Betting
on Baseball: The Who, What and Why
A Closer Look Into Betting on Baseball
Bob Costas, one of the world’s foremost, well-respected sporting
announcers, recently held a round table discussion on HBO. The purpose
of the show – as if with all of Mr. Costas’ shows –
was to touch on sporting aspects that reach beyond the playing field.
For instance, instead of discussing baseball in a wins-v-losses
format, Costas reached out and discussed personality traits of individuals.
He had Hammerin’ Hank Aaron and Willie “The Say-Hey
Kid” Mays as guests and prompted them to delve deep into their
memory vault and pull out competitive gems of old to share with
the town hall-like audience.
Among the guests of the show that evening was none other than Charlie
Hustle himself, Pete Rose. Rose, in his career spanning two decades,
was an All-Star, Hall of Fame caliber player and a manager. However,
the dark cloud of gambling looms over the Hustlers head to this
day.
Rose spoke briefly and stated his case for the Hall of Fame, which
has declined to vote him in due to his gambling ways. As Rose put
it, old and jaded sportswriters, with their predetermined qualifications,
set the terms of who gets the votes and who gets looked over. These
sportswriters, by the way, are the same writers that wish to do
away with every record in the “steroid era,” every night
game, the wild card team in the playoffs, and even designated hitters.
As Mr. Rose, who is almost 70-years-old asked, why should baseball’s
most unabashed purists determine the outcome for the future of the
game? Not to mention that there’s nary a sportswriter who
holds a vote who also actually played the game of baseball at a
professional level. From the outside looking in, it seems a silly
notion that the fate of a man’s legacy is in the hands of
people who regularly fight for the reputation of not one of today’s
players, but Shoeless Joe Jackson, circa 1920.
Like it or not, there’s a gigantic gambling culture in the
world. Yes, it extends past sports’ invisible holy line. And
yes, it extends to some of sports’ most famous stars of today.
Gilbert Arenas, an All-Star player for the Washington Wizards, actually
brags about participating in online gambling during halftime of
NBA games. Also, Sir Charles Barkley, formerly of the NBA, has no
problem whatsoever letting the public in on his not-so-secretive
secret about constant blackjack gambling in Las Vegas.
Try as hard as they might, sports-writing traditionalists cannot
fend off this wave of sports betting. Some may even say that they
are foolish to try. And sadly, from the looks of it, these sports-writing
vote holders know all too well that their disdain for the questionable
leisure activities of pro athletes isn’t going to change the
trend among athletes. Instead, they choose to deliver their punishment
at the ballot box. How’s that for fairness?
Fans understand gambling better than most, because the average baseball
fan bets on the sport. Pete Rose’s greatest sin was betting
on his team, the Cincinnati Reds, to win the game. He never bet
on them to lose, meaning that Rose’s on-field performance
was never suspect. But while Rose is considered a public pariah,
MLB fans visit sports betting sites by the thousands, each and every
day during the baseball season, to place a bet on their favorite
teams.
You also have the fantasy sports crowd to contend with. In fantasy
baseball, betting has been taken to brand new heights. Where before
in regular baseball a better may tinker and toil and place a few
dollars, a lot of fantasy aficionados take gambling up a notch,
placing thousands upon thousands of dollars down over the course
of a season.
It’s absolutely huge business. Once considered a minor happening
of baseball, confined to Vegas and a few dark and smoky back rooms,
gambling on sports is now a multi-billion dollar per year industry,
with people from Tokyo to Toledo able to log on and bet away.
It is quite understandable why baseball officials wouldn’t
want their players gambling, however. How many of us remember the
many points shaving incidents in college and professional basketball?
That was once a huge business. If a player had bet against the spread,
he may intentionally tank a few shots, throw the ball carelessly
out of bounds or even do something more obvious – ala Jackie
Moon in Semi Pro – and prevent his teammate from scoring.
It’s true; money drives a man to do some crazy things.
But punishment after the fact doesn’t seem to fit the crime.
Is there no statute of limitations on gambling? I know this much:
the fans sure hope not. For if there is a way to punish a person
in the future for betting today, who’s to say that America
won’t go crazy with their anti-gambling laws in the future
and subsequently pull the records for every person to ever place
a bet, and proceed to throw the book at them. It’s truly a
scary thought.
Until that day comes, bet away! Oh, and let Rose into the Hall,
already.
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