On the 8th, Major League Baseball player Shohei Otani of the Dodgers answered questions from the press for the first time since he released a statement last month regarding the impact of the illegal gambling incident involving Ippei Mizuhara, who was his exclusive interpreter.

On the 8th, Ohtani spoke to the press in Minneapolis, Minnesota before the game against the Twins.



In this, Otani mentioned his former interpreter Mr. Mizuhara's involvement in illegal gambling for the first time since he released a statement on the 25th of last month. Regarding starting the season, he said, ``The basic rhythm of my life hasn't changed.It was the same today, but I feel like I'm going to sleep until the last minute and come to the stadium.However, a lot has happened in the past few weeks, so I don't have anyone next to me. I think it makes a big difference whether he's there or not, and in that sense, I was really glad that he was there," he said, revealing that his wife Mamiko and dog Dekopin are his support. did.



On the other hand, regarding the influence on his play, he said, ``I don't really think about that when I play baseball.I think the techniques I've been practicing haven't changed fundamentally, so I'll just have to believe in them and give 100% on the field.'' My job is to express myself, and that doesn't change no matter what happens off the field,'' he said, emphasizing that his attitude towards baseball has not changed.



He also expressed his gratitude to those around him, saying, ``Right now, I'm just coming to the stadium and doing things and practicing.Of course, I feel the support of everyone on the team, so I'm grateful.''



Lastly, when asked about the fact that he is just two home runs away from Hideki Matsui's record of 175 home runs by a Japanese player in the Major Leagues, he answered, "Rather than getting there, it's more about the next one, the next one. I think so. If I hit it today, it'll be the same tomorrow.Of course, I think it's a special number, so I'm eager to hit it as soon as possible," he said with enthusiasm.