The most talked-about baseball player in the modern era. The largest contract in sporting history. And a relatively well-known interpreter stealing millions from said baseball star, while also impersonating him over the phone to banks more than 20 times; the whole Shohei Ohtani-Ippei Mizuhara affair always seemed like it had the potential to be made into a TV drama series. And it looks like that is exactly what is going to happen. Lionsgate Television is already developing a script to tell the story of Ohtani’s rise to the top and the recent gambling scandal involving his interpreter, which has sent shock waves through the world of Major League Baseball.
Scott Delman and Albert Chen to Produce the Show
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Scott Delman and Albert Chen are set to produce the as yet unnamed show. The former is most well-known for adapting the TV series Station Eleven. He also produced many Broadway hits, including Death of a Salesman and The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night-Time. Chen, meanwhile, wrote the book, Billion Dollar Fantasy, about the rise and fall of online betting sites, FanDuel and DraftKings. He previously covered baseball as a senior editor at Sports Illustrated and has written for Time and Fortune magazines.
“With a strong track record of creating daring, boundary-pushing series, Lionsgate Television is the perfect partner to bring this unbelievable story to the screen,” said Delman in a statement. “In addition, Albert’s extensive sports journalism background will enable us to connect the dots to make sense of the startling turn of events we’ve seen play out on the world stage.”
Chen added: “This is Major League Baseball’s biggest sports gambling scandal since Pete Rose — and at its center is its biggest star, one that MLB has hitched its wagon on. We’ll get to the heart of the story — a story of trust, betrayal and the trappings of wealth and fame.”
Mizuhara to Plead Guilty
The news about Mizuhara’s gambling debts first broke in March, a day after the opening MLB game of the season. Last week, it was announced the former interpreter had agreed to plead guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of subscribing to a false tax return. The two crimes are punishable by up to 33 years in jail. As part of the deal, prosecutors will recommend a reduced sentence. In addition to his prison term, Mizuhara will also be asked to pay $16,975,010 as restitution to Ohtani.
