Shohei Ohtani Demands Return of Nearly $325K Worth of Stolen Baseball Cards from Ex-Interpreter
The Los Angeles Dodgers Shohei Ohtani is a baseball player even the biggest fans of the game could not have even imagined in their wildest dreams just a decade ago.
A true complete package of a baseball player, Ohtani is capable of leading the league in home runs, winning multiple MVP Awards and simultaneously pitching so dominantly that he can contend for a Cy Young Award on the mound.
Every time the already all-time great steps on the field history is made and this past season was no different as he became the charter member of the 50/50 Club, becoming the first player to ever hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in the same season.
Ohtani also helped lead the Dodgers to the mountaintop this season and capture the World Series title, the first championship of his illustrious career.
The baseball world was shocked and saddened when the news broke that Ohtani's now ex-interpreter Ippei Mizuhara was guilty of stealing nearly $17 million from an unsuspecting Ohtani and eventually pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud earlier this year.
In a recent baseball card related development to this unbelievable story, Ohtani is now seeking nearly $325,000 worth of baseball cards to be returned from his ex-interpreter.
In court documents filed early this week, the three-time Most Valuable Player is requesting Mizuhara return signed baseball cards, including ones depicting Ohtani himself, that were in Mizuhara's "unauthorized and wrongful possession."
New legal filings allege Mizuhara changed access to Ohtani's bank account, beginning sometime in November of 2021. Mizuhara changed security protocols so that he could impersonate Ohtani to authorize wire transfers and other online transactions. In that time, Mizuhara used the money to buy roughly $325,000 worth of baseball cards on eBay, Whatnot another online platforms according to the court filed documents.
Mizuhara and Ohtani were seemingly inseparable for the early stages of the baseball superstar's career. Off the field, the two men became friends and confidants. Unfortunately, Mizuhara lied, cheated, stole and gambled that relationship away.
Mizuhara's attorney Michael G. Freedman declined to comment on the filing.
Tony Reid spent more than a decade covering combat sports at the highest level. He has written hundreds of articles and conducted hundreds of interviews about sports collectibles for such publications as Beckett, Sports Collectors Digest, and Sports Collectors Daily. Reid worked full time at a sports card shop in Central Pennsylvania for a number of years. A lifelong collector, Tony treasures his rookie card collection of star players in baseball, basketball, and football. If you want to discuss the greatness of Michael Jordan, Bo Jackson or Ken Griffey Jr., you can reach him at @tonyreidwrites on all social media platforms