The current LA Dodgers controversy centers around two different events: interpreter Ippei Mizuhara’s sports betting scandal, and the 2023 Pride Night event. Ippei Mizuhara, the interpreter for Dodgers legend Shohei Ohtani, reportedly started stealing money in 2021 to pay off his sports betting debts. As for the second controversy, in 2023, the LA Dodgers decided to honor the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence with a Community Hero Award at its annual Pride Night. This caused a backlash in the Christian community, who found the group offensive, and led the Dodgers to re-evaluate the situation.

For this article, our Business2Community experts pored over news articles, official press releases, and social media posts to provide a comprehensive overview of the LA Dodgers controversies. You’ll find a complete overview of both controversies, along with how the Dodgers dealt with them, providing lessons in understanding your audience and crisis management.

LA Dodgers Controversy – Key Facts

  • In 2021, interpreter Ippei Mizuhara allegedly started using Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani’s bank account to pay off his sports betting debts.
  • The LA Dodgers found out about the situation in 2024, terminating Mizuhara’s employment at the Dodgers and taking the matter to court.
  • In 2023, the LA Dodgers faced a conservative backlash for announcing it would honor the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence with an award at its annual Pride Night.
  • The Dodgers uninvited the Sisters, but this time faced a backlash from the LGBTQ community. In the end, the team re-invited the Sisters and presented the award.

LA Dodgers Controversy Explained

The LA Dodgers are no strangers to controversy. At the moment, it is embroiled in two major controversies surrounding Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara stealing money from Ohtani to pay for his sports gambling debts, and the team uninviting the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence from its annual Pride Night. Here’s a breakdown of what happened, when, and why.

Ippei Mizuhara Controversy: Interpreter Uses Dodgers Star’s Bank Account to Pay Off Gambling Debts

In December 2023, Japanese baseball player Shohei Ohtani signed the biggest contract in baseball history, joining the Los Angeles Dodgers for $700 million over 10 years. He had already been playing in the US since 2017, as a pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels. Unlike essentially every other starting pitcher in the last few decades of baseball, Ohtani is also an incredible hitter with ludicrous stats at both the plate and the mound. When he came to the US, he brought his interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, who he had known since 2013.

Mizuhara helped Ohtani with various English-language-related tasks, including opening a bank account to receive his Major League Baseball salary in 2018. According to the US Department of Justice, starting in September 2021, Mizuhara began sports betting with an illegal bookmaker. Unable to pay his debts, the interpreter created a system to access Ohtani’s bank account.

The US Department of Justice believes that Mizuhara impersonated Ohtani and used his account up to 24 times between November 2021 and March 2024. By logging into Ohtani’s account, he made payments to bookmakers, covering his sports gambling debts. Overall, Mizuhara transferred nearly $17 million from the bank account.

On 20 March 2024, the Los Angeles Times published an article, saying that Shohei Ohtani’s attorneys accused Mizuhara of stealing large sums of money from his client. Ippei Mizuhara entered a plea of not guilty for bank and tax fraud. Associated Press reported that this was a formality, as the interpreter was negotiating a plea deal with federal prosecutors.

Pride Night Controversy: The Dodgers Invites and Uninvites the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence

The LA Dodgers have held an annual Pride Night since 2013. The team’s Pride Night package includes a ticket to a Dodgers game and a Dodgers LGBTQ+ jersey.

For its 10th Pride Night event on 16 June 2023, the LA Dodgers planned to present a Community Hero Award to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Founded over 30 years ago, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence is a group of queer and trans nuns. Through humor and satire, they aim to raise awareness of human rights and diversity.

The Dodgers’ decision to award the Sisters caused a backlash.

Bill Donohue, President of the Catholic League, released a statement saying Dodgers rewarded anti-Catholic hate speech. US Senator Marco Rubio also criticized the Dodgers for not being inclusive to Christians. Several other conservative Catholics, including the former US Vice President Mike Pence, shared that they found the Dodgers’ decision offensive to award a group that mocked Catholicism.

Following the backlash, the LA Dodgers released a statement in May 2023, announcing their decision to uninvite the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, “We are now aware that our inclusion of one group in particular – The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence – in this year’s pride night has been the source of some controversy.”

Given the strong feelings of people who have been offended by the sisters’ inclusion in our evening, and in an effort not to distract from the great benefits that we have seen over the years of Pride Night, we are deciding to remove them from this year’s group of honorees.

Pride Night Controversy: LGBTQ Community Criticizes Dodgers for Not Being Inclusive

Uninviting the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence didn’t end the criticisms around the Dodgers – it invited plenty more. This time, the LGBTQ community and allies shared how upset they were with the team’s decision. LA Pride, the organization behind the city’s annual pride parade, announced it wouldn’t participate in the Dodgers’ event.

Lindsey Horvath, a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, also stood with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, saying Pride is all about inclusion.

Pride Night Controversy: LA Dodgers Re-Invites The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence

Following the feedback, the LA Dodgers apologized to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and re-invited them to Pride Night.

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence accepted the apology, saying they believed the Dodgers’ apology was sincere. They received the Community Hero Award before the LA Dodgers vs. San Francisco Giants game.

Other LA Dodgers Controversies

Here are some other past controversies former Dodgers owners and players have been involved in:

  • Frank and Jamie McCourt bankrupted the Dodgers in 2011: The team faced financial instability and mismanagement during the divorce of the then-owner Frank McCourt and CEO Jamie McCourt. The McCourts fought over ownership of the team, however, the Dodgers ended up declaring bankruptcy. In 2012, Guggenheim Baseball Management bought the team for $2 billion.
  • Former MLB player Trevor Bauer was accused of sexual assault in 2021: After a woman accused him of sexual assault in 2021, former Dodgers player Trevor Bauer sued her for defamation. She sued him back, but both parties ended up dropping their cases. ESPN reported that the woman would receive $300,000 from an insurance policy.
  • Former MLB player Yasiel Puig agreed to plead guilty to lying to federal agents in 2022: Yasiel Puig, who played for the LA Dodgers between 2012 and 2018, was involved in an illegal gambling business. He lied about his involvement to federal agents several times but agreed to plead guilty in 2022.

The Consequences of the LA Dodgers Controversy

Both the interpreter scandal and the Pride Night controversy have had consequences, from Ippei Mizuhara getting fired to religious fans criticizing the team.

Ippei Mizuhara Gets Fired

On 20 March 2024, the same day the Los Angeles Times published an article about the bank fraud scandal, the Dodgers fired Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara.

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani made an announcement on 25 March 2024, saying he has never bet on sports and has never asked someone to do it on his behalf. He said he would let his lawyers handle the situation, as he was unaware that Mizuhara was stealing money from his bank account.

Mizuhara’s case is set to proceed with a status conference on June 14, following his plea of not guilty. He faces a maximum of 33 years in federal prison, 30 years for bank fraud, and three years for false tax return. It seems quite likely that he will be convicted on at least some of these charges but anything is possible.

Dodgers Faces a Backlash from Religious Protesters and Catholic Community

Many conservative Catholics were unhappy with the Dodgers’ decision to re-invite the Sisters, especially because June 16 is a sacred day for Christians.

“This year, on June 16 — the day of the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus — a professional baseball team has shockingly chosen to honor a group whose lewdness and vulgarity in mocking our Lord, His Mother, and consecrated women cannot be overstated. This is not just offensive and painful to Christians everywhere; it is blasphemy,” wrote Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles, Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, and president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, Timothy Broglio, in a joint statement.

Other protesters gathered in front of Dodger Stadium and Vin Scully Avenue to protest the team honoring the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, saying the Sisters mocked the Catholic faith.

Dodgers Get Mixed Reactions from MLB Players, Fans, and Organizations

The LA Dodgers received a backlash from conservatives for inviting the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, then from the LGBTQ community for uninviting them, and again from the conservatives for re-inviting them. As a result, different MLB players, fans, and organizations expressed mixed opinions.

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw was one of the players who disagreed with the Los Angeles Dodgers’ decision to re-invite the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. “This is simply a group that was making fun of a religion, that I don’t agree with,” Kershaw told the LA Times.

Washington Nationals pitcher Trevor Williams also said he didn’t agree with the Dodgers awarding the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, mentioning it mocked his religion.

On the other hand, many LGBTQ+ organizations were happy that the Dodgers chose to re-invite the Los Angeles Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Showing support to the Sisters, these associations highlighted the importance of inclusion and diversity in sports.

On Pride Night 2023, some fans protested outside the stadium, while others celebrated the event.

What Can We Learn From the LA Dodgers Controversy?

Similar to the Bud Light controversy, when the beer brand faced a conservative backlash after partnering with a transgender influencer, the Dodgers’ Pride Night controversy shows that there are consequences when brands take a stance on social issues.

Unlike Bud Light, who didn’t communicate with the transgender influencer after the backlash, the LA Dodgers released a formal apology and decided to stand with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. The LGBTQ community and supporters appreciated the Dodgers’ apology and supported the team’s pride event held in June 2023.

Also in June 2023, the Dodgers announced it would celebrate the Christian Faith and Family Day by posting a video of Christian Dodgers player Clayton Kershaw. This way, the team showed it valued and respected the beliefs of its Christian fans.

As for the sports betting controversy, it highlights the importance of knowing one’s staff, conducting background checks when needed, and taking necessary actions as soon as possible. The Dodgers’ decision to terminate Mizuhara’s employment immediately shows a decisive stance, which also protects Shohei Ohtani.

Overall, the Dodgers’ crisis management has been on point during the illegal gambling scandal, taking steps to protect their player. While the pride event saw them make some missteps and initially buckled from pressure from some quarters, the team was able to find a balance by proactively engaging with queer communities as well as working with Christian players to support their causes, too.

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