Los Angeles Dodgers had to turn Will Ireton after Shohei Ohtani’s iconic partnership with translator Ippei Mizuhara ended. Mizuhara was fired by the Dodgers after allegations of theft connected to illegal gambling emerged. The Blue Crew’s search for a replacement led them back to their organization- Enter Will Ireton or Will The Thrill! who was a translator for one of Dodgers’ previous stars.

But the moment Ireton’s name was announced, it created an urge in the fans. Who is Ireton and how did he become a part of the Dodgers’ machinery? So it’s obvious that a deep dive is needed to understand what makes Ireton so popular inside the Dodgers’ clubhouse.

Will Ireton – History and journey of the Dodgers’ go-to translator 

According to Spectrum News 1, Ireton was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan. His full name is William Augustine Ireton, and he lived with his 2nd generation Japanese American father and 1st generation Filipino mother. As a result of being born in Japan, Ireton experienced baseball to its full glory. Naturally that gave the young boy a life-long love for the sport.

When he was 15, Ireton decided to shift to the United States to pursue his dream of becoming a professional baseball player. Here he attended college and played baseball at Occidental College in Los Angeles and Menlo College in Atherton, Calif. He was the valedictorian of his class at Menlo in 2012. 

A major breakthrough came when he got to play in the 2012 WBC as a part of the Philippines national team as an infielder. That opened up the door for a tryout with the Texas Rangers.

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However, his playing career didn’t prove to be particularly fruitful. So Ireton decided to understand baseball operations and for that did internships in the Rangers and the New York Yankees. Later he returned to Japan to work for a sports management company that connected him to the Dodgers. 

But before joining the Blue Crew, Ireton oversaw baseball operations for the WBC team of the Philippines. He was in charge of roster management and scouting for WBC qualifiers. However, by February 2016, the Dodgers came calling for him after Japanese pitcher Kenta Maeda joined the Dodgers.

The Blue journey that led to Shohei Ohtani 

Ireton first joined the Dodgers organization as the interpreter of Kenta Maeda. It was then that Ireton earned the nickname “Will the Thrill” given by President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman for his extraordinary ball shagging skills. Till 2018, Ireton continued in the interpreter role. Then Maeda was traded and Ireton moved to a role in player development. During this time, he became a beloved figure in the Dodgers clubhouse.

From 2019 to 2020, he worked as a Development Coach for Oklahoma City Dodgers (Triple-A affiliate of the Dodgers). Then he was given the role of Performance Operations Coordinator. As of now, Ireton is the Manager of Performance Operations. So in a way, he has been the trusted lieutenant of the Dodgers management since joining the team.

So is it a surprise that when Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto needed an interpreter, he was the first one called? The 35-year-old was thrown at the deep end straightaway and was at Ohtani’s side, translating for him, while the Japanese MLB star gave a public statement on Monday after reports of his previous translator Mizhurara’s alleged illegal gambling and theft.

With the Dodgers looking for some positivity, maybe a little thrill is all they need.

Read more: Shohei Ohtani to Face Endorsement Issues? “Perfect” Image Takes a Hit Amidst Ippei Mizuhara Scandal