"Still don't believe you" - Fans aren't buying Shohei Ohtani's statement following Ippei Mizuhara's verdict

Shohei Ohtani's former translator, Ippei Mizuhara, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of filing a false tax return. The translator stole money from the baseball superstar to pay off his gambling debts and committed fraud in the process. He was quickly fired by the Dodgers when Ohtani's attorney brought everyone's attention to his "massive theft," and now he is facing prison time for his crimes.

Initially, there were strong rumors among fans that Ohtani was the one gambling and that his friend was taking the fall for him. The investigation yielded no evidence of such and Ohtani has stated at every turn that he had nothing to do with it.

That was echoed in his statement following Mizuhara's guilty plea. Fans, however, either don't believe him or troll him for the situation.

One fan offered up their own translation, "'Thanks to Ippei for taking the fall.'"

"Cover up at the highest level!" another exclaimed.

"How much MLB pay Ippei to take the cover?" one fan said.

"The golden goose speaks. Imagine that," another added.

While there has been no evidence that Ohtani has lied at all or had anything to do with the betting, some MLB fans still don't believe anything the Los Angeles Dodgers star says. Even after Mizuhara pleaded guilty, they remained unconvinced.

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What did Shohei Ohtani say about Ippei Mizuhara?

After Ippei Mizuhara pleaded guilty to stealing and committing fraud, this investigation and this situation are now firmly in the rearview mirror.

Shohei Ohtani spoke on the Ippei Mizuhara verdict

Via Bob Nightengale, Ohtani said:

"Now that the investigation has been completed, this full admission of guilt has brought important closure to me and my family. I want to sincerely thank the authorities for finishing their thorough and effective investigation so quickly and uncovering all of the evidence."

He called it a "uniquely challenging time" and thanked everyone, including his family, agent, agency, lawyers and advisors. Ohtani also gave a shout-out to the Dodgers organization for their "endless support" the entire time.

Ohtani closed by saying he was closing this chapter and wanted to continue playing baseball with no distractions in the future.