Ippei Mizuhara, Shohei Ohtani's former translator, was sentenced in federal court Thursday to almost 5 years in federal prison, and owes restitution of $18 million he stole to pay off his gambling debts with an illegal bookie. He may also face deportation to his native country of Japan. This special crossover for KCRW is a continuation of the gambling scandal sage covered in our episodes "The Talented Mr. Ippei" and "The Complaint Against Ippei."

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Richard takes stock of how the Dodgers' off-season is looking so far, a couple weeks after the team's World Series victory. We focus on one player the Dodgers might gain (the young Japanese flame-thrower, Roki Sasaki) and one they might retain (the wide-smiling, big-slugging 2024 Dodgers All Star, Teoscar Hernandez) through free agency this winter.

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The Dodgers are the champions of the National League in 2024! A short postcard from Richard after the Dodgers beat the Mets 10-5 in game 6 of the National League Championship Series on Sunday night at Dodger Stadium. The Boys in Blue will play the New York Yankees in the 2024 World Series, which starts Friday night, at 5:08 p.m. (very specifically Pacific time) at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers take on the Mets at Dodger Stadium today for game 6 of the NLCS. A win would send the Dodgers to a World Series against the Yankees. We preview the game, with a focus on the pitching matchup, and the bullpen game the Dodgers are throwing.

Recapping the Dodgers’ 12-6 blow-out loss in game 5 of the NLCS in New York on Friday. Critics have questioned Dodgers manager Dave Roberts' decision to leave starting pitcher Jack Flaherty in as long as he did. The NLCS continues with game 6 on Sunday in L.A. at 5:08 p.m. very specifically Pacific time.

Re-capping the Dodgers 10-2 win over the Mets in game 4 of the NLCS Thursday night at CitiField. The Dodgers are now one win away from the NL Pennant and a trip to the World Series.

Re-capping the Dodgers' 8-0 win over the New York Mets in game 3 of the NLCS at CitiField on Wednesday night, with a shutout start from Walker Buehler, and homeruns from Kike Hernandez, Shohei Ohtani, and Max Muncy. The best-of-7 NLCS series is now 2-1 in favor of the Dodgers. So the Boys in Blue are 2 wins away from a trip to the World Series.

The Dodgers lost game 2 of the NLCS to the Mets on Monday afternoon at Dodger Stadium, in a bullpen game that turned into a 7-3 snaking. We look for the silver lining (the shiny underbelly of the snake) and find it in Dodgers releiver Brent Honeywell, who pitched 3 scoreless innings Monday. The NLCS is now tied 1-1 as the Dodgers travel to New York to continue the series on Wednesday night.

Re-capping the Dodgers 9-0 victory over the New York Mets at Dodger Stadium Sunday night, with 7 shutout innings from hometown starting pitcher Jack Flaherty.

Looking ahead to the Dodgers’ best-of-seven National League Championship Series against the New York Mets, beginning Sunday at Dodger Stadium, at 5:15 p.m. very specifically Pacific time.

Re-capping the Dodgers’ 2-0 series-winning victory over the Padres in Game 5 of the NLDS on Friday night at Dodger Stadium, and one of the game's brightest stars, Kike Hernandez.

Before the decisive Game 5 of the NLDS against the Padres on Friday October 11, 2024, we bring you context for the game, and testimonies from Dodger fans, anticipating of the biggest contest of the season so far.

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Re-capping the Dodgers 8-0 victory over the Padres in Game 4 of the NLDS at Petco Park on Wednesday night. The series is now tied 2-2 — with a decisive Game 5 scheduled for Friday at Dodger Stadium.

Travel with Richard (and DBD Correspondent, Chef Wesley Avila, and his wife Tanya) to San Diego, to witness the Dodgers’ 6-5 loss against the Padres, on Tuesday night, in game 3 of the NLDS. The Dodgers now trail in the best-of-5 series 2 games to 1.

Re-capping the Dodgers 10-2 loss against the San Diego Padres in game 2 of the NLDS at Dodger Stadium Sunday night, the Jurickson Profar ball-throwing drama, and all the bad ballpark vibes you could ever hope to hear about.

Recapping the Dodgers 7-5 victory over the San Diego Padres in game 1 of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium Saturday night.

Looking forward to the best-of-5 National League Division Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres, kicking off with Game 1 on Saturday night, October 5, at 5:38 p.m. Pacific time, at Dodger Stadium.

A meditation on post-season baseball, revolving around longtime Dodgers utility man, Chris Taylor, a.k.a. CT3.

Re-capping the Dodgers 7-2 victory over the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium on Thursday night, when the Dodgers clinched a first-place finish in the National League West.

Re-capping the Dodgers' 4-3 victory over the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium Wednesday night.

Re-capping the Dodgers' 4-2 loss against the Padres at Dodger Stadium Tuesday night.

Re-capping the Dodgers' come-from-behind 6-5 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday at Dodger Stadium — and why the final day game of the season, and Tommy Lasorda's birthday, may soon be seen as a turning point.

Job's finished! The 2024 Los Angeles Dodgers are World Champions.

The Dodgers beat the Yankees in a decisive game 5 on Wednesday night in the Bronx, taking the series 4-1.

The following day, Richard goes out to breakfast with his friend, chef Wes Avila, to celebrate.

And the day after that, Richard attends the first World Series victory parade in the streets of Los Angeles since 1988, on what would have been Dodger legend Fernando Valenzuela's 64th birthday.

On this episode, we invite you to bask in the afterglow of an amazing game 5 (and particularly that epic, momentum-shifting top of the 5th) and an unforgettable World Series victory for the Dodgers, with Richard and Wes.

What a season. What an ending. Thanks for listening.

+++

JOB'S FINISHED / HOW TO SUPPORT

This is the final episode of Dodger Blue Dream's documentary on the 2024 baseball season. Job's finished.

If you'd like to see Dodger Blue Dream continue, please:

• rate & review the show on Apple Podcasts, or however / wherever you can
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Re-capping the Dodgers' last 3 games (Thursday through Saturday) with a focus on our starting pitching — our main pain point as we head toward October.

Shohei Ohtani makes history by creating the 50-50 club: hitting 50 homeruns, and stealing 50 bases, in a single season. The most exclusive club of all time. A club of one. Ichiban.

Re-capping the Dodgers 8-4 win against the Marlins in Miami, and a solid start from rookie right-hander, Landon Knack.

Re-capping the Dodgers 11-9 loss against the Marlins in Miami.

Re-capping the Dodgers 9-0 win over the Braves in Atlanta.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto was supposed to be the Dodgers golden boy in 2024. But he missed most of the season with a rotator cuff injury. His return comes at a time of uncertainty for the Dodgers starting rotation, in the middle of the fight for the NL West title, with October just around the corner.

A portrait of Teoscar Hernandez — the Dodgers' big-smilin', hard-hittin', sunflower seed-tossin' leftfielder. (He's clutch.)

On Friday night in Arizona, after giving up a homerun to Corbin Carroll, Clayton Kershaw unceremoniously walked off the mound, into the dugout, and disappeared into the darkened tunnel to the visiting clubhouse. And I remember thinking, "I might have just watched Clayton Kershaw throw the last pitch of his Hall of Fame career."

Shohei Ohtani becomes the first Dodger (and sixth player ever) to hit 40 homeruns and steal 40 bases in a single season. And he got there in the most-dramatic way imaginable, at Dodger Stadium this weekend.

A portrait of Max Muncy — one of the funkiest, fieriest Dodgers of all — as he returns from the injured list. And not a moment too soon. Plus, tacos with chef Wesley Avila.

The Los Angeles Dodgers Are World Champions!

Shohei Ohtani is on the precipice of making history, by becoming the sixth player in Major League history to hit 40 homeruns and steal 40 bases in a single season.

Mookie Betts — the dapper and diminutive darling of the 2024 Dodgers — returns! After almost two months away with a broken hand. But why isn’t Mookie bedding down with his teammates on their road trip? Turns out this superstar spurns the supernatural. And we play musical positions with Mr. Mook, with analysis on why Number 50 is heading back to Right Field.

The dog days of August are here. As we take stock of where this billion-dollar Dodgers team is at, we find we've got... first-place problems. With chef, lifelong Dodger fan, and friend Wesley Avila, and Fabain Ardaya of The Athletic.

At Dodger stadium on Monday, we saw an ovation to remember for the Dodgers' firstbaseman, Freddie Freeman, as he returned from caring for his 3-year-old son Maximus, who had been stricken with a rare illness 10 days earlier.

This week is an inflection point in the Dodgers 2024 season — especially for our starting pitching — in a year where we have seen many rookies take the mound.

A long-distance podcast portrait of the fabulous and famously friendly firstbaseman, Freddie Freeman. In 5 parts.

A listener submits a question — "Is Shohei Ohtani holding his breath when he swings?" — and we answer.

Shohei Ohtani is the first player to both pitch and hit simultaneously at the Major League level since Babe Ruth. But this year, Shohei is not pitching. What is Shohei capable of when he puts down the ball and the mitt, and focuses instead on the stick?

On Father's Day at Dodger Stadium, the baseball gods appeared out of a cloudless Los Angeles sky, and struck down one of our best player with a ruthless blow. A companion piece to our previous episode, "Mookie's Best."

In his quest to become "a legend in the game," Mookie Betts, the Dodgers dapper and diminuitive leadoff man, attempts the impossible: playing shortstop at the professional level for the first time, at the age of 31.

Last night, the Dodgers lost game 4 of the World Series to the Yankees, 11-4. But a strategy was at work that may help us win the whole thing. Richard explains how the team "saved the dawgz." The Dodgers' series lead is now 3-1, going into game 5, tonight.

A 37-page federal criminal complaint answers questions about how Ippei Mizuhara, Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter, allegedly stole $16 million from Ohtani to pay debts Mizuhara had accrued with an allegedly illegal bookmaker.

The Dodgers fire Shohei Ohtani's interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, after he allegedly steals millions of dollars from Ohtani to pay off gambling debts to a bookmaker in Orange County, who is now federal investigation for illegal gambling.

PARTIAL SOURCE LIST:

• ESPN: https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/39784809/dodgers-shohei-ohtani-mizuhara-theft-line
• ESPN: https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/39827116/rob-manfred-hopes-shohei-ohtani-investigation-takes-short
• Los Angeles Times: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-03-27/how-could-ohtanis-translater-pull-off-alleged-gambling-heist-with-no-red-flags
• Los Angeles Times: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-03-28/shohei-ohtani-sports-betting-investigation-dodgers-yasiel-puig
• The Athletic: https://theathletic.com/5364216/2024/03/23/shohei-ohtani-ippei-mizuhara-biography-inaccuracies/?source=user_shared_article
• The Athletic: https://theathletic.com/5375358/2024/04/01/mlb-ohtani-mizuhara-scandal-illegal-gambling/
• The Athletic: https://theathletic.com/5361794/2024/03/26/shohei-ohtani-espn-media-gambling/?access_token=11093551&redirected=1
• Politico: https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/03/21/sports-gambling-scandals-legalization-00148243

Shohei Ohtani shocks the world with an Instagram post.

The first installment in Dodger Blue Dream, a documentary chronicling the 2024 Los Angeles Dodgers baseball season, from start to finish.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have a 3-0 lead over the New York Yankees in the 2024 World Series.