Few, if any, people do a better job parlaying being famous into doing fun stuff than Snoop Dogg. While you don’t always know where he’s going to pop up, it’s usually not a shock when Snoop shows up at a thing — it can be a game, it can be a random television show, whatever else — and is clearly having the time of his life.
The latest example of this came on Saturday night, when the Milwaukee Brewers played host to the Cincinnati Reds in an NL Central matchup. Snoop had a show at a casino in Milwaukee a little later in the evening, but before that, he threw out the first pitch — he got it across the plate, which means relatively speaking, that’s a very good first pitch — then made his way into the broadcast booth during the second inning. He proceeded to spend two full innings up there, and unsurprisingly, he took over the booth and injected some life into a mid-June baseball game.
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) June 15, 2024
Just listen to how much fun he had watching Christian Yelich hit an infield single, then follow it up by stealing second base. I am pretty sure everyone will agree with this, but we should 100 percent let Snoop pop into the booth during baseball games whenever he wants.
As for the game itself, the Brewers picked up a 3-1 win.
Rebellious spirits are beloved in music. But Bad Bunny is learning that doesn’t quite work in sports. Since April, the “Baticano” rapper’s sports agency, Rimas Sports, has been engulfed in a heated legal battle with the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA).
According to Billboard, on June 5, things were dialed up a notch. In a new filing, the MLBPA outlined several alleged “egregious and systemic violations” to combat Rimas Sports’ discrimination and being targeted by a “pre-determined investigation” claim.
The motion stated that its decision to ban the agency was due to its supposed findings that Rimas gave out improper gifts to players such as VIP concert tickets, granted suite access to prospects at outside sporting events, and extended interest-free loan offers.
“The regulations strictly forbid such inducements,” wrote the union’s lawyers. “Player agents must compete for clients based on the quality of their representation, not the quality of their gifts.”
The representative went on to outline how if the agency’s alleged actions were left unpunished, it could cause damage across the league. “Immunizing Rimas from the consequences of its own bad conduct will harm players and other player agents by encouraging player-player agent relationships borne out of perquisites, not performance,” the rep wrote. “What Rimas seeks is a get out of jail free card for itself. The public has no interest in such an outcome. This kind of conduct became culture at Rimas.”
The agency has not yet responded to MLBPA’s latest motion. However, last month, attorneys for Rimas did issue a statement regarding the union’s initial ruling.
“The ‘good ole boy’ order of baseball sports agency … was being put at risk, as these Puerto Rican ‘outsiders’ were disrupting baseball sports agency order too much, too fast,” wrote Rimas attorneys. “This was something that the MLBPA and Rimas Sports’ competitors would not allow.”
Rimas’ went on to refer to the “extraordinary and unprecedented” measures from the MLBPA as a “death penalty” on its operations. Rimas claimed the ruling killed its deal with then prospect client Ronald Acuña Jr. Those actions being, as outlined by Billboard as, decertification of one of its agent, preventing co-owner and Bad Bunny’s longtime manage Noah Assad from applying for certification, and blocking already certified sports agents from coming aboard the team.
While the MLBPA appears to be stern in its decision, it doesn’t appear this legal fight is over.
On Saturday at Citi Field, the ceremony is already in motion to retire the jersey of one of The Amazin’ Mets’ most beloved players of all time, Darryl Strawberry. However, The Straw recently just recovered from a massive heart attacxk that he suffered back in March, but says that he’s “100%” and ready for the New York franchise to retire #18.
The L.A. native opened up to TMZ about the recent health crisis, claiming that things were so bad during the “massive” heart attack, physicians couldn’t believe that the eight time MLB All Star survived.
“My heart was pumping at 40 percent,” said Strawberry. “So, there was a lot going on. There was not a lot of blood flowing through my heart at that particular time.” His wife Tracy managed to get him to the hospital in time before the situation worsened. Straw now uses his health scare to warn others.
“We only got one shot at this life,” he said, “make it count.”
The Mets will officially hang Strawberry’s number 18 jersey in the rafters among some of Mets greatest stars on Saturday, June 1 as the Amazins host the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The baseball world is extremely saddened after learning of the death of former MLB player and Little League World Series legend Sean Burroughs, who died moments before he was scheduled to coach his son’s Little League game. Burroughs wss only 43 years old.
According to reports, the 2000 Olympic gold medalist and a first-round pick in the 1998 MLB draft, was found unconscious next to his car in a Long Beach, California baseball field parking lot on Thursday afternoon(May 23). Burroughs’ mother Debbie told the Southern California News Group that the cause of death was cardiac arrest via ESPN.
After dropping off his son Knox, 6, for a Little League game Burroughs was intended to coach, but “tragically passed away”, according to California Long Beach Little League President Doug Wittman. Upon discovery, Long Beach Fire Department personnel arrived in response to 9-1-1 calls, but once the first responders arrived, the baseball player was pronounced dead.
Burroughs, the son of the 1974 American League MVP Jeff Burroughs, won Little League World Series Championships for LBLL in 1992 and 1993. During the LLWS, he threw back-to-back no-hitters. The achievement earned him an appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman at just 12 years old.
The Long Beach league’s Friday statement paid tribute to the late baseball player for his work in the Long Beach and baseball communities. “To say this is a huge loss is an understatement,” the statement read. “We will have his family in our thoughts and prayers during this time and try to end the season playing the kind of baseball Coach Sean would be proud of.”
The national Little League Baseball and Softball organization paid tribute to Burroughs Little League days in an Instagram post on Friday.
Giant Trading Card Honoring Baseball Legend Leroy “Satchel” Paige was unveiled at Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum announced a collaboration with FOX Sports and Fanatics Collectibles ahead of this summer’s special presentation of MLB at Rickwood Field: A Tribute to the Negro Leagues. The collaboration featured an unveiling of a giant trading card, honoring Negro Leagues legend Satchel Paige, at the museum. This card is the first of four baseball legends featured during a promotional tour at select Major League Baseball games and tourist destinations throughout May and June, and will also include Josh Gibson, Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays.
The giant trading cards, featuring the Negro Leagues greats, stand 24×16 ft and weigh in at 8,000 lbs. They were masterfully sketched by former MLB player Micah Johnson using only his fingers, charcoal sticks, an eraser, and a paint roller. The tour, which fittingly kicked off at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, only builds the anticipation for the one-of-a-kind matchup between the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants on Thursday, June 20 that will be played at historic Rickwood Field, America’s oldest ballpark located in Birmingham, and televised nationally on FOX.
“The greats of the Negro Leagues are larger-than-life figures in American history and the history of the great game of baseball and it is only fitting to have a larger-than-life unveiling at the Negro League Baseball Museum,” said Bob Kendrick, President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. “We would like to thank our friends at FOX Sports, Fanatics Collectibles, and Major League Baseball for keeping the spirit of Black baseball alive.”
“We are honored to pay tribute to the enduring legacy of the Negro Leagues and its players with this one-of-a-kind, larger-than-life activation,” said FOX Sports President of Marketing, Robert Gottlieb. “And we couldn’t be more grateful to have the opportunity to launch this tour at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, providing fans a unique access point to uncover a deeper knowledge and understanding of the league and its history.”
The unveiling also featured a one-hour public activation window that offered immersive experiences, including brand ambassadors and unique photo ops. To kick off the public activation, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum President Bob Kendrick and former MLB player and artist Micah Johnson led Kansas City Royals MLB Urban Youth Academy athletes and media through a tour of the museum before walking to nearby Buck O’Neil Tribute Park for the special unveiling.
With a slew of players bumped up from the bottom 50 to the top 50, MLB has updated its 2024 Top 100 Prospects listat the end of the first quarter of the 2024 regular season.
The 45-day threshold for rookies who began the 2024 season on a Major League Opening Day roster with zero MLB service time has ended, so the MLB Pipeline decided to update the rankings of the Top 100 Prospects List. Not much has changed at the top of the list, including Baltimore Orioles top prospect Jackson Holliday, the second baseman/shortstop who struggled in Triple-A is expected to take hold of his opportunity in The Show. At only 20 years old, he’s the third youngest of the top ten prospects on the updated list.
Chourio’s graduation pushes Pirates rookie Paul Skenes up one spot to #2 just one day following his MLB debut, while Caminero and Langford stay in order to complete the top four. Nationals outfielder James Wood struggled in Double-A, striking out more than one-third of his total ABs, but has vastly improved since moving up to Triple-A t only 21 years old and moved up to #5 on the Top Prospects list.
Below is a total list of all 100 prospects in order with their position, MLB team affiliation and level as well as other notable stats. Also, a list of the “highest risers’ or the players who moved significantly up the list, have been included below.
RANK
PLAYER
POSITION
TEAM
LEVEL
ETA
AGE
HEIGHT / WEIGHT
BATS
THROWS
1
Jackson Holliday
2B/SS
Baltimore Orioles
AAA
2024
20
6′ 0″ / 185 lbs
L
R
2
Paul Skenes
RHP
Pittsburgh Pirates
MLB
2024
21
6′ 6″ / 235 lbs
R
R
3
Junior Caminero
3B/SS
Tampa Bay Rays
AAA
2024
20
6′ 1″ / 157 lbs
R
R
4
Wyatt Langford
OF
Texas Rangers
MLB
2024
22
6′ 0″ / 225 lbs
R
R
5
James Wood
OF
Washington Nationals
AAA
2024
21
6′ 7″ / 234 lbs
L
R
6
Ethan Salas
C
San Diego Padres
A+
2025
17
6′ 1″ / 185 lbs
L
R
7
Dylan Crews
OF
Washington Nationals
AA
2024
22
5′ 11″ / 203 lbs
R
R
8
Walker Jenkins
OF
Minnesota Twins
A
2026
19
6′ 3″ / 210 lbs
L
R
9
Jordan Lawlar
SS
Arizona Diamondbacks
AAA
2024
21
6′ 1″ / 190 lbs
R
R
10
Jackson Jobe
RHP
Detroit Tigers
AA
2025
21
6′ 2″ / 190 lbs
R
R
11
Colson Montgomery
SS
Chicago White Sox
AAA
2024
22
6′ 3″ / 225 lbs
L
R
12
Marcelo Mayer
SS
Boston Red Sox
AA
2024
21
6′ 3″ / 188 lbs
L
R
13
Max Clark
OF
Detroit Tigers
A
2026
19
6′ 0″ / 205 lbs
L
L
14
Samuel Basallo
C/1B
Baltimore Orioles
AA
2025
19
6′ 4″ / 180 lbs
L
R
15
Pete Crow-Armstrong
OF
Chicago Cubs
MLB
2024
22
5′ 11″ / 184 lbs
L
L
16
Brooks Lee
SS
Minnesota Twins
AAA
2024
23
6′ 1″ / 205 lbs
S
R
17
Carson Williams
SS
Tampa Bay Rays
AA
2025
20
6′ 2″ / 180 lbs
R
R
18
Roman Anthony
OF
Boston Red Sox
AA
2025
20
6′ 2″ / 200 lbs
L
R
19
Cade Horton
RHP
Chicago Cubs
AAA
2024
22
6′ 1″ / 211 lbs
R
R
20
Andrew Painter
RHP
Philadelphia Phillies
AA
2025
21
6′ 7″ / 215 lbs
R
R
21
Coby Mayo
3B/1B
Baltimore Orioles
AAA
2024
22
6′ 5″ / 230 lbs
R
R
22
Chase DeLauter
OF
Cleveland Guardians
AA
2025
22
6′ 4″ / 235 lbs
L
L
23
Heston Kjerstad
OF
Baltimore Orioles
AAA
2024
25
6′ 3″ / 205 lbs
L
R
24
Jacob Misiorowski
RHP
Milwaukee Brewers
AA
2025
22
6′ 7″ / 190 lbs
R
R
25
Rhett Lowder
RHP
Cincinnati Reds
AA
2024
22
6′ 2″ / 200 lbs
R
R
26
Jeferson Quero
C
Milwaukee Brewers
AAA
2025
21
5′ 11″ / 215 lbs
R
R
27
Robby Snelling
LHP
San Diego Padres
AA
2025
20
6′ 3″ / 210 lbs
R
L
28
Cole Young
SS/2B
Seattle Mariners
AA
2025
20
6′ 0″ / 180 lbs
L
R
29
Harry Ford
C
Seattle Mariners
AA
2025
21
5′ 10″ / 200 lbs
R
R
30
Noelvi Marte
3B/SS
Cincinnati Reds
MLB
2024
22
6′ 0″ / 216 lbs
R
R
31
Kyle Teel
C
Boston Red Sox
AA
2025
22
6′ 0″ / 190 lbs
L
R
32
Jasson Domínguez
OF
New York Yankees
MLB
2024
21
5′ 9″ / 190 lbs
S
R
33
Emmanuel Rodriguez
OF
Minnesota Twins
AA
2025
21
5′ 11″ / 210 lbs
L
L
34
Adael Amador
2B/SS
Colorado Rockies
AA
2025
21
6′ 0″ / 200 lbs
S
R
35
Jett Williams
SS/OF
New York Mets
AA
2025
20
5′ 7″ / 175 lbs
R
R
36
Tyler Black
1B
Milwaukee Brewers
AAA
2024
23
5′ 10″ / 204 lbs
L
R
37
Owen Caissie
OF
Chicago Cubs
AAA
2025
21
6′ 3″ / 190 lbs
L
R
38
Brady House
3B
Washington Nationals
AA
2025
20
6′ 4″ / 208 lbs
R
R
39
Kyle Manzardo
1B
Cleveland Guardians
MLB
2024
23
6′ 0″ / 205 lbs
L
R
40
Ricky Tiedemann
LHP
Toronto Blue Jays
AAA
2024
21
6′ 4″ / 220 lbs
L
L
41
Noah Schultz
LHP
Chicago White Sox
A+
2026
20
6′ 9″ / 220 lbs
L
L
42
Chase Dollander
RHP
Colorado Rockies
A+
2026
22
6′ 2″ / 200 lbs
R
R
43
Drew Gilbert
OF
New York Mets
AAA
2024
23
5′ 9″ / 195 lbs
L
L
44
Matt Shaw
3B
Chicago Cubs
AA
2025
22
5′ 9″ / 185 lbs
R
R
45
Marco Luciano
SS
San Francisco Giants
AAA
2024
22
6′ 1″ / 178 lbs
R
R
46
Noble Meyer
RHP
Miami Marlins
A
2026
19
6′ 5″ / 185 lbs
R
R
47
Xavier Isaac
1B
Tampa Bay Rays
A+
2026
20
6′ 4″ / 240 lbs
L
L
48
Jace Jung
3B/2B
Detroit Tigers
AAA
2024
23
6′ 0″ / 205 lbs
L
R
49
Aidan Miller
SS/3B
Philadelphia Phillies
A
2027
19
6′ 1″ / 205 lbs
R
R
50
Tink Hence
RHP
St. Louis Cardinals
AA
2024
21
6′ 1″ / 195 lbs
R
R
51
Colt Emerson
SS/2B
Seattle Mariners
A
2026
18
6′ 1″ / 195 lbs
L
R
52
Andy Pages
OF
Los Angeles Dodgers
MLB
2024
23
6′ 0″ / 212 lbs
R
R
53
Dalton Rushing
C/1B
Los Angeles Dodgers
AA
2025
23
6′ 1″ / 220 lbs
L
R
54
Kevin Alcántara
OF
Chicago Cubs
AA
2025
21
6′ 6″ / 188 lbs
R
R
55
Edwin Arroyo
SS
Cincinnati Reds
AA
2026
20
6′ 0″ / 175 lbs
S
R
56
Jacob Wilson
SS
Oakland Athletics
AAA
2025
22
6′ 2″ / 190 lbs
R
R
57
Drew Thorpe
RHP
Chicago White Sox
AA
2024
23
6′ 4″ / 212 lbs
L
R
58
Christian Scott
RHP
New York Mets
MLB
2024
24
6′ 4″ / 215 lbs
R
R
59
AJ Smith-Shawver
RHP
Atlanta Braves
AAA
2024
21
6′ 3″ / 205 lbs
R
R
60
Yanquiel Fernandez
OF
Colorado Rockies
AA
2025
21
6′ 2″ / 198 lbs
L
L
61
James Triantos
2B
Chicago Cubs
AA
2025
21
5′ 11″ / 195 lbs
R
R
62
Termarr Johnson
2B/SS
Pittsburgh Pirates
A+
2025
19
5′ 8″ / 175 lbs
L
R
63
Mick Abel
RHP
Philadelphia Phillies
AAA
2024
22
6′ 5″ / 190 lbs
R
R
64
Tommy Troy
SS
Arizona Diamondbacks
A+
2025
22
5′ 10″ / 197 lbs
R
R
65
Justin Crawford
OF
Philadelphia Phillies
A+
2026
20
6′ 2″ / 188 lbs
L
R
66
Jordan Beck
OF
Colorado Rockies
MLB
2025
23
6′ 2″ / 225 lbs
R
R
67
Bubba Chandler
RHP
Pittsburgh Pirates
AA
2025
21
6′ 2″ / 200 lbs
S
R
68
Anthony Solometo
LHP
Pittsburgh Pirates
AA
2024
21
6′ 5″ / 220 lbs
L
L
69
Carson Whisenhunt
LHP
San Francisco Giants
AAA
2024
23
6′ 3″ / 209 lbs
L
L
70
Spencer Jones
OF
New York Yankees
AA
2025
23
6′ 6″ / 235 lbs
L
L
71
Orelvis Martinez
2B
Toronto Blue Jays
AAA
2024
22
5′ 11″ / 200 lbs
R
R
72
Dylan Lesko
RHP
San Diego Padres
A+
2026
20
6′ 2″ / 195 lbs
R
R
73
Blake Mitchell
C
Kansas City Royals
A
2027
19
6′ 0″ / 202 lbs
L
R
74
Jacob Melton
OF
Houston Astros
AA
2025
23
6′ 2″ / 208 lbs
L
L
75
Hurston Waldrep
RHP
Atlanta Braves
AA
2024
22
6′ 2″ / 210 lbs
R
R
76
Chase Hampton
RHP
New York Yankees
AA
2024
22
6′ 2″ / 220 lbs
R
R
77
Bryce Eldridge
1B
San Francisco Giants
A
2026
19
6′ 7″ / 223 lbs
L
R
78
Ryan Clifford
OF/1B
New York Mets
AA
2026
20
6′ 2″ / 200 lbs
L
L
79
Sebastian Walcott
SS
Texas Rangers
A+
2027
18
6′ 4″ / 190 lbs
R
R
80
Luisangel Acuña
SS/2B/OF
New York Mets
AAA
2024
22
5′ 8″ / 181 lbs
R
R
81
Druw Jones
OF
Arizona Diamondbacks
A
2026
20
6′ 4″ / 180 lbs
R
R
82
Leodalis De Vries
SS
San Diego Padres
A
2028
17
6′ 2″ / 183 lbs
S
R
83
Josue De Paula
OF
Los Angeles Dodgers
A
2026
18
6′ 3″ / 185 lbs
L
L
84
Max Meyer
RHP
Miami Marlins
AAA
2024
25
6′ 0″ / 196 lbs
L
R
85
Lazaro Montes
OF
Seattle Mariners
A
2026
19
6′ 3″ / 210 lbs
L
R
86
Gabriel Gonzalez
OF
Minnesota Twins
A+
2026
20
5′ 11″ / 165 lbs
R
R
87
Brayden Taylor
3B/SS
Tampa Bay Rays
A+
2026
21
6′ 0″ / 180 lbs
L
R
88
Thomas Saggese
INF
St. Louis Cardinals
AAA
2024
22
5′ 11″ / 185 lbs
R
R
89
Roderick Arias
SS
New York Yankees
A
2027
19
6′ 0″ / 178 lbs
S
R
90
Thomas White
LHP
Miami Marlins
A
2027
19
6′ 5″ / 210 lbs
L
L
91
Yohandy Morales
1B/3B
Washington Nationals
AA
2025
22
6′ 3″ / 225 lbs
R
R
92
Sterlin Thompson
1B/OF
Colorado Rockies
AA
2024
22
6′ 3″ / 200 lbs
L
R
93
Zac Veen
OF
Colorado Rockies
AA
2024
22
6′ 3″ / 190 lbs
L
R
94
Moises Ballesteros
C/1B
Chicago Cubs
AA
2026
20
5′ 7″ / 195 lbs
L
R
95
Cam Collier
3B
Cincinnati Reds
A+
2026
19
6′ 1″ / 210 lbs
L
R
96
Jaison Chourio
OF
Cleveland Guardians
A
2027
18
6′ 1″ / 162 lbs
S
R
97
Edgar Quero
C
Chicago White Sox
AA
2025
21
5′ 11″ / 210 lbs
S
R
98
Jefferson Rojas
SS
Chicago Cubs
A+
2026
19
5′ 11″ / 150 lbs
R
R
99
Victor Scott II
OF
St. Louis Cardinals
AAA
2024
23
5′ 10″ / 190 lbs
L
L
100
Ralphy Velazquez
1B
Cleveland Guardians
A
2027
18
6′ 3″ / 215 lbs
L
R
Highest risers +42 Christian Scott, RHP, Mets (100 to 58) +40 Andy Pages, OF, Dodgers (92 to 52) +27 Colt Emerson, SS, Mariners (78 to 51) +19 Drew Thorpe, RHP, White Sox (76 to 57) +16 Bubba Chandler, RHP, Pirates (83 to 67) +16 Jacob Melton, OF, Astros (90 to 74) +15 Max Meyer, RHP, Marlins (99 to 84) +14 Dalton Rushing, C, Dodgers (67 to 53) +13 Kyle Manzardo, 1B, Guardians (52 to 39) +11 Jackson Jobe, RHP, Tigers (21 to 10) +11 Blake Mitchell, C, Royals (84 to 73)
In the midst of the Oakland A’s slaughter of the Miami Marlins on yesterday(May 4) with a score of 20-4, rookie Brett Harris made Athletics history when he belted two homers in two back-to-back at bats against the Marlins, becoming the 11th player in A’s history to accomplish that feat.
hit 1st 2 career MLB HR in same game, A’s franchise history:
Today Brett Harris 8/20/18 Ramon Laureano 7/15/17 Matt Chapman 6/24/17 Matt Olson 5/7/86 Bill Bathe 6/19/79 Mike Heath 4/13/77 Mitchell Page 9/29/64 Larry Stahl 7/23/64 Bert Campaneris 4/26/62 Manny Jimenez 5/11/45… https://t.co/vTsyjZfUvQ
The 20-year-old third baseman started off his major league debut on Friday kind of slow, going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts, Harris redeemed himself on Saturday, going 2-for-5 with three RBIs and his two home runs, the first homers of his career as a major leaguer.
The Arlington Heights, Ill. native was making his second appearance in MLB, getting on base with an error by the Marlins in his first at bat and drawing a walk in his second time at the plate. The A’s were up 12-0 by the time Harris got to the plate for his third at bat, hitting a powerful solo shot to left field in the fourth inning.
He didn’t stop there, belting another two run homer in the bottom of the sixth. No one had done that in A’s franchise history since Ramon Laureano in 2018.
Oakland will try to sweep Miami with another win on Sunday. The first pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET.
Since arriving in the MLB Shohei Ohtani has been one of the league’s biggest stars. He was all the talk of the off-season. As the Japanese star took his talents to the other team in Los Angeles, the Dodgers. It seemed as though the 2024 season was going to be a different year for the superstar. With being on a new team and dealing with Tommy-John surgery. Also, his only use would be his skills at the plate this season. However, now it seems like Ohtani is in the middle of a hurricane looking to escape.
It became public knowledge late last week that Ohtani’s interpreter, Ippei Mizhurra had been reportedly stealing from Ohtani and using that money to place illegal sports bets. When the news first broke, most already assumed that the new face of the Dodgers was somehow involved in the messy situation. However, on Monday, he faced the media and claimed that Mizhurra was the only person involved in the sports betting crimes.
Shohei Ohtani Faces Heavy Criticisms Over Sports Betting Scandal
“I never bet on baseball or any other sports, or never have asked somebody to do it on my behalf. I have never went through a bookmaker to bet on sports.”
While he didn’t answer questions from the media, the Dodgers biggest off-season signing let the media know he had no dealings in this scandal. “I never bet on baseball or any other sports, or never have asked somebody to do it on my behalf. I have never went through a bookmaker to bet on sports.” While this is far from the end of this saga, Ohtani is standing his ground that he had no idea this was even happening.
Baseball isn’t new to betting scandals. The greatest hitter the game has ever seen Pete Rose, has been banned from baseball for years after it was found out that he was betting on baseball. There’s no question the MLB will take this issue seriously. It’s not like they allowed player’s to take performance enhancing drugs to make the game more exciting to watch. For the latest news in sports and pop culture, stay up to date with us here at HNHH.
Shohei Ohtani and his representatives have asked an unknown law enforcement agency to investigate allegations of “massive theft” aimed at the MLB star’s former interpreter. The move comes a few days after Ippei Mizuhara was fired and as more details about the case emerge. The version of events from Ohtani’s camp seeks to move any culpability of illegal betting payments away from the Dodgers star. Per ESPN, Ohtani had no knowledge of Mizuhara’s gambling addiction, debts, or payments made to an illegal California bookmaker. Furthermore, Ohtani’s camp claims that the initial confusion was due to them relying on Mizuhara to translate Ohtani’s version of events.
While the primary law enforcement agency remains unknown, the IRS confirmed to ESPN that they were investigating Mizuhara and his bookie, Matthew Bowyer. Bowyer is accused of running an illegal bookie operation in California, where sports betting remains outlawed. Furthermore, Bowyer ran a credit-based operation, which is common for illegal betting operations. Government-regulated betting operations require bettors to pay upfront. However, the full situation with Ohtani remains a developing story. The Dodgers, after opening the season in Korea, will welcome the Cardinals to Dodger Stadium for Opening Day next week.
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA – MARCH 21: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers grounds out in the 8th inning during the 2024 Seoul Series game between San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers at Gocheok Sky Dome on March 21, 2024 in Seoul, South Korea. (Photo by Masterpress/Getty Images)
Elsewhere, Ohtani recently revealed that his wife is former pro basketball player Mamiko Tanaka. Ohtani arrived at the Dodgers’ spring training with the news that he had “recently married someone” in his home country of Japan. However, he did not reveal the identity of his wife until now. Ohtani posted a photo of the pair as they boarded a plane to South Korea for the Dodgers’ season opener. Ohtani said that the couple met “three or four years ago” in Japan. He also, hilariously, referred to Tanaka as a “completely normal Japanese woman”.
Tanaka played for Waseeda University and later for the Fujitsu Red Wave in Japan’s pro league. However, she stepped away from professional basketball last year. This led many fans to speculate that she had gotten married or was otherwise focusing on her personal life.
Last night, the Dodgers fired the longtime interpreter of Shohei Ohtani after an ESPN investigation revealed that the man had allegedly stolen millions from the MLB star to cover gambling debts. Originally, a spokesperson for Ohtani told ESPN that Ohtani had willingly given Ippei Mizuhara $4.5M to cover the debts. However, after Mizuhara spoke with ESPN himself, Ohtani’s camp issued a statement alleging “massive theft”, although they did not explicitly name Mizuhara. This all came to light due to a federal investigation into an illegal California betting operation. Matthew Bowyer reportedly received a million dollars from Ohtani’s bank account. However, sources close to the betting operation told ESPN that Bowyer only ever interacted with Mizuhara.
Of course, this has led to a wave of conspiracy theories. Some believe that Mizuhara was Ohtani’s intermediary, placing bets on the Dodgers star’s behalf. All bets that Mizuhara made were on sports other than baseball. However, at this time, Ohtani will not face discipline and is not under investigation himself over Mizuhara’s actions. Mizuhara told ESPN that he had asked Ohtani to pay off his debts last year and that he did not know that Bowyer’s outfit was illegal. This remains a developing story.
Shohei Ohtani is not currently facing any discipline or believed to be under investigation by the league for the Ippei Mizuhara gambling situation, per @FabianArdayapic.twitter.com/pHAbLIRJAQ
Elsewhere, Ohtani recently revealed that his wife is former pro basketball player Mamiko Tanaka. Ohtani arrived at the Dodgers’ spring training with the news that he had “recently married someone” in his home country of Japan. However, he did not reveal the identity of his wife until now. Ohtani posted a photo of the pair as they boarded a plane to South Korea for the Dodgers’ season opener.
Tanaka played for Waseeda University and later for the Fujitsu Red Wave in Japan’s pro league. However, she stepped away from professional basketball last year, leading many fans to speculate that she had gotten married or was otherwise focusing on her personal life.
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