“Checking Shohei Ohtani’s betting slips took a few hours” - Fans explode over Dave Roberts' comments on flight delay ahead of Game 3 in LA

Last year, LA Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara found themselves in the middle of an investigation into Orange County resident Mathew Bowyer.

Though Ohtani never faced any charges, and it was his former interpreter who defrauded the baseball star to pay off his gambling debts, some fans still bring it up in the reaction box when any update of the Dodgers star comes by.

Ahead of Game 3 at Dodger Stadium, the team's flight from Toronto to LA faced some delay. Manager Dave Roberts said:

"I don't want to get too far into it. I just arrived about 30 minutes ago. So there was some delays. I don't know if there was intent or not. But, man, the international stuff was a bear. But we made it. We made it."

This led to several fans jokingly suggesting that Ohtani's betting controversy was the reason for the delay.

"Checking Ohtani’s betting slips took a few hours," one fan wrote.

"US customs had some issues because he has a felon on his team who used his interpreter as a patsy," one fan wrote.

Some fans dragged Ohtani's name into the political situation in the US with regard to immigration.

"ICE is looking for Ohtani," one fan commented.

"Takes awhile for Trump's Gestapo to search an entire team's Cell Phones. Just be glad they didn't deport Otani," another fan added..

Meanwhile, some Canadian fans called out Dave Roberts to take the delay issue up with the US President.

"Toronto to LA, any delays would be US customs. Roberts, take that up with your president," one fan wrote.

"Man I read this so wrong and got soooooo nervous because I thought they weren’t letting in Canadian reporters… which would honestly track bc of a 80 year old man having a temper tantrum," one fan said.

Why Shohei Ohtani's Dodgers flight from Toronto to LA delayed?

According to KSL, the Dodgers left Toronto right after the game Saturday night and arrived at their Los Angeles hotel at about 4:00 a.m. Sunday. Manager Dave Roberts hinted that the delay could be intentional from Toronto's part. Roberts arrived late for the team’s workout on Sunday at 5 pm ahead of Game 3.

According to Fox Sports, some of the delay was reportedly due to sitting on the tarmac after leaving Toronto. In another report from WRAL Sports, not all players traveled back in the same flight. World Series Game 3 starter Tyler Glasnow's flight was apparently not delayed.

Nonetheless, Game 3 is coming, and with the series tied 1-1, it will be an exciting watch to see Shohei Ohtani go up against Max Scherzer.

About the author

Krutik Jain is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. It was in 2018 when the baseball bug bit Krutik, and already a cricket fan, he credits baseball's rules and Clayton Kershaw's pitching to have hooked him to the game.

A Kershaw and Mookie Betts fan, Krutik rates his favorite team LA Dodgers triumphing over Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 World Series as his best baseball moment so far. His answer to the perennial "one player from the past you could meet" question is Jackie Robinson. Despite never having seen him play, Robinson's impact, legacy and trail-blazing journey have left an indelible impact on Krutik.

A rigorous fact-checker, Krutik likes reporting on the technical aspects of the game as well as off-field elements. When not watching baseball, Krutik is busy playing cricket, staying up to date with the happenings around the world and hiking.

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Edited by Krutik Jain