the athlete's six-year career in MLB. He was reportedly earning up to half a million dollars annually for his services as an English translator for Ohtani, before being terminated recently.
Mizuhara disclosed to ESPN that he was paid an annual salary ranging from $300,000 to $500,000. He has not responded to requests for comments on his compensation.
Originally from Japan, Mizuhara grew up in Southern California and completed his studies at the University of California, Riverside in 2007.
Following Mizuhara's dismissal, the Dodgers have been flooded with applications from potential candidates looking to fill the vacant interpreter position, as per The Washington Post.
Efforts to reach out to both the MLB and the Dodgers for comments have been unsuccessful.
Interpreters in Major Sports
In major sports, the need for interpreters has been on the rise, especially as more players from Japan join the ranks. These players often find themselves in a situation where they lack teammates or coaches who speak their native language. Interpreters play a crucial role in bridging this communication gap and can even take on additional responsibilities beyond just translating on-field instructions.
"I'm with him all offseason, too. I'm with him 365 days of the year, which I think is different than the other interpreters," shared Mizuhara in an interview with The Athletic.
It's worth noting that Mizuhara, during his time as an interpreter, received more generous compensation compared to the average interpreter in other industries such as hospitality and medicine. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average pay for interpreters and translators in 2022 was $53,640 per year or $25.79 per hour.
