Former Pitcher Says MLB 'Brought Mob Members In' To Clubhouse to Discourage Gambling

The scandal involving Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, has shed renewed light on the complicated relationship between Major League Baseball and sports gambling.

Illegal betting is strictly forbidden by Major League rule 21(d)(3), which states in part: "Any player, umpire, or Club or League official or employee who places bets with illegal bookmakers, or agents for illegal book makers, shall be subject to such penalty as the Commissioner deems appropriate in light of the facts and circumstances of the conduct."

Mizuhara was fired by the Dodgers after he confessed to using $4.5 million of Ohtani's money to pay his debts to an alleged sports bookmaker. He told ESPN on March 19 that Ohtani paid his gambling debts at the interpreter's request, saying the bets were on international soccer, the NBA, the NFL, and college football. However, he later changed his story, saying Ohtani had no knowledge of the payments. Ohtani subsequently alleged theft.

The scandal comes amid a burgeoning relationship between Major League Baseball and legal sports gaming operators. BetMGM and FanDuel are currently two of the league's official "partners."

Some believe this creates a double standard within the historically gambling-averse sport. (Hall of Famers Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle were both banned for life in the 1980s after becoming goodwill ambassadors for Atlantic City hotel/casinos; their bans were later rescinded.) For its part, MLB takes a hard-line stance toward its current players.

Speaking on Audacy's Baseball Isn't Boring podcast, retired major league pitcher Jonathan Papelbon said the league went to some unorthodox lengths to bring awareness to the dangers of gambling on sports.

"They brought some of the mob members in," Papelbon said. "Gambling is such a big deal. They've brought former FBI informants with the mob with gambling rings in the mob to come talk in spring training about, 'Don't get sucked into gambling. Stay clean. Don't get into that world because once you get into it, you're done.' That's how serious this is, man. We're trying to keep the game clean. Once the game gets infiltrated, it's done."

Papelbon recorded 368 saves for the Red Sox, Phillies, and Nationals in his 12-year career (2005-16). Papelbon said he was acutely aware of his ability to influence the outcome of a game — or a wager — in his role.

"As a player, I don't think it happens as much as you think that they get approached, but they do," he said. "It does happen to players."

Ironically, any spring training speeches Ohtani heard about the dangers of gambling would have been interpreted from English to Japanese for him by Mizuhara.

The interpreter's whereabouts are unknown after he confessed to stealing from Ohtani following the Dodgers' season-opening win over the San Diego Padres last week in Seoul, South Korea.