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“He’s Terrible”: Dodgers Fans Beg Franchise to Replace Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s Interpreter for Shohei Ohtani’s Interpreter Will Ireton

Published 05/08/2024, 4:00 PM EDT

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Let’s be real: the Los Angeles Dodgers’ star pitcher, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, deserves an interpreter who can keep up with his brilliance on the mound. But fans are up in arms over his current interpreter, Yoshihiro Sonoda, whose fumbling English translations are generating more confusion than clarity.

A recent SportsNet LA Twitter post showcasing Yamamoto’s post-game interview sent fans into a frenzy. Sonoda’s halting, almost incoherent translations left viewers baffled and frustrated. “How long will the Dodgers keep this interpreter around? He’s horrible.” demanded one fan. Others echoed the sentiment, calling for a replacement and specifically requesting Ippei Mizuhara, the former Dodgers interpreter known for his baseball knowledge and fluency.

The backlash highlights deeper concerns. Does Sonoda even grasp the nuances of baseball? Fans are openly questioning his ability to accurately convey Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s complex thoughts and strategies. And Sonoda’s background raises further eyebrows.

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As a 46-year-old former lighting engineer for a New York film company, his qualifications seem dubious. Prioritizing baseball expertise and strong communication skills seems paramount for this role, yet Sonoda’s background offers little reassurance.

The situation isn’t just embarrassing; it’s potentially detrimental to Yamamoto’s image. A pitcher’s post-game analysis is crucial for the media and fans to understand their performance. Right now, Yamamoto’s insights are being hopelessly muddled.

The Dodgers owe it to both Yamamoto and the fans to find an interpreter who can do justice to his talent. The question is, how long will Sonoda’s reign of linguistic confusion continue? Fans are certainly making their displeasure known loud and clear.

Fans cry foul: Outrage over Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s interpreter

Yamamoto’s stellar eight-inning performance isn’t the only thing making waves among Dodgers fans. Viewers are ablaze with frustration over interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda’s halting translations, sparking a social media storm of criticism and demands for a replacement.

“Please replace the interpreter. He is making things up.” One fan’s direct plea cuts to the heart of the issue. It’s concise, impactful, and reflects the frustration of many fans who feel Yamamoto’s words are being distorted.

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“Ippei
Ippei
Ippei
we need you, man……” This fan’s repeated chant for Ippei Mizuhara highlights the contrast between Sonoda and a beloved former interpreter. Fans aren’t just criticizing; they’re offering a clear solution and longing for the familiarity and competence Ippei represented.

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“I can’t tell if Yamamoto’s interpreter doesn’t speak Japanese or doesn’t speak English, but he definitely doesn’t speak both 💀” This darkly humorous reaction by a fan perfectly captures the absurdity of the situation. It goes beyond criticism to highlight how fundamentally Sonoda’s translations fail, driving home the need for change.

“Where is Will? This interpreter doesn’t seem to know baseball and Will actually played the game,” emphasizes the importance of baseball-specific knowledge for an interpreter in this role, like Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter Will Ireton seems to have, which fans are doubtful whether Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s translator knows anything about.

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“Dad said Yamamoto’s interpreter “just made up a bunch of shit”, lol.” This fan’s bluntness and conversational tone make it relatable and underscore how obvious the translation issues are to even casual viewers.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s brilliance on the mound deserves a translator who can match his skill. Sadly, Yoshihiro Sonoda’s fumbling translations are not only muddling the pitcher’s insights but also sparking widespread fan outrage. The Dodgers need to act quickly. Replacing Sonoda with an interpreter who possesses both fluency and baseball knowledge is crucial to ensuring Yamamoto’s voice is accurately represented and restoring some much-needed clarity for the fans.

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Written by:

Shrabana Sengupta

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Shrabana Sengupta is an MLB writer at EssentiallySports. Shrabana shot to fame when she covered two prime MLB events: the 2023 World Series and the Free Agency that followed. During the 2023 World Series, Shrabana wrote her unfeigned perspectives on the Texas Rangers’ Corey Seager and his wife, the 27x World Series Champions’ heartbreaking season, and later covered Shohei Ohtani’s highly anticipated record-breaking contract in 2023-24.
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