The scandal surrounding Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani has rocked the baseball world.
As arguably the biggest star in the sport, all eyes will be on Ohtani as the investigation into his interpreter plays out.
"When they were in the dugout yesterday Shohei Ohtani knew that there was gambling involved with Ippei Mizuhara..
At some point yesterday the story changed and the statement was then that it was a theft..
What happened during that time we don't know yet" ~ @JeffPassan #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/jkVS2hU98g
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 21, 2024
At this point, we don’t know how involved – if at all – Ohtani was in the alleged gambling scandal. There will surely be much more news to come…
"I want to be careful, and I would caution people of speculation, but there are questions that come up here that it doesn't make sense. That story changed really fast.. If I'm a reporter on this I'm going deep."
-DP reacts to the alleged theft of Shohei Ohtani by his interpreter pic.twitter.com/RKKSdl94Dh
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) March 21, 2024
As we anxiously wait for more developments in the story, here is a look back at the top-five biggest scandals in MLB history…
#1. Black Sox Scandal (1919): One of the most infamous scandals in baseball history, eight members of the Chicago White Sox were accused of intentionally losing the 1919 World Series in exchange for money from gamblers. This led to the banning of the players involved from professional baseball for life and tarnished the reputation of the sport.
A history lesson on "Shoeless" Joe Jackson & The Black Sox Scandal.
Consider your Father's Day plans made. #TCMBigScreen pic.twitter.com/nJWJ2DPcc6
— TCM (@tcm) June 15, 2019
#2. Steroid Era (1990s-2000s): The extensive use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), particularly anabolic steroids and human growth hormone (HGH), by numerous MLB players during this era led to a significant scandal. Players like Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and Sammy Sosa, among others, were implicated in the use of PEDs, casting a shadow over their accomplishments and impacting the integrity of the game.
Barry Bonds on steroids was something pic.twitter.com/GWNdbrI5ul
— BaseballHistoryNut (@nut_history) January 23, 2023
#3. Pete Rose Betting Scandal (1989): Pete Rose, one of baseball’s greatest players, was banned from MLB for life in 1989 for allegedly betting on baseball games while managing the Cincinnati Reds. Despite his outstanding on-field achievements, including the all-time record for hits, Rose’s involvement in gambling on the sport has kept him out of the Hall of Fame and remains a significant stain on his legacy.
Major League Baseball has had gambling issues, from the 1919 Black Sox scandal to Pete Rose’s ban from the game in 1989.
Will Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani be next?https://t.co/kGJ1wDR7tD pic.twitter.com/kQrj4vTyrI
— David Carrillo Peñaloza (@ByDCP) March 21, 2024
#4. Biogenesis Scandal (2013): In 2013, a scandal erupted involving the Biogenesis of America clinic in Florida, which supplied PEDs to numerous MLB players. This resulted in suspensions for several players, including high-profile figures like Alex Rodriguez, who received a lengthy suspension from the league.
Will he be back or has the Biogenesis scandal ended Alex Rodriguez's career? #arod pic.twitter.com/wQ8NHRP0mb
— Grumpy Umpire (@thegrumpyumpire) February 6, 2014
#5. Sign-Stealing Scandal (2017-2018): The Houston Astros were found to have used a sophisticated system to steal signs during their 2017 World Series-winning season and into the 2018 season. This scandal involved the use of cameras and technology to decode opposing teams’ signs and relay them to batters in real-time, giving them an unfair advantage. The fallout from the scandal led to fines, suspensions, and the firing of key personnel within the Astros organization.
"It's cheating. And that's not right."
Mariano Rivera shares his thoughts on the Astros sign stealing scandal for the first time on @TMKSonYES. pic.twitter.com/ZubyhZRe5g
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) March 20, 2020
What are your thoughts on the top-five? … Do you agree or disagree with the rankings? … Would you add or substitute anything???
As far as Ohtani, hopefully he had nothing to do with his interpreter’s alleged misdoings.
At this point, there is a lot of contradicting information about what he possibly did or did not know in regard to the situation.
“This looks like this guy being pushed in front of the oncoming train.”
GoJo on Shohei Ohtani firing his Interpreter pic.twitter.com/Na2oA0pNIx
— GoJo and Golic (@GoJoandGolic) March 21, 2024
Hopefully, investigators will soon get to the bottom of everything.
What are your initial thoughts on the situation???
"This is built for conspiracy theories."
— @ColinCowherd reacts to Dodgers firing Shohei Ohtani's interpreter alleging 'massive theft.' pic.twitter.com/gUKyOsNSoD
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) March 21, 2024