By David Downey | Contributing Writer
Update: The Dodgers fired Ippei Mizuhara on Wednesday, March 20, after allegations of illegal gambling and theft. .
Not long after began mesmerizing Southern California baseball fans with his prowess on the pitching mound and at the plate, Tyler Baugh got a text message from one of his best friends.
The friend was watching Ohtani pitch on TV when an Angels coach walked out for a chat.
For update, see: Bookie at center of gambling scandal thought link to Ohtani would help business
He did a double take when he noticed who joined them at the mound. Could that be one of his friends from high school?
The friend snapped a cell phone photo and texted it to Baugh.
“He said, “Am I tripping out? Is that Ippei?” Baugh recalled.
Sure enough, the young man translating for one of the world’s most popular baseball players was the kid they played video games and soccer with, and sat next to in Coach Kemp Wells’ English class at Diamond Bar High School: Ippei Mizuhara.
Mizuhara, who graduated from the east Los Angeles County school in 2003, helped Ohtani communicate with managers, coaches, teammates and the news media while he played for the Angels. Now he is performing that role during spring training in Arizona as Ohtani prepares for .
Mizuhara, through Dodgers’ spokesperson Jon Weisman, declined to be interviewed.
Ohtani after starring in Japan and he speaks mostly Japanese — though he surprised many recently by in English.
Mizuhara translates Ohtani’s Japanese to English, then others’ English to Japanese for Ohtani.
But Mizuhara is more than an interpreter. He is an inseparable close friend of Ohtani’s and a fixture in the dugout.
He often catches the star’s bullpen sessions, .
He plays catch with Ohtani during pregame warmups. He during 2021 All-Star Game festivities.
And the two frequently spar in video games, the alumni report states.
Mizuhara drove Ohtani to and from the stadium early on, the report added. That is, until the star got his driver’s license after his second season in Anaheim.
Mizuhara even made grocery runs for Ohtani during , when players were advised to stay home to avoid becoming infected with the virus, according to the alumni report.
Translating for Ohtani isn’t Mizuhara’s first such gig.
He earlier served as interpreter for Boston Red Sox pitcher Hideki Okajima. He also worked in his native Japan, translating for English-speaking players on the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters baseball club, the report said.
Now Mizuhara is translating for the game’s first two-way star in almost a century. Ohtani not only is an exceptional hitter with power, he is a dominant pitcher. But, because he is recovering from Tommy John surgery, Ohtani is expected to focus on hitting this season.
Already, Ohtani has won two most valuable player awards.
“Ohtani’s obviously much more well known,” Baugh said. “But, for those of us who hung out with him in high school, it’s crazy that Ippei is translating for him.”
Baugh said that cell phone image of Mizuhara standing next to Ohtani on the mound caught him by surprise.
“Not that he couldn’t do it. It’s just not something you would have thought of.”
Or anyone else back at Diamond Bar High.
“No one could have envisioned that he was going to be the translator for a multimillion-dollar baseball player,” said Kemp Wells, head coach of the school’s soccer team today and assistant varsity coach two decades ago.
Wells said Mizuhara was the team’s backup goalie during Mizuhara’s senior year and didn’t play a whole lot for the varsity soccer team.
“He always showed up for practice and worked hard, I remember that.”
Wells learned of Mizuhara’s work with Ohtani from Baugh, while the two were playing a pickup soccer game during the pandemic.
Baugh, who also graduated in 2003, lives in Brea and teaches at San Antonio High School in Claremont.
He’s thrilled by his friend’s success.
“Honestly, I think it’s super cool,” Baugh said. “I’m happy for him.”
Baugh fondly remembers playing soccer and football with Mizuhara and others during lunch hour at Diamond Bar High, and video game sessions with Mizuhara at Baugh’s house.
They met in middle school, Baugh said.
Baugh recalled a “sleepover” event at his family’s house with 10 to 12 friends, including Mizuhara.
He remembered Mizuhara running and jumping onto Baugh’s bed hard enough to break the box spring. That’s the first thing that came to mind when Baugh told his dad about Mizuhara’s high-profile job, he said. His father asked if the guy translating for Ohtani was the same kid who had broken his bed.
Mizuhara and Baugh played on a youth soccer team together, with Mizuhara as the goalie, Baugh said.
In their senior year at Diamond Bar High, Baugh and Mizuhara took an English class taught by the soccer coach. Friends who played on the team were in the class, too.
Baugh said he and some friends caused minor disruptions in class, making random noises and telling jokes.
“We weren’t bad, we were just, I guess, goofy,” Baugh said.
Mizuhara sat with them.
“I would say he was more of an observer of situations,” Baugh said. “He wasn’t necessarily the one who was cracking jokes.”
Looking back, Baugh said, that trait of carefully observing people likely serves Mizuhara well today when he translates.
Wells, the teacher and coach, remembered that Mizuhara and his friends sat at a table along the wall. Wells described him as “a quieter kid” who was respectful, worked hard and “didn’t cause any problems.”
Wells couldn’t help but think of that English class when he learned of Mizuhara’s unique vocation.
His first thought was, “he was so quiet in class, I can’t believe that he is the translator. Not that he doesn’t know the language. He was just so quiet in class.”
“And I’m like, good for him,” Wells said.
