MLB FanHouse

Selig Reportedly Considering Reinstating Pete Rose, Which Would Be a Mistake

Ed Price — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 10:59:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Gambling, MLB Hall of Fame

So Bud Selig is reportedly "seriously considering lifting Pete Rose's lifetime suspension from baseball," according to the New York Daily News.

According to the report, some Hall of Famers have been lobbying Selig to reinstate Rose, which would make him eligible for the Hall. And the report claims that Hank Aaron's statement that Rose belongs signals Selig's chage of heart.

He would thus have to be elected by his peers, the 65 living members in the Hall of Fame, not all of whom agree with Aaron, [Joe] Morgan and [Frank] Robinson that Rose has done his time. It's hard to say if he would get the necessary 75 percent for election. "I know there are still guys who feel strongly against him," said one Hall of Famer, "and I don't know if that would change even if Selig clears him."

Now, Selig certainly isn't above checking the winds of public opinion before setting his sail. Earlier this month, in a Q&A session with the Baseball Writers' Association of America, Selig said Rose's case was "under review. I do spend some time discussing it, but it's not appropriate for me to say more."

I have two issues with the latest development, if true.

1. Why should the opinion of former players and teammates, even Hall of Famers, carry so much weight? Players are famously biased and at times ignorant of the game's rules. How many players have defended Barry Bonds and spoken of their admiration of him?

These guys aren't considering what's best for baseball. They are trying to help out a guy they like. The Hall of Fame shouldn't be just about being a great player; integrity, sportsmanship and character are specifically given as qualifications.

2. Pete Rose bet on baseball. He bet on games in which he managed.

Period.

As Jeff Fletcher pointed out last month, Rule 21 states that "Any player, umpire, or club or league official or employee, who shall bet any sum whatsoever upon any baseball game in connection with which the bettor has a duty to perform shall be declared permanently ineligible."

This is not some obscure rule. It is posted in every clubhouse in baseball. Pete Rose saw it every day.

So Rose first insisted he didn't bet on baseball but nonetheless agreed to be "declared permanently ineligible" in his agreement with then-commissoner Bart Giamatti, with the right to apply for reinstatement.

That was in 1989. Then, 15 years later, to try to further his case, Rose admitted in his book My Prison Without Bars that he bet on Reds games while managing the team.

Case closed. He violated Rule 21. Permanently ineligible.

If the Hall of Famers really want Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame, then they should be lobbying the Hall itself to rescind its 1991 rule change that made those ineligible in baseball also ineligible for induction to the Hall of Fame.

Selig Reportedly Considering Reinstating Pete Rose, Which Would Be a Mistake originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 27 Jul 2009 10:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Why You Should Never Bet on the Kansas City Royals

Tom Fornelli — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:03:00 EST

Filed under: Indians, Royals, AL Central, MLB Gambling

Remember last week when the Cleveland Indians beat the Kansas City Royals on a walk-off single by Shin-Soo Choo when Royals centerfielder Coco Crisp lost the ball amidst a flock of seagulls (video here)? No, Coco didn't have headphones on and he was not singing along to "I Ran" when this occurred.

There was literally a flock of seagulls in the Progressive Field outfield, no doubt there searching for all of those bugs that still haunt Joba Chamberlain's dreams. Well if you are a Royals player or fan you were probably pretty upset to be losing a game because of avian invasion, but you'll just have to trust me when I say that it could have been a lot worse.

I mean, it's not like you had $21,570 riding on it or anything.

[Aaron] Smith had a ridiculous $21,750 bet on the Royals through two different casinos. He stood to win nearly $38,000, which he said he planned to use to pay off his house or, perhaps, "just have a hell of a time at a casino with some cocktail waitresses."

Now, time for a weak disclaimer: I don't know Aaron. Wasn't there in Vegas when, he says, his stepson's business partner placed these bets. But I did ask that he fax us his betting slips as proof, which he did. The image above is his ticket from the larger of the two slips he faxed.

Smith's logic was that Zack Greinke was on the mound for Kansas City, and coming off of two straight losses there was no way in the world he could lose three in a row. Especially when he was going against Jeremy Sowers.

He was wrong.

Now it may suck pretty hard to lose that kind of money under these circumstances, but I don't feel sorry for Smith in the slightest. I'm not a huge gambler on sports in general, let alone baseball, but if you're putting that much money on the line on a freaking Royals-Indians game in June, you deserve what you get.

What, there were no WNBA games to bet on that night?

Why You Should Never Bet on the Kansas City Royals originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hey Pete Rose Apologists, Save It

Jeff Fletcher — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 12:14:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Gambling, MLB Hall of Fame

People, people, people. How many times do we need to go over this? It seems that every time we have another steroids revelation and talk turns to how that affects the player's Hall of Fame qualifications, all of the Pete Rose people come out of the woodwork to say that Pete should get in if the Steroids Guys are in.

A whole batch of them came out in the comments for this post about Sammy Sosa's Hall of Fame chances.

What many people fail to realize is that the rule Rose broke is more important to baseball than any rule about steroid use.

Let's think about why we love sports more than, say, the circus. You go to the circus and you see highly-skilled people doing amazing things that none of us could dream of doing. You think walking a tightrope with a lion waiting underneath is any easier than hitting a slider? It's not the same, though, because there is no competition.

What separates sports from every other form of entertainment is that you don't know what's going to happen. You have two sides each giving 100 percent to beat the other, and we want to see what's going to happen. We live for the unscripted, jaw-dropping moments like Kirk Gibson's homer in the 1988 World Series, or LeBron James' game-winning shot in this year's Eastern Conference finals.

If anything affects the integrity of the unknown outcome, the whole thing falls apart. You've got professional wrestling. Or the ballet.

Which brings us to Rule 21, which is posted within the clubhouse of every major and minor league baseball team, and has been for nearly 90 years. Part of that rule reads...

(d) BETTING ON BALL GAMES. Any player, umpire, or club official or employee, who shall bet any sum whatsoever upon any baseball game in connection with which the bettor has no duty to perform shall be declared ineligible for one year.

Any player, umpire, or club or league official or employee, who shall bet any sum whatsoever upon any baseball game in connection with which the bettor has a duty to perform shall be declared permanently ineligible.

Pretty simple. Pretty straightforward.

Doesn't matter if Pete Rose was betting on the Reds or against the Reds. If he's not betting on them every single day, and if he's not betting the same amount every single day, his decisions are going to be affected by his bets. (Does he bring out that reliever for a fourth consecutive day because he's got a little extra on this game?) Also, he sends signals to the gambling community with his betting patterns. (Pete bet on the Reds the last three days, but he's not betting on them today!) And betting on baseball put him in a position to throw a game. Let's say Pete got in deep with some bookies and couldn't pay up. They say, "Well Pete, I can think of a way we can make this debt go away..."

Steroid users, by contrast, were no threat to the integrity of the game. If anything, they were trying too hard to win. I'm not saying using steroids is right. I'm just saying it's a different kind of wrong than gambling, a wrong that should be punished, but not one that jeopardizes the entire fabric of what makes sports work.

Finally, don't blame sportswriters for Rose not being in the Hall of Fame. Blame Major League Baseball. It's their rule. They enforce it. Commissioner Bart Giamatti imposed the penalty, and it's been upheld by Fay Vincent and Bud Selig. Rose's name has never appeared on a ballot that's been in the hands of a baseball writer (and there's no spot for a write-in to answer your next question).

Frankly, I'm so tired of listening to the Rose argument that I have a solution. Although I wouldn't mind if he never went to the Hall of Fame, I also wouldn't mind if he got in with the following conditions: His plaque would say that Rose "bet on baseball and accepted a lifetime ban," and he'd never be allowed to wear a big-league uniform or draw a paycheck from organized baseball again.

Hey Pete Rose Apologists, Save It originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 17 Jun 2009 12:14:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Madoff Client List Includes Sandy Koufax

Will Brinson — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Dodgers, MLB Biz, MLB Gambling, MLB Media Watch, MLB Police Blotter

Sandy Koufax, three time Cy Young winner and Dodgers great, is on a distinguished list of clients that Bernie Madoff conned out of millions with his Ponzi scheme, according to documents that were made public in a U.S. Bankruptcy court yesterday.

Koufax was a friend of former Mets owner Mike Wilpon, and as a result ran in the same circles as the man who allegedly pulled off "the biggest financial fraud in history."

The list emerged late Wednesday, shortly after a whistleblower in the case, Harry Markopolos, told House lawmakers at a hearing that he had discovered that additional funds had relayed investments to Madoff in Europe - and that the managers of these "feeder" funds may have ignored signs of the massive fraud scheme.

The list of client names, including those of Madoff's relatives, numerous celebrities, dead people and charitable institutions, are listed on a 162-page document. Each page carries 84 single-spaced lines. Some customers are listed multiple times, presumably because they had multiple accounts.

There was no specific mention of how much Koufax lost, but presumably, if he was able to invest with Madoff, it was a substantial chunk of change. Also included on the list are actor Kevin Bacon, World Trade Center developer Larry Silverstein and Ira Sorkin, Madoff's attorney in the matter.

While it's shocking to see the names of celebrities on the list, the most depressing aspect of the Madoff case is that by suckering individuals out of millions, he managed to really empty the pockets of many non-profits, who don't have substantial financial backing to overcome the loss.

Madoff Client List Includes Sandy Koufax originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 05 Feb 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Dugout: Meet Your 2009 Hall of Fame Candidates, Part Two

Jon Bois — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 23:25:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Gambling, MLB Hall of Fame, The Dugout

This coming Hall of Fame ballot only features one Hall of Fame lock. Beyond that is a rabble of jerks who will be laughed out of future consideration, and beyond that is a selection of Tommy John-caliber guys. These guys shouldn't be forgotten, but there's the creeping feeling that if we let them in, we risk lowering the bar a little. We must all remain pragmatic and cynical. If we don't, the 2022 induction ceremony will feature David Eckstein and, like, Joe Crede.

In this installment, The Dugout applies this sort of cynicism toward Jay Bell, Don Mattingly, Ron Gant, and Mo Vaughn. For further reading, check out Part One of this series.

The Dugout

	OnlineHost Next!
	Jaybellwocky: hullo
	OnlineHost Rick Moranis?
	Jaybellwocky: pfft i wish, i'm jay bell
	OnlineHost All right, let's hear some Hall of Fame credentials.
	Jaybellwocky: well i had a career OPS+ of 101, which means i was just barely above average at the plate
	Jaybellwocky: and i won a gold glove one time
	Jaybellwocky: and i achieved this mountain of accomplishments despite looking like your grandma
	OnlineHost Great! Awesome! Get the Hell out of here!
	Jaybellwocky: shucks /hobbles out with conjoined twin
	AreYouJeffKingKiddingMe: ugh i'm too tired to walk
	Jaybellwocky: don't even try that excuse, i've let you use the pancreas all day
	OnlineHost Next!
	Donald_Baseball: No introduction is necessary. I'm Don Mattingly. Don. Freaking. Mattingly.
	OnlineHost That was an introduction.
	Donald_Baseball: And you know why they called me "Donnie Baseball"?
	OnlineHost Because your name is Don and you played baseball.
	Donald_Baseball: No doubt.
	OnlineHost Well, since you're not playing baseball anymore and you're just some dude now, I'm just going to call you "Donnie Human Being."
	OnlineHost And sorry, no dice. You had four really awesome years and then turned into Jeff Blauser.
	Donald_Baseball: Nuh-uh! I won nine Gold Gloves!
	OnlineHost Do you have any idea how irrelevant Gold Gloves are? The other day I took a dump and found three of them in my poop. Next!
	RonGantswer: Hi, I'm Ron Gant. I am on the Hall of Fame ballot.
	RonGantswer: /sits down
	RonGantswer: pffft hahahaha
	OnlineHost ahahahaha
	RonGantswer: HAHAHA
	OnlineHost HA
	RonGantswer: /leaves
	OnlineHost that f***in guy cracks me up
	OnlineHost Next!
	MoVaughn.org: /waddles in
	OnlineHost Credentials, please.
	MoVaughn.org: Well, I was one of the better hitters in the game for a few years, but I fizzled out early. My career stats don't really merit induction.
	MoVaughn.org: BUT I have eaten several major league players. I don't know how stats work, but I think it's only fair that I should absorb a guy's statistics if I eat him.
	OnlineHost Well, who have you eaten?
	MoVaughn.org: hmm I ate a few utility infielders, but they tasted too gritty. Oh, and I ate Candy Maldonado. That's like 150 home runs right there.
	OnlineHost Tell you what. That's still a borderline case, but you can always take the next year or so to bolster your resume. Cannibalize Kelly Gruber or somebody, then we'll talk.
	MoVaughn.org: Fair enough. /attempts to exit chat room /is too fat to exit chat room
	MoVaughn.org: ugh
	OnlineHost Need some help?
	MoVaughn.org: yeah, thanks
	OnlineHost /shove
	MoVaughn.org: urrrrrgggh
	OnlineHost All right, let's try again. On three.
	OnlineHost one two three /shove
	MoVaughn.org: URRRRRGGGH
	OnlineHost Mo Vaughn has been shoved out of the chat room.

Photos link to player info. WordUpThome.com Photo Credit: Getty, Creative Commons

The Dugout: Meet Your 2009 Hall of Fame Candidates, Part Two originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 28 Dec 2008 23:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cecil Fielder Is Your Latest Athlete to Land in IRS/Tax-Related Trouble

Will Brinson — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 18:15:00 EST

Filed under: Brewers, Tigers, MLB Biz, MLB Gambling, MLB Media Watch, MLB Rumors

Prince Fielder has talked extensively about his distaste for his own father, the former home run slugging Cecil Fielder. Some of this stems around Big C's behavior as Cecil was a young child, and some of it revolves around the older tater king's inability to successfully manage a budget.

So it should come as no huge surprise that Cecil finds himself on the wrong end of an IRS lien (like there's a right end). From the TaxWatchdog at Detroit News.

Former Detroit Tigers star Cecil Fielder owes $273,123.29 in federal taxes, the latest financial issue facing a slugger who has had a slew of money problems in recent years, records show.

The lien against Cecil, 45, comes five months after the Tax Watchdog first revealed that the IRS had filed a $409,149 tax lien against his estranged son, Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder.

Well, at least it's genetic. What? If you don't find unfunny hereditary tax jokes at least kind of laughable, I don't want to know you anyway.

Sports Stars Money Woes

Former All-Star Cecil Fielder made almost $50 million during his 13-year career in the major leagues, but he's fallen on hard times since retiring. The slugger has squandered much of his fortune and is now being sued by the IRS for failure to pay taxes. Click through to see more sports stars who have struggled with financial woes.

Brian Bahr, Getty Images

Michael Vick was once the NFL's highest-paid player. Now the jailed former star is millions of dollars in debt, and is making 12 cents an hour in his job at the federal penitentiary.

Haraz N. Ghanbari, AP

Evander "Real Deal" Holyfield, shown here in 2002, is reportedly in financial trouble with multiple sources. In October, Holyfield was back in court, again facing the possibility of jail time in a child-support case before a settlement was reached.

W. A. Harewood, Getty Images

Former boxing champ Thomas Hearns reportedly owes the federal government thousands in unpaid income taxes. Hearns' attorney stated that the 49-year-old disputes the debt and is working to resolve it.

Bill Pugliano, Getty Images

Former MLB star Jose Canseco walked away from a $2.5 million home in California earlier this year, saying it "didn't make sense" to keep paying the mortgage. Not surprisingly, the bank started foreclosure proceedings.

Kevin Winter, Getty Images

Last August, ex-NBA star Latrell Sprewell, who once turned down a $21 million contract offer because he had his "family to feed," had a yacht repossessed after falling behind in payments.

Kevork Djansezian, AP

Disgraced track champion Marion Jones admitted she was flat broke in 2007, despite numerous lucrative endorsements following the 2000 Sydney Olympics. After her $2.5 million North Carolina home was foreclosed upon in 2006, a court found her "total liquid assets" were worth less than $2,000.

Hiroko Masuike, Getty Images

Mike Tyson filed for bankruptcy in 2003, after losing in excess of $300 million earned from his lucrative boxing career. Tyson reportedly spent lavish sums on cars, jewelery and even Bengal tigers before going broke.

Wizards forward Andray Blatche reportedly is so bad with money, that even with an NBA contract, he would sleep some nights at the Verizon Center because he couldn't make rent.

Johnny Nunez, WireImage.com

Former track star Patrik Sjoberg was on top of the world as a high-jump champion, but he had a lavish lifestyle and eventually went broke in 2001.

Bud Symes, Allsport / Getty Images

But seriously, it's a sad thing to watch a guy that enthralled our country for at least a year of my childhood as he wailed away at the record books, launching bombs and making fat kids everywhere feel better about themselves.

But then again, it's not surprising that a guy who played like Cecil did (a "my performance ain't perfect but it's loud and it's fast" kind of way) finds himself in this sort of hot water, really. And given the economic times, I think we'll be less and less surprised to see who ends up in the same boat.

Cecil Fielder Is Your Latest Athlete to Land in IRS/Tax-Related Trouble originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 28 Nov 2008 18:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Junichi Tazawa Gets Another Big Offer, Expects to Decide Soon

Pat Lackey — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:40:00 EST

Filed under: Braves, Mariners, Rangers, Red Sox, AL East, AL West, NL East, MLB Gambling, MLB Rumors

On the heels of the news that Red Sox had offered Junichi Tazawa a $6 million deal, word coming out of Tokyo today says that Tazawa has received another "lucrative" offer, this time from the Texas Rangers, and that the 22-year-old expects to decide on a Major League team soon.

It's also reported that he's leaning towards the Red Sox (who wouldn't be?), though he's spoken with the Rangers, Braves, and Mariners as well. Of course, it was also reported that Rangers' GM Jon Daniels said he wouldn't meet with Tazawa, so who knows?

If you've been following this whole saga, you already know it's an incredibly sticky situation. Tazawa is supposed to be eligible for the Japanese draft, after which he'd have to play long enough in Japan to qualify for free agency or ask for his team to post him and make him available to Major League suitors. Instead, by avoiding the draft, he's creating a loophole in which any major league team can sign him without the posting process.

There had previously been a gentleman's agreement between MLB and NPB (Nippon Pro Baseball) that the American League wouldn't sign these players, but Tazawa's potential has MLB teams intrigued enough to ignore that agreement and go after the kid.

That is the widely reported aspect of the story. Here's another angle to think about: Tazawa is likely going to sign for a bonus similar to what the top draft picks in 2008 signed for. Maybe that appears fair at first glance, but guys like Pedro Alvarez and Buster Posey played in high schools, for travelling teams, and in top level colleges, and they received a bonus similar to what amounts to an unknown quantity from Japan will receive.

Every year when Scott Boras pulls draft shenanigans like he did with Alvarez this year, it's for this reason. It's simply not fair for some players to hit the open market and pull in as much cash as possible while other players have their value forced down by the draft. Whether you like Boras or not, a system that allows players like Tazawa to be similarly compensated as draft picks isn't a fair one.

In the end, Tazawa's probably the only player that's going to be allowed to get away with this. Bud Selig and the owners certainly wouldn't want NPB luring a top draft pick the other way across the Pacific with a huge contract offer and so it's likely that the two sides will work out some kind of agreement to prevent Japanese players from bypassing their draft for American free agency. Still, all the problems aren't solved. The posting system, in which MLB teams bid for the rights to negotiate exclusively with Japanese players interested in playing in America, is far from perfect as it generally favors big market clubs. Perhaps this Tazawa incident will cause the two leagues to sit down and actually work out a real transfer agreement.

Junichi Tazawa Gets Another Big Offer, Expects to Decide Soon originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Red Sox Are Early Favorites To Win It All Next Year

Jacob Wheatley-Schaller — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:50:00 EST

Filed under: Red Sox, AL East, MLB Gambling

Ahead of the curve as usual, Vegas has already released odds to win the 2009 World Series. Here they are, from BetOnline, via Extra Bases:

Free agency starts in 15 days? Winter meetings still more than a month away? No matter. The Red Sox, at 3 to 1, are your early favorites to win the World Series.
Here is the full list [...]:
Boston Red Sox 3/1
Chicago Cubs 5/1
LA Angels 5/1
Philadelphia Phillies 6/1
New York Yankees 6/1
Tampa Bay Devil Rays 10/1
Chicago White Sox 10/1

I'm not sure why they still have the "Devil" in there for Tampa Bay.

There's a reason the linesmakers want to get these out as quickly as possible--these odds are very profitable for them. Not only is the vig on these extremely high (the odds for all thirty teams add up to a total of 173%; it would be 100% of there was no juice), but the payout is a full year away. So not only are the sportsbooks getting people to bet at terrible odds, they can also earn interest in your money for 52 weeks.

As for the actual odds, it makes sense that the Red Sox are the favorites. They had the best run differential in the AL, which is impressive since they play in such a tough division and had to deal with a significant number of injuries. They're also generally one of the best-run franchises in the league, and have no shortage of money to spend, which means they're likely to improve over the offseason. That's not to say they have a 25% chance of winning it all in '09; it's unlikely any of these are worth betting on, because of the aforementioned factors.

The Red Sox Are Early Favorites To Win It All Next Year originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If You Bet on the Phillies to Win Last Night, Las Vegas Is Paying You Money Today

Will Brinson — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Phillies, Rays, MLB Biz, MLB Fans, MLB Gambling

If you took a large sum of money to Las Vegas and placed it on the Phillies to win last night, well, life is looking pretty good for you. Actually, it's looking pretty good no matter what the sum you bet, because Las Vegas is paying out all of the bets that were placed on Philadelphia (most of them at -170).

Confused? Of course you are. Fortunately, we have a sports book director to explain.

Las Vegas sports books are paying off Game 5 side bets on Philadelphia, which was about a minus-170 favorite. Wagers on totals and run-line bets are being refunded because rules stipulate that at least 8 1/2 innings must be played.

"We're just following the regular baseball rules. This is a very common rule," Las Vegas Hilton sports book director Jay Kornegay said. "We can't make exceptions.

And, as Kornegay said, if the Rays come back and win and you put money on them, well, it's one of the "worst bad beats" in the history of sports.

And he's dead on, too. The reality is that the Rays could win the game (although the entire series has already been tainted by Bud Selig's stink) and whatever money various gamblers put on them to cover simply won't pay off.

You see, if you'd just bet on (hypothetically) "Phillies -1" or the over/under of the game, you'd be getting your money back, because they require 8.5 innings of play; but this bizarre quirk of a rule in the Las Vegas sports wagering law books allows for a money line to be paid off with only five innings (i.e. a full game) of baseball played.

Of course, you can always just double up your wager on a "get your money back" prop bet with the Rays as money line dogs tonight (or December, whenever the season concludes) -- the Hilton has determined that with the Phillies receiving an extra bat, they'll be the favorites whenever the game resumes.

If You Bet on the Phillies to Win Last Night, Las Vegas Is Paying You Money Today originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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From the Windup: An Idiot's Guide to Gambling on the MLB Playoffs

Will Brinson — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Angels, Brewers, Cubs, Dodgers, Rays, Red Sox, White Sox, MLB Biz, MLB Gambling, MLB Playoffs

From the Windup is FanHouse's daily, extended look at a particular portion of America's pastime. Will Brinson may check in from time to time to mock his own gambling "prowess". He will tag these posts "Gamble On". He is doing that because he's bitter he didn't think of the Zeppelin play on words when he named his NFL picks column.

This is our last chance to gamble on baseball until *shudder* April 2009. So what follows is me pretending that I have $10,000.00 and how I'm going to ~~waste~~ invest it all on MLB playoff bets. (Please be advised that this is by no means intelligent wagering advice like you might find elsewhere; this is the somewhat belligerent advice of an addicted lunatic flailing to get to .500 on the NFL season.)

For starters -- all lines courtesy of BoDog by the way -- we need to pick our World Series winner. Personally, I don't like the Cubs. Something or another about not winning for a few hundred years just scares me off, and that's creepy, because I love a good loser.

Gambling advice so good it scares Orenthal.

But I do like the National League. I like it a lot. So much that I'm willing to take $500 on the NL to win the Series at +140.

And, I'm absolutely willing to follow it up by putting another $1,000 each on the Dodgers and Brewers to win the Series at 9/1 and 10/1, respectively. Yeah, that's right. Go big or go home.

I'm actually torn between the Brewers and Dodgers for who I like more to win it all, and honestly, if I could, I'd pick them to end up in the Series. Damn kids and their stupid "rules" and "leagues". But since I can't, I'm gonna at least pump as much money into their respective series prices as I possibly can.

(In fact, Rafael Furcal is back now. So let's make that an extra $500 on the Dodgers. Don't screw me, Manny.)

The Brewers are an astonishing +155 against the Phillies. It's not surprising because the Phillies are bad, it's just that when you only have to win three games in a series and you have CC Sabathia on your team, well, no one else has to pitch. So, yeah, another $1,000 there, por favor.

And while we've got the wallet out, we might as well get a little crazy with the cheddar and drop a Grrr(and) on the Dodgers, too ... actually, you know what? I'm going to follow the advice of my sage gambling counselor Garry J and just put $1,000 on every single underdog. Please note that Tampa's series price hasn't been decided yet, but, hey, whomever's not favored, right!

So, that's $6,500 out of pocket. Now, there are also some interesting player props. And by "interesting", I do in fact mean "designed for suckers like me". For instance, most home runs in the first round of the playoffs. Now, this is a total and utter crapshoot. You have to examine potential pitching matchups, park factors and most importantly, the potential length of the series.

Some particularly unappetizing odds include: Ryan Howard at 2:1 (not enough payout), Evan Longoria at 6:1 (pretty freaking low) and Jason Kubel at 30:1 (Twins aren't a great bet at this stage). I'm tempted to lay a large fella on Manny at 5:1, but I think the Cubs will do their best to avoid giving him anything worthwhile. Matt Kemp, however, is like a mini-Manny, and the thought of raking in $9,000 after I max him out is fairly appetizing. Plus, this whole ridiculous experiment will have practically paid for itself! So let's roll. And just to even things out, I'll take $200 on Prince Fielder at 10:1 because, well, he's Prince Fielder and things can happen.

Hmmm ... what to do with my last $3,000? Well, since I can't find "Most likely to punch A.J. Pierzynski in the nose" odds (I would have taken darkhorse Ozzie Guillen at 45:1, for the record) and betting only on things with a month from now outcome is a little too patient, how about today's games?

All joking aside, I really do like the Dodgers and Red Sox. White-hot Derek Lowe against Ryan Dempster with a +141 price? And the nearly unstoppable Jon Lester (+115) against John "10 Earned Runs in Two Innings to Close the Season" Lackey? Yeah, I can back both of those for a grand.

Oh, and if I could, I'd totally take the over on "Number of times we hear 'I Love This Town'" at 32. Or 3200. Whatever works.

All right, let's see ... carry the one ... ummm, crap. I knew there was a reason I'm a math major.

Well, since I've done everything but bet on Chicago at this point, I might as well follow up on something I'd previously mentioned and lay that last little change ($500) on a Cubs-White Sox series. Besides, worst case is I was wrong about everything else and the 23/1 price gets it all back!

Now, I would suggest you go to your nearest bank, withdraw everything you've got and make the exact same bets. What? It's safer than keeping it with Wachovia at this point.

Bet	Amount	Payout
Brewers WS Win	$ 1,000.00	$ 10,000.00
Dodgers WS Win	$ 1,500.00	$ 13,500.00
NL WS Win	$ 500.00	$ 700.00
Brewers NLDS Win	$ 1,000.00	$ 1,550.00
Dodgers NLDS Win	$ 1,000.00	$ 1,800.00
Red Sox ALDS Win	$ 1,000.00	$ 1,150.00
White Sox ALDS Win	$ 1,000.00	TBD
Dodgers Game 1 W	$ 1,000.00	$ 1,410.00
Red Sox Game 1 W	$ 1,000.00	$ 1,160.00
Matt Kemp HR R1	$ 300.00	$ 9,000.00
Prince Fielder HR R1	$ 200.00	$ 2,000.00
Windy City WS	$ 500.00	$ 11,500.00
Totals	$ 10,000.00	$ 53,770.00

From the Windup: An Idiot's Guide to Gambling on the MLB Playoffs originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 01 Oct 2008 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kevin Millar Is Killing Your Brain Like a Poisonous Mushroom

Will Brinson — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: NBA Gambling, Orioles, Red Sox, AL East, MLB Gambling, MLB Video, Baltimore

If there wasn't some sort of bet involved, I would probably believe that Kevin Millar wanted to make a plate appearance sporting platinum blonde hair and with Vanilla Ice's "Ice, Ice, Baby" blaring in the background. The fact that he did so because he lost a bet is just a hefty spoonful of gravy. From Bromoblog:

Kevin Millar came plate for his first at bat tonight with Platinum Blond hair and accompanied by "Ice Ice Baby." Our source reports that this odd appearance is due to a wager on the NBA finals made with former Red Sox teammate Jason Varitek. We are trying to confirm this, and will hopefully have pictures and video up later tonight.

God bless Bromoblog for following through on the promise.

I, for one, most certainly owned as much Vanilla Ice "music" as I could get my hands on back in the day. He did, after all, rule my middle school dances. Well, him and one of our English teachers convincing us it was funny to yell "Freebird!" every 20 minutes. It was not.

Kevin Millar Is Killing Your Brain Like a Poisonous Mushroom originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pete Rose Bet 'Like $2,000' Per Game

Tom Fornelli — Thu, 29 May 2008 14:02:00 EST

Filed under: Reds, MLB Gambling, MLB Gossip, MLB Media Watch, MLB Milestones

Long before steroids became the blackeye du jour of Major League Baseball, there was that small problem of gambling that threatened to tear the game apart. Much like Barry Bonds has been the poster boy of the Steroids Era, all-time hits leader Pete Rose carried the cross that was baseball's gambling problem.

You all know the story by now, Rose was banished from baseball in 1989 by commissioner Bart Giamatti when it was discovered that he was betting on baseball while managing the Reds, even on the Reds games themselves. Then, despite mountains of evidence to the contrary, Rose spent 15 years denying he ever bet on baseball before finally coming clean about it in 2004.

Now Charlie Hustle has admitted how much money he was betting on each game after an interview with Dan Patrick on The Dan Patrick Show this past Tuesday.

"It was like $2,000. That's it," Rose said in the interview. "And it didn't change -- because I know you're going to say, Well betting's all about pitching and stuff like that -- I didn't care who was pitching for me or who was pitching for the opposition. I just made it easy for the guys making the bets and just bet this much every game and that's the way we did it."

Yes, it was only $2,000 a game, a mere pittance! I mean, if you only bet $2,000 a game, you're risking no more than $324,000 a season. Who amongst us doesn't bet that much every year?

I think the real news here is just how kind and considerate that Pete is. Sure, he was supposed to be managing a baseball team, and he had $2,000 of his own money on the line every night, but all he ever really cared about was making things easy on the bookie. What a guy!

Pete Rose Bet 'Like $2,000' Per Game originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 29 May 2008 14:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Did Pete Rose Design The Visiting Clubhouse at Yankee Stadium?

Josh Alper — Fri, 23 May 2008 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: New York, Yankees, AL East, MLB Gambling

Every Major League Baseball clubhouse has signs posted stating, in big letters, that gambling on baseball is punishable by banishment from the game. If you're in the visitor's clubhouse at Yankee Stadium you'll see one and, then, turn your head and see an electronic ticker giving you the odds on every baseball game being played that night.

The New York Daily News reports that it's been there for a dozen years and that the manufacturer says the ticker can be modified so that odds are not part of the package. In addition to baseball, you can find out the latest lines on the NBA, NFL and even some side bets that might make that night's game a little more interesting.

Later in the scroll comes a proposition bet pitting Derek Jeter against O's second baseman Brian Roberts. The ticker asks which of the two players would have the "Most Bases" in that night's game. Roberts walks by without noticing. "Who bets on that?" says Roberts.

In the post-Pete Rose world this would be amazing, in the post-Tim Donaghy world it's mind-boggling. How have people going in and out of that clubhouse for 12 years without anyone raising an objection to the mixed message about gambling's place in the game?

I don't think anyone had a bad intention here, after all most of the same information is in a newspaper a player can bring with him, but it shouldn't be there. Now that it's public, I'd imagine it won't be for much longer.

Did Pete Rose Design The Visiting Clubhouse at Yankee Stadium? originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 23 May 2008 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Documentary on McCready to Reveal Details About Affair with Roger Clemens

Will Brinson — Thu, 22 May 2008 10:37:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Gambling, MLB Media Watch, MLB Rumors

If you have been waiting with baited breath to find out all the sordid details of Roger Clemens' affair with a young country singer simply by heading to a nearby ~~DVD store~~ theater, you are in for some pretty exciting news.

The NY Daily News is reporting that McCready will "dish" on her life experiences with Roger Clemens in her soon to be released documentary "Fallen Angel".

With documentary filming all but finished, fans will soon be able to see the uncensored version of country singer Mindy McCready. The no-holds-barred look into McCready's life will include what the film's producer calls "her side of the Roger Clemens story."
'She talks about everybody, what happened with Roger,' Blake Freeman, the 'Fallen Angel' producer, told the Daily News. 'July is the current target date for release.'

Sales of the "film" are probably going to depend on just how much she is willing to tell about Clemens. We already know the sad turns her life took after that first 15, and to be perfectly frank, we are not interested.

We want to know about Rocket. We want the details of the Vegas trip and the Skybox and her talking about being 16 and dating a superstar athlete. We are America, and we want the real dirt.

For the moment though, McCready is not talking.

'I know that you're reading crazy stuff in the papers right now. The headlines are truly nuts and I'm living it,' McCready says. 'I would love to say so many things, but mostly I would like to say it to you in song.'

And she's being as bland and as vague as possible right now, because leaking any details about she and Rocket now would spoil the possibility that Americans would actually pay to sit through 1.5 (?) hours of McCready's life rehashed Lifetime style.

Sure, the movie is probably going to be drivel. But at this point, it would almost feel un-American if Mindy McCready failed to cash in on her second 15 minutes of fame by cranking out these fine slabs of art.

Documentary on McCready to Reveal Details About Affair with Roger Clemens originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 22 May 2008 10:37:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jose Canseco Wants to Fight Someone

Will Brinson — Tue, 20 May 2008 15:15:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Fans, MLB Gambling, MLB Gossip, MLB Biz

I'm not sure why Atlantic City is worried about its gambling revenue -- as long as they have Jose Canseco desperately attempting to get in a boxing ring and fight someone, they are bound to be raking in the profit.

Canseco, finally willing to admit that he is desperate and strapped for cash after losing his house, is looking for a boxing opponent in a match that would take place in the big AC on July 12th. But it gets even better.

Canseco and promoter Damon Feldman are seeking a challenger to fight the Oakland Athletics veteran on July 12 at the Bernie Robbins Stadium in Atlantic City. The chosen opponent will be paid $5,000. Brave souls should e-mail fightcanseco@aol.com
. Canseco's opponent will be revealed in this column next week.

Philly.com made the steroid jokes; I'm not going to squeeze that already bone-dry orange. Instead, I'm just going to laugh about the fact that he is so desperate for an opponent, and so convinced that no one worthwhile will sign up, that he has created an email account.

This essentially opens up the tryouts to the public. The sad thing is, there are literally thousands of doods that could not only kick the tar out of Canseco, but need $5,000.00. Picking someone that met both qualifications would be ideal. Instead, we will probably end up "the savior of baseball" fighting a Pauly Shore look-a-like shortly before the apocalypse actually hits.

H/T: Hugging Harold Reynolds

Jose Canseco Wants to Fight Someone originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 20 May 2008 15:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What Happens in the Mid-Atlantic, Could Stay in the Mid-Atlantic

Will Brinson — Tue, 20 May 2008 13:44:00 EST

Filed under: NFL Gambling, NBA Gambling, MLB Gambling

A recent movement in the body of Delaware's legislative branch could result in -- *gasp* -- legalized sports gambling throughout the state, according to the Washington Times. Already a home for degenerates looking to get their tax free shopping fix, the state could have sportsbooks on the books as soon as 2009, with New Jersey potentially beating it there.

The cause of the legislation, passed by the House and now in front of the Senate, is apparently a fear that with surrounding states making the lottery, slots and horse racing legal, the Little D loses much of its cache with northeastern gamblers.

Pennsylvania last year legalized slot machines, with 14 casinos approved for more than 70,000 slot machines. And now you have the battle taking place in Maryland, where voters will decide in November whether to approve slots.
[...]The New Jersey State Assembly passed a bill in February allowing legalized sports betting in Atlantic City casinos despite the federal ban. That measure hasn't gone anywhere, but once Delaware approves sports betting, everyone will want into the game.

That's right, America. You are going down. And you can blame it all on the Mid-Atlantic.

Delaware might get away with this, if Gov. Ruth Ann Minner doesn't lay her veto-hand down. That's because they were grandfathered in, along with Nevada, Oregon and North Dakota, when the federal legislation prohibiting sports betting passed in 1993.

Sadly, the state university Blue Hens will be excluded from any bets made, so fixing the upper echelon of the FCS is out, bookies.

There is plenty of national opposition too, including the NFL, who has been running the awkwardly contradictory "Keep Vegas in Vegas" and "Sports Betting = More Problems, Not More Revenue" ads in the state.

Atlantic City on the other hand, is taking a more aggressive approach. A group of senators want to legalize sports betting there and one of them is talking about suing the federal government. They cite the dying industry of horse racing and point out that slots and casino gambling alone are not enough to actually bring people inside the New Jersey state line.

We're not going to stop sports betting, so we might as well make some money off of it. Kudos to Delaware and Atlantic City for making a play and actually trying to generate some government approved revenue.

What Happens in the Mid-Atlantic, Could Stay in the Mid-Atlantic originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 20 May 2008 13:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brandon Webb's Shot at 30 Wins

Will Brinson — Thu, 15 May 2008 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Phoenix, Diamondbacks, NL West, MLB Gambling, MLB Milestones

Brandon Webb goes for what would be a major league leading nine wins tonight at home against the Colorado Rockies. First of all, nine wins on May 15 would be absolutely insane. As it stands today though, regardless of the outcome, he is on pace for a 30+ win season. Obviously that's not possible.

Well, actually, it's possible. But it is certainly unlikely. Vegas Watch did the math on the possibility that Webb gets 30 wins this season. Bear in mind that is something that was done a lot back in the day (147 times before 1920). However, it's only been pulled off three times since 1920, the latest by Denny McLain, with 31 wins in 1968.

So clearly it's rare. But VW points out that he has two things going on this year -- as opposed to say, 2006, -- that could help him in his historical (kind of luck based) quest.

The first is that this year he's gone 8-0 in 8 starts, while two years ago it took him 11 to reach that mark. This means, assuming he makes 34 starts, he's "on pace" to go 34-0, rather than 25-0. More relevantly, he has 8 wins with 26 starts left, rather than with 23.

The second is Arizona's offense. In '06, they averaged 4.77 R/G. So far this year they've scored 216 runs in 39 games, which works out to 5.54 R/G. They are unlikely to keep up that pace, but the offense is certainly better than it has been in years past. PECOTA had them at 5.07 R/G before the season started, and AEQR has them at 5.03 R/G so far. So, going forward, PECOTA's 5.07 is probably as good a guess as any.

The second, to me, makes the biggest difference. If you've followed Webb's starts this year, you'll see that he has "struggled" at times, but the D-back offense bailed him out. Still, they can mash all they want, but don't expect to see Webb notching 30 dubyas.

Jacob has him picking up 20 wins clocking in at an 89.1% chance, and there's a 52.3% probability he picks up 23 wins, which is pretty crazy in and of itself. (Not quite as crazy as only getting 4.3:1 as real odds of him picking up 25 wins.) The odds of getting thirty though? Not so good, at a mere 0.2% probability, or 453:1. In other words, it would not behoove you to gamble on it happening, should the odds arise. Just don't tell tell John Kruk it's as hard as it sounds.

Brandon Webb's Shot at 30 Wins originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 15 May 2008 21:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Papelbon Teaches Okajima How to Play Craps

Matt Watson — Tue, 13 May 2008 14:13:00 EST

Filed under: Boston, Red Sox, AL East, MLB Gambling, MLB Video

That's Jonathan Papelbon teaching Hideki Okajima how to play craps, complete with a makeshift craps table drawn in the dirt, courtesy of Texas Girl from Center Field. (The "table" is a little hard to see from the video, but if you can see some up close pictures if you click through.) It's worth mentioning that Comerica Park is a stone's throw from three downtown Detroit casinos, not to mention another one across the river in Windsor -- I'm guessing Boston's bullpen took a little field trip during last week's four-game stay in Detroit. (via Deadspin)

Papelbon Teaches Okajima How to Play Craps originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 13 May 2008 14:13:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Did the 1918 Cubs Throw the World Series?

Tom Fornelli — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 14:18:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago, White Sox, Cubs, MLB Gambling, MLB Rumors

Just about anybody who is a baseball fan knows the story of the 1919 White Sox. The story of how that team threw the 1919 World Series against the Reds was forever immortalized in the book and eventually the movie Eight Men Out, and it caused Shoeless Joe Jackson to spend eternity in a cornfield in Field of Dreams. What we didn't know until now, is that the White Sox may have just been following the lead of their crosstown rivals.

A newly found affidavit from the 1920 Grand Jury hearings has claims that the Cubs may have thrown the 1918 World Series against the Boston Red Sox as well.

Now, it cannot be said for certain that gamblers got to the '18 Cubs. But Eddie Cicotte, pitcher and one of the eight White Sox outcasts from the '19 World Series, did say in a newly found affidavit he gave to the 1920 Cook County grand jury that the Cubs influenced the Black Sox. Cicotte said the notion of throwing a World Series first came up when the White Sox were on a train to New York. The team was discussing the previous year's World Series, which had been fixed, according to players. Some members of the Sox tried to figure how many players it would take to throw a Series. From that conversation, Cicotte said, a scandal was born.

The Cubs were 84-45 that year and serious favorites. Cicotte is not alone in suggesting they had been paid off. The lost diary of Charles Comiskey's righthand man, Harry Grabiner, supposedly indicates that the 1918 World Series was fixed. The reporting of baseball columnist Hugh Fullerton -- the man who eventually blew the whistle on baseball's gambling problem -- also suggested that something was afoul in 1918. Fullerton's accounts of those games repeatedly point out bizarre baserunning mistakes and defensive flubs.

The box scores support his descriptions. The Cubs were picked off three times, including twice in the decisive Game 6. That game was lost, 2-1, on a 2-run error by Cubs right fielder Max Flack. Game 4 had been tied, 2-2, in the eighth inning, when Cubs pitcher Shufflin' Phil Douglas gave up a single, followed by a passed ball, followed by an errant throw on a bunt attempt that allowed the winning run to score.

Obviously, there's no way to know now if the Cubs threw the Series that year, because anybody who did know for sure died long ago. Still, it's a very interesting story and one that I'd like to know more about. Think about it, that 1918 World Series was the last one Boston had won until 2004 came around, and the Cubs are still waiting for their shot to win a title.

Latest Baseball Photos

Houston Astros second baseman Kazuo Matsui dives but can't stop this infield hit by Colorado Rockies first baseman Todd Helton in the first inning during a baseball game Saturday, April 19, 2008 in Houston. (AP Photo/Bob Levey)

AP
Florida Marlins' Wes Helms hits the game winning run during a baseball game against the Washington Nationals on Saturday, April 19, 2008 at Dolphin Stadium in Miami. The Marlins defeated the Nationals 6-5. At right is Nationals catcher Johnny Estrada. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

AP
Colorado Rockies center fielder Ryan Spilborghs makes a diving catch in center field on a fly ball off the bat of Houston Astro third baseman Geoff Blum in the seventh inning during a baseball game against the Houston Astros on Saturday, April 19, 2008, in Houston. (AP Photo/Bob Levey)

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Florida Marlins' Mike Jacobs (17) slides in for a double as Washington Nationals shortstop Cristian Guzman of the Dominican Republic attempts the tag during the seventh inning of a baseball game Saturday, April 19, 2008 at Dolphin Stadium in Miami. The Marlins defeated the Nationals 6-5. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

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Washington Nationals' Lastings Milledge grimaces after striking out during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Florida Marlins Saturday, April 19, 2008 at Dolphin Stadium in Miami. The Marlins defeated the Nationals 6-5. At left is Florida Marlins catcher Mike Rabelo. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

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Florida Marlins' Dan Uggla (6) is mobbed by teammates after he scored on a single by Wes Helms to defeat the Washington Nationals 6-5 during a baseball game Saturday, April 19, 2008 at Dolphin Stadium in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

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Seattle Mariners' Adrian Beltre, right, is congratulated by teammate Richie Sexson after hitting a home run against the Los Angeles Angels in the seventh inning of a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Saturday, April 19, 2008. (AP Photo/Mark Avery)

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Baltimore Orioles Ramon Hernandez connects for a two RBI double against the New York Yankees in the third inning of a baseball game Saturday, April 19, 2008 in Baltimore. The Orioles won 6-0.(AP Photo/Gail Burton)

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New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter tries to but is unable to run down a sharply hit ball by Baltimore Orioles Brandon Fahey in the sixth inning of a baseball game Saturday, April 19, 2008 in Baltimore. The Orioles won 6-0.(AP Photo/Gail Burton)

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Texas Rangers' Gerald Laird reacts to a called strike in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Saturday, April 19, 2008, in Boston. Laird struck out swinging to end the top of the inning. The Red Sox won 5-3. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

AP

Did the 1918 Cubs Throw the World Series? originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 20 Apr 2008 14:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pete Rose Invites Dennis Miller to a Stone Thowing Party From His Glass House

Mullet — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 23:30:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Gambling, MLB Gossip, MLB Media Watch, PEDs

Don't ya just love when people who have stained the game in the past come back to wag their finger at players in the present? Well, that' s exactly what happened when Pete Rose taped an appearance on Sports Unfiltered With Dennis Miller, which will air on Versus Wednesday night, discussing among other things, the Mitchell Report.

"I never thought anybody would make me look like an altar boy," Rose said. "I've been suspended 18 years for betting on my own team to win," he added. "I was wrong ... but these guys today, if the allegations are true, they're making a mockery of the game."

Rose was banished from baseball for life in 1989 for betting on games while he was manager of the Cincinnati Reds, his former team. He denied the gambling allegations until 2004, when he came clean in his autobiography. He is not eligible for the Hall of Fame.

"If you're going to put these guys that supposedly did steroids into the Hall of Fame, I mean I've got to get a shot somewhere," he said. Rose finished with 4,256 hits, breaking Ty Cobb's career record.

And if steroids were prevalent in his day? "I would have got 5,000 hits," he said.

Oh yeah. That's my definition of an altar boy: A guy who lied about betting on baseball for 15 years, then telling the truth not to cleanse his soul, but to sell extra copies of his autobiography. I'm not defending the PED guys, but show me somebody who's taking morality lessons from Pete Rose and I'll show you Satan's next minion.

That's tomorrow on ~~Hypocrisy~~ Sports Unfiltered With Dennis Miller.

Pete Rose Invites Dennis Miller to a Stone Thowing Party From His Glass House originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 18 Dec 2007 23:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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