In 2023, a source sent me a tip.
It tied baseball's biggest star to a vast illegal sports betting operation.
“When he relayed who the athlete was, I was like, "Oh my gosh, I believe I cursed."”
"You tell me that the feds are involved and we have to be so careful." "I was stunned." The athlete's name was so shocking that all I wrote down was the letter "Oh." "Show him what's on him! He is not human."
Showhail Otani had just signed a $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“If he was found betting with a bookie, it could be career-ending.”
"You would have been banned, and this is your biggest star, banned for life." But then, someone surprising confessed to me. His best friend, the longtime interpreter, is accused of stealing four and a half million dollars
from Otony to cover a gambling debt.
I'm ESPN investigative reporter Tisha Thompson, and I've spent years trying to untangle what really happened between these two men. "He wasn't just an interpreter, he was everything in Showhail Otani's life." "I've met up with the bookie at the center of the scandal." "We were known as a very dangerous individual to be the hottest modern day gangsters."
“"You'd secret documents in the dead of night."”
"You were worried for me." "Yes. You're going up there by yourself." "And went inside of Federal Investigation." "You could hear E.P.A. in his own voice and perfect English, say hi. Hi, I'm Showhail Otani. And you know it's not Showhail."
From 30 for 30 podcasts, this is the betrayal of Showhail Otani. The inside story of the biggest scandal in modern baseball, from the person at the center of it. "On the E.P.A.M. is a horror and you did have permission to equal me." Episodes 1 and 2 dropped July 28th.
"Oh, Tony, there it goes, go!" Listen, wherever you get your podcasts.
