Comments
DEEGAN ON LA---The lazy and languid days of summer can include, for some, a beach book, a BBQ, or a baseball game. Some quiet time before September ramps up.
So, it’s a splash of cold water in the face to read that baseball powerhouse and LA sports icon Shohei Ohtani is making news for all the wrong reasons. The Athletic, the sports desk of the New York Times, reported the bad news that has now spread way beyond the sports pages.
The headline was a body blow: “Lawsuit accuses Shohei Ohtani, agent of interfering with $240 million Hawaii development “.
The superstar slugger and perfect pitcher is the face of the project; it was a good choice that could be persuasive to the targeted “Japanese luxury vacation market” slice of the 1%-ers that can afford a $17 million second home in the islands.
Othani even put his money where his mouth is saying he would purchase a house for himself and use it in the off season. A batting and pitching area would be installed to help him stay in shape. When not working on his baseball moves, two golf courses, one designed by Arnold Palmer and the other by Robert Trent Jones, Sr., are available. So is one of the best beaches in Hawaii. The new 14-house development is part of the fabled Mauna Kea Resort on the Big Island.
Othani’s golden NIL (name, image, likeness) is what got him the endorsement deal; it was apparently using that NIL like a club by agent Nez Balelo of Creative Artists Agency that seems to be the root of the issue. The baseball agent may have been wielding it to get what he wanted from the project. The lawsuit calls it “personal enrichment”.
Damage is alleged; the term “tortious” is embedded in the fine print of the legal action. The developer and broker are the plaintiffs. Both say they have been forced out of a project they have been working on for over a decade. Both allege their termination was engineered by the agent.
Nobody knows, yet, if Shoehi was compos mentis. Theoretically, he controls his agent. But, could the shoe have been on the other foot? If the agent was dealing behind Shohei’s back, he could be sanctioned or fired. If not, and his client was aware of the actions, the best crisis management p.r. teams will have their work cut out for them.
Most likely, a deal will be struck behind closed doors and this matter never reaches a judge and jury.
As famed Yankees catcher Yogi Berra once said, “it’s Deja vu all over again”. This is Othani’s second trip to the headlines in two years for a scandalous big-money issue totally unrelated to his salary and other compensation.
That’s what makes this story so compelling. The baseball powerhouse, who is on track to legend status, may have now been betrayed and stung twice by his inner-circle confidants.
Being his translator or his agent are arguably two of the most influential positions in his camp. He appears to have been caught in the wrong kind of double play.
His former interpreter stole $16.9 million from Othani’s bank account to finance a gambling addiction for which he sits in a federal prison, and now his agent is accused of what looks like leveraging his position with Ohtani for personal gain.
Impossible to quantify clearly is why the level of “trust” Shoehi gave to his former interpreter and now his agent, and how that looks like a pattern of abuse by his handlers.
He’s been cleared by MLB on the interpreter issue. Will he receive an open and shut “aloha” in the Hawaii issue and go 2-0 when it comes to avoiding culpability in scandals attached to his name?
In the end, will Shoehi Othani be seen as an easy mark? Let’s hope not. Too many people would say “say it ain’t so, Sho”, a phrase first used when “shoeless Joe Jackson” was accused of fixing a 1919 World Series game.
(Tim Deegan is a longtime civic activist and columnist whose Deegan on LA feature has been a staple of CityWatchLA for over a decade. With a focus on Los Angeles city politics and neighborhood issues, Deegan brings thoughtful analysis and grassroots perspective to every column. His work highlights the voices of local communities and the impact of City Hall decisions on everyday Angelenos. He can be reached at [email protected].)
