LOS ANGELES – Hours after Shohei Ohtani issued an announcement denying any sports activities betting and accusing former participant Ippei Mizuhara of stealing cash and mendacity, in the identical interview room at Dodger Stadium, the supervisor Dodgers' Dave Roberts stated the crew helps his rookie. celebrity.
“I believe Shohei was very sincere in his tackle what occurred. I do know that for me and the group, we help him,” Roberts stated after the Dodgers' recreation in opposition to the Angels. “I do know I've had quite a lot of questions answered, so far as what I knew and didn't know. I'm simply ready to maneuver on and clearly let the authorities care for it and simply concentrate on baseball.”
Good luck with that.
Roberts was current within the interview room for Ohtani's pregame assertion, together with a handful of Dodgers officers, together with president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and basic supervisor Brandon Gomes, and his teammates of crew Joe Kelly and Kiké Hernández. Roberts stated Ohtani hasn't addressed the crew as a bunch, though he has had one-on-one conversations with some teammates just lately.
As a result of that is nonetheless technical spring coaching, the clubhouse is open to reporters normally slightly after the beginning pitcher leaves the sport. I wasn't down to speak to Gavin Stone, however at the moment Max Muncy was among the many gamers who additionally talked. Dodger Blue has a video of that interview, throughout which Muncy stated of Ohtani: “We're all behind him. … I imagine in him one hundred pc and I’ve his again on this.”
Listed here are some extra reactions to Ohtani's assertion and the ramifications of this complete state of affairs:
Any communication from the Dodgers, agent Nez Balelo or their representatives at CAA went via Mizuhara, even with out Ohtani current.. That meant nobody from the Dodgers or CAA ever spoke to Ohtani straight concerning the looming story involving Mizuhara earlier than the participant addressed the clubhouse after Wednesday's season opener. Mizuhara informed ESPN that he by no means misrepresented something whereas performing for Ohtani.
- Dylan Hernández on the Los Angeles Instances wrote about Ohtani holding a distance from virtually everybody round him through the years. “Ohtani has the proper to make this alternative. He isn’t obliged to share greater than he needs,” stated Hernández. “There’s a draw back to this strategy, nonetheless. Exterior of fanatics who’ve deserted all sense of cause, how can anybody imagine what Ohtani says with any degree of certainty after they have completely no thought who he’s?”
- You possibly can all the time inform a sports activities story is huge information within the mainstream when it lands in an sudden place. As with Liz Kreutz reporting on Ohtani for the Today Show on NBC Tuesday morning.
- This isn't the beginning of the Shohei Ohtani period the Dodgers envisioned, writes Mirjam Swanson on the Orange County Register.
- Jason Homosexual on the Wall Road Journal poses some unanswered questions round Ohtani and Mizuhara, but additionally famous that Monday's assertion was greater than he anticipated. “This was greater than the same old bland assertion—by no means guess on baseball or different sports activities it was what followers actually needed to listen to,” Homosexual wrote. “But, to be clear, it was nonetheless very a lot an announcement. Ohtani, who had not spoken for the reason that story broke, didn’t take any questions Monday.
- Jeff Passan at ESPN reported that MLB's investigation into Ohtani may dangle over the Dodgers all season.
- Alden Gonzalez Ohtani's Tuesday recap for ESPNand likewise appeared on SportsCenter to discuss.
