[Baseball] Hanshin’s Riito Ihara Apologizes, “I Offer My Deepest Apologies” — Farm-Team Assignment Decided Amid Assault Allegations Involving Woman in Her 20s

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Hanshin Tigers pitcher Riito Ihara has apologized through the club after allegations surfaced that he assaulted a woman in her 20s, and it’s been confirmed he will train with the farm team. Since he’s a starting lefty already sitting on 4 wins this season, the thread saw a flurry of comments criticizing the leniency of the punishment, comparing it to the club’s past scandals, and pointing out how often these incidents involve drinking.

[Hanshin] Riito Ihara apologizes through the club, “I offer my deepest apologies” — farm-team assignment decided following assault allegation reports; the rotation lefty has 4 wins this season too

Hanshin Tigers pitcher Riito Ihara (26), whose assault allegations were reported by a weekly magazine the previous day on the 19th, released a statement through the club on the 20th.

“I sincerely apologize for the worry and disturbance this has caused our fans and so many others.”

Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here

5Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 00:09:46.78ID:pWtcAYbE0
Should get fired.
This is Abe Shinnosuke-level (referencing the Giants manager's own past scandal).
23Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 00:20:03.21ID:3L1crJoM0
>>5
He wasn't arrested, so he's in the clear.
12Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 00:15:35.46ID:AFtmG32Y0
Osaka University of Commerce, huh… yeah, figures.
75Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 01:08:06.74ID:i0V4CZRd0
>>12
His 'corporate training' was at NTT West (his old company-league team).
19Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 00:19:22.52ID:3R87x/MF0
Hanshin: Assault
Giants: Domestic violence
BayStars: Hitman
Swallows: Bat-throwing
Carp: Zombie
Dragons: Weak

The Central League should just disband at this point.
52Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 00:39:23.84ID:luhAtnJN0
>>19
'Weak' lol
69Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 01:03:10.03ID:iA3huSaG0
>>19
Osuna's the worst offender by far.
It's wild he's still allowed to keep playing.
31Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 00:24:54.09ID:O12Kr2ni0
Is this the first negative Hanshin story since Nishi Yuki's affair outings during COVID?
33Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 00:26:29.35ID:/7QcIyYj0
>>31
I feel like there was some article this year or last about a 'took her home' incident or something.
Though whether that counts as 'negative' is debatable.
89Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 01:38:19.36ID:f/vGY9xR0
>>31
Whatever happened with the Shimoyanagi Tsuyoshi Instagram hijacking incident?
42Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 00:30:11.77ID:TwU5qTe90
A year and a half out of college into his corporate career and he's already full of himself.
Or maybe he just didn't learn anything at NTT.
70Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 01:04:22.82ID:DowWuJXH0
>>42
It's Hanshin, after all.
The place is crawling with sugar daddies (wealthy patrons who dote on players).
43Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 00:30:19.29ID:dWqufhiw0
Are they seriously planning to let this slide with just a farm-team demotion?
He'll definitely be back once things blow over — baseball really is soft on criminals.
Take a page from Abe Shin's book.
71Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 01:04:37.44ID:VAtFBGm40
>>43
Abe will probably come back too once things cool down.
55Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 00:44:48.78ID:/6XJrQMS0
Team, don't let a first-year player run wild like that.
147Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 05:59:22.23ID:jKlWFIGh0
>>55
He's actually in his second year — 8 appearances so far this season, 4 wins, 2 losses, 3.25 ERA.
62Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 00:52:55.96ID:T6WrkL510
Apparently getting sent to the farm team makes your sins disappear.
64Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 00:54:56.99ID:+JqoxT8r0
>>62
Does Abe Shinnosuke's sin disappear too if he becomes farm-team manager?
82Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 01:20:14.57ID:DEDrxHRf0
'Adjustment' — adjusting what, exactly?
84Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 01:21:33.82ID:eIUzHz/T0
>>82
He's probably just going to drown his frustration in alcohol.
Drinking at home, that is.
86Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 01:32:26.32ID:k645e/E60
Sounds like he's got a drinking problem — this type doesn't get better easily, he'll do it again.
92Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 01:43:07.08ID:eIUzHz/T0
>>86
If he were an average Joe, he'd be the type to pass out drunk in the middle of the road and get run over.
91Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 01:42:01.81ID:WUUuVIC80
Same with 'Zombie' — a farm-team demotion apparently counts as atonement.
94Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 01:44:41.58ID:eIUzHz/T0
>>91
The players' union might push back on how complaints get handled, so the team has to verify the facts first for this kind of thing,
which tends to make their response lag behind.
108Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 02:18:20.83ID:8QyAVCSR0
Pretty traditional drinking behavior for a baseball player, honestly.
You never hear good stories about baseball guys and the nightlife scene.
112Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 02:31:17.01ID:eIUzHz/T0
>>108
Can't be helped — at a popular team, even if a guy's talent and stats are mediocre,
people flock around fawning over him.
It's a job, after all — as long as he's wearing that uniform,
he's basically an accessory for the flatterers,
a trophy for them to show off.
110Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 02:30:10.31ID:ISD6n57g0
Did something get said that set him off,
or did he just snap on his own without any provocation?
114Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 02:33:44.06ID:eIUzHz/T0
>>110
Being drunk is different from being sober, you know.
There really are people who flip a switch over words that wouldn't normally set them off once alcohol's involved.
It's common for onlookers to think 'that's what set him off?'
126Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 03:11:00.34ID:fZYmmr/O0
>>110
It said he mistakenly thought a woman was ignoring him and blew up over it.

*This article is compiled as an excerpt/summary of the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Baseball] Hanshin’s Riito Ihara Apologizes, “I Offer My Deepest Apologies” — Farm-Team Assignment Decided Amid Assault Allegations Involving Woman in Her 20s.”

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