The Ohtani thing does throw up a lot of red flags. But i'm sure there is going to be stuff coming out from the criminal investigation side of things that could directly implicate Ohtani or exhonerate him. It will just take time.
The Ohtani thing does throw up a lot of red flags. But i'm sure there is going to be stuff coming out from the criminal investigation side of things that could directly implicate Ohtani or exhonerate him. It will just take time.
Get off my lawn!
I've read people saying that paying off an illegal bookie, even if it's someone else's debt, is illegal in California. Makes sense as you'd be aiding an illegal enterprise but i haven't researched the law myself.
That would explain the change in the story. If Ohtani was unknowingly admitting to a crime and one of his lawyers called him it would cause a change in the story.
jpx7 (03-21-2024)
This is pretty much where I am, although like @striker42 said I want the rules applied equitably regardless of team or marketing value of the player in question. I wouldn't even use Acuna as the example, although I'm sure striker is right that he'd get the book thrown at him. But I don't care if it was Chadwick Tromp doing the betting...punishment should be the same for both. If you don't enforce the same rules for all, you don't really have rules.
It's hypocritical as hell for MLB to severely punish one of its players for gambling issues while simultaneously partnering with gaming companies and even in some cases having betting sites adjacent to or inside MLB parks.
I was the visiting clubhouse manager for Gwinnett for a few years. When you walk into a MLB or MiLB clubhouse, the first thing you see posted on the walls in multiple places is the policy each person that goes into that clubhouse has to adhear to. One of which is that no gambling is allowed of any kind.
So if it comes out that the betting was for Ohtani himself, then it is pretty clear cut.
Get off my lawn!
JohnAdcox (03-21-2024)
Fair enough, even assuming grand larceny, it's 1 year and a fine, grand theft is 3 years and a fine. There's plenty of hush money there. Hell maybe they decide to deport him back to japan and he doesn't even serve jail time in the USA. Sure he loses his cushy life but then gets some hush money and gets to live comfortably though as a pariah in Japan. I wouldn't rule out him sitting on this for shohei.
Stockholm, more densely populated than NYC - sturg
Can't wait for Pete Rose's take on this. It's going to be legendary.
Also, Mookie looked pretty sus at SS. No range.
let the thing play out, but there are folks hoping he gets banned for the year for what is probably a nothing burger. Dude has enough money to set his buddy up for life to fall on the sword. But baseball would be dumb to suspend the biggest draw over something stupid like this.. sorry but in life extraordinary people get away with things that ordinary folks don't. fair.. probably not.. but that is life.
Coppy
JohnAdcox (03-21-2024)
JohnAdcox (03-21-2024)
The 30 million dollar man Yamamoto with 1 IP 5 ER in his MLB debut.
"Donald Trump will serve a second term as president of the United States.
It’s over."
Little Thethe Nov 19, 2020.
The GOAT
Forever Fredi
thewupk (03-21-2024)