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Post by patford on Mar 22, 2024 22:13:54 GMT -5
I take note of the last paragraph: the basic fact of the matter is that $4.5 million was transferred from Ohtani's account to a bookie. Occam's razor leans in the direction that Ohtani was gambling. For those with a banking background, how exactly would a person steal money via wiring from someone else’s account, which is what Ohtani’s people seem to be alleging? Life if I use a shady ATM to withdraw 100 bucks my bank will text me to make sure it’s me - how would Ohtani not get notified about 4.5 MILLION dollars in bank transfers? Ippei was an interpreter, not an accountant? One can only assume he was so immersed in the financial tax issues connected to the State he was determined to live in (when he could have gone anywhere else) that he was too busy to pay any attention at all to his bank account for many many months.
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Post by patford on Mar 22, 2024 17:38:14 GMT -5
something something something Friday Night news dump (especially given the other (NON BASEBALL) news that broke today MLB obviously has to do some kind of investigation but it's really the FBI which is doing the investigation and has been all along.
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Post by patford on Mar 22, 2024 14:23:23 GMT -5
lol Red Sox urgently correcting some Wikipedia misinformation The fact that some in the media are bending over backwards to loops the Red Sox into this has the same energy as the recent news story about the transgressions of "former Patriot Antonio Brown." It's pretty much certain if this involved the Red Sox there would already be multiple suspensions and the team would sacrifice all it's draft picks for 20 years.
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Post by patford on Mar 21, 2024 12:53:55 GMT -5
I concur, as this will have wide reaching implications if MLB tries to sweep it under the rug.. ( Kindly requesting a "Say It Ain't So, Sho" thread name It would be best if one of the admin creates the post because they have to tools to move all the comments. This is a big topic and it is sure to clutter up (already has) this thread.
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Post by patford on Mar 21, 2024 10:32:23 GMT -5
Suggesting that one of the admin create a Subject Post just for the Ohtani stuff as it's going to be running awhile.
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Post by patford on Mar 21, 2024 10:24:02 GMT -5
Something is definitely fishy around this whole story and the large sum of money the debt ended up being. Not to mention as I understood when I read through it sounded like Ohtani's story flip flopped so MLB seemingly should be investigating this further. Or the FBI. The wire transfer of funds to an illegal gambling operation is text book wire fraud. Which possibly explains why that part of the story spun on it's heels and ran the other way.
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Post by patford on Mar 20, 2024 23:22:54 GMT -5
I have a hard time believing a gambling operation would allow for an interpreter to rack up that much in debt I'll beg to differ. You've got a pilot fish in tow and the big one is following along. That could have been an easy bet to get the bill paid. But the $4.5M may have blinded the bookie to how big the wake would be, pulling in the Feds. This fellow must have been known to the authorities and they may have been willing to ignore him for the "service" he provided. No more... This might explain why the debt was allowed to reach such a high figure: "One ESPN source claims that Bowyer allowed people to believe Ohtani was a client to help his business." sports.yahoo.com/shohei-ohtani-interpreter-scandal-piecing-together-the-confusing-timeline-based-on-what-weve-been-told-so-far-014454049.html
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Post by patford on Mar 20, 2024 21:49:14 GMT -5
The fact the bets were placed with "a bookmaking operation that is under federal investigation" might complicate matters. Further sports betting is illegal in California. You’re right. I should wait to see where the investigation goes before drawing any conclusions. I just have a hard time getting outraged over “illegal sports gambling” (if that’s all it is) at this point in time. If he bet on baseball, that is obviously a different matter. This whole thing is very strange. Up above the member julyanmorley quoted the rule. I'm predicting Ohtani is about to go from the shrewd negotiator who played the system and tax code like a human computer to "He doesn't speak English and isn't familiar with American culture. And MLB will buy it. It was also mentioned it's maybe odd a bookmaker would allow an interpreter to get 4.5 million in the hole. (3) Any player, umpire, or Club or League official or employee who places bets with illegal book makers, or agents for illegal book makers, shall be subject to such penalty as the Commissioner deems appropriate in light of the facts and circumstances of the conduct. For purposes of this provision, an illegal bookmaker is an individual who accepts, places or handles wagers on sporting events from members of the public as part of a gaming operation that is unlawful in the jurisdiction in which the bets are accepted.
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Post by patford on Mar 20, 2024 20:23:43 GMT -5
That's not good any way you look at it. I would hope Ohtani is smart enough to not jeopardize his career but who knows. As long as he didn’t bet on baseball, I have a hard time caring too much. When I watch the games, approximately 80% of the commercials are for betting sites and the teams have so many partnerships with them, as well. It’s actually annoying to see how Intertwined sports have become with gambling. I did not see that coming even 10 years ago. The fact the bets were placed with "a bookmaking operation that is under federal investigation" might complicate matters. Further sports betting is illegal in California.
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Post by patford on Mar 20, 2024 19:07:39 GMT -5
So the most transcendent player in decades - who just netted a $700 million dollar contract - may or may not be connected to a gambling scandal, and this is happening on… Opening Day. Netflix might need to get another film crew ready. (Btw World Series MVP Steve Pearce trade piece Santiago Espinal just got traded to the Reds.) Quote from the ESPN article: "a spokesman for Ohtani told ESPN the slugger had transferred the funds to cover Mizuhara's gambling debt" www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/39768770/dodgers-shohei-ohtani-interpreter-fired-theftThat sounds extremely serious to me. Even though the debt isn't Ohtani's it's hard to imagine how MLB can excuse this seeing as how seriously it takes gambling. Of course MLB won't do a thing because it's the Dodgers and Ohtani.
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Post by patford on Mar 20, 2024 16:06:27 GMT -5
Rule #1 for pitchers. Never waste a pitch.
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Post by patford on Mar 20, 2024 8:59:21 GMT -5
This sounds great but at the same time brings back memories of excited reports about Gilberto Jiménez arriving "looking like a halfback." Hard to believe he's fallen completely out of the top 60.
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Post by patford on Mar 19, 2024 21:53:36 GMT -5
Can we please-please-please not call him "Ceddy." Gives me nightmares of listening to Kevin Cash speak. After 200 times of misspelling Ceddanne I promise I will eventually get it I swear if Cash was managing the Sox and Teel was called up Cash would call him Teelie. To be followed by Bleisie and then Yorkie.
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Post by patford on Mar 19, 2024 20:28:06 GMT -5
Rafaela playing second base for the first time this spring today vs the Twins... If there's a concern about Ceddy getting every day at-bats conflicting with O'Neill, Duran, Abreu (and tangentially CJ Cron/Yoshida when Yoshida plays LF?) also needing to eat, you'd figure him being able to play second when needed helps to alleviate that until Grissom is back. Can we please-please-please not call him "Ceddy." Gives me nightmares of listening to Kevin Cash speak.
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Post by patford on Mar 19, 2024 18:12:20 GMT -5
so, the options for Murphy if he has surgery. (I believe this is correct from seeing it with other teams) 1. put him on the 60 IL and pay him 760k, get a extra 40 roster spot when needed, will collect service time 2. send him down to minors, dont have to pay him 760k only minors wage, but cant put him on IL so no extra 40 man spot. doesn't get service time. 3. DFA him off 40 man roster, hope he doesn't get picked, he either gets taken by another team or can go back Red Sox minors. I guess we will find out if the Red Sox think he is worth keeping at 760k and how they value him long term. Don't think he would still be on 40 man roster and a SP depth option if they didn't think he was worth the 760k. Although maybe they think they can get around it basically losing a 40 man spot? The SP options if more injuries happen look very thin to me for the 1st half of the season. Maybe Fitts, Gambrell or Dobbins could fill in, but it feels like Walter is the only one ready to go in AAA. (assuming Criswell and Wink are in the pen) Murphy will be 26 in a couple of months. He's one of those players who by this point would seem to be a know commodity. I can't see keeping Murphy or David Hamilton on the 40 man as opposed to someone like Matta where there is still a possible considerable upside.
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Post by patford on Mar 19, 2024 15:43:02 GMT -5
Not a very deep fly ball to right field for a sac fly, and Duran threw it home like he was Johnny Damon. Definitely shouldn't be many circumstances in the regular season where he plays that position. I'm still saying he should be at 2B.
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Post by patford on Mar 18, 2024 9:22:09 GMT -5
Grissom is a horrible defensive SS. Fortunately the Red Sox didn't acquire him to play SS. They acquired him to play 2b. He has bad numbers in a limited number of games/innings as a 2b. Big deal. Let him acclimate to 2b. Give him time. He won't be great at first but there's a reasonable chance he can be adequate if not better than that at 2b. It's not like he's 25 and what you see is what you get. I think it's more likely that Grissom turns into an acceptable 2b than Valdez does. But as you say, YMMV. I'd be thrilled if Grissom developed into as good a defender as Meidroth. The bat is for real. To me, how this is all going to shake out is pretty much a whole lot of speculation and ultimately what will happen when both Story and Mayer are on the same roster. I don't believe any of the candidates has a defensive ceiling as good as Story at either SS or 2B. According to people who know a lot more about playing defense than any of us there's no reason Grissom can not become at least a good defensive player. He just has to put in the work. www.mlb.com/news/vaughn-grissom-learning-shortstop-from-ron-washington
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Post by patford on Mar 15, 2024 9:54:32 GMT -5
Feinsand says 10-12 weeks. Slight discrepancy there…. Sounds like they're just using different starting points. If he's back in 10-12 weeks, then he'd miss 8-10 weeks of the season. If person dislikes the Yankees this is the exact thing they would hope for. Cole delays the inevitable and it turns into 36 months rather than 12-18.
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Post by patford on Mar 14, 2024 8:52:20 GMT -5
I’ll bet most people in here have no clue to my reference of Yamamoto and Midway. Are you saying the invincible Dodgers will sink like a battleship?
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Post by patford on Mar 13, 2024 16:24:26 GMT -5
Yamamoto hit hard again. 4.2 IP 8 H 4 R. Did strike out seven.
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Post by patford on Mar 13, 2024 11:50:49 GMT -5
Stamina being the bigger problem makes sense to me because if it's familiarity which is the issue you have to assume batters forget everything they have learned from prior games. It's not like Houck hasn't been around long enough now that people haven't seen him before and have scouting reports.
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Post by patford on Mar 12, 2024 14:38:29 GMT -5
The Newark Star-Ledgers' Bob Klapisch with an update from Yankee-land: If Monty has a grudge against the Yankees after trading him for a dude in a walking boot, I have a suggestion for a team he can go to seek to embarrass them several times a year. If Montgomery hates the Yankees that greatly increases my respect for him. Any player (even a clean shaven one who shaves his head) who would play for a team with a kindergarten dress code dictating players look like members of the Waffen SS I have no respect for. Seeking 2nd and 3rd opinions on an MRI is never good news.
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Post by patford on Mar 12, 2024 10:26:17 GMT -5
Stamina makes a lot more sense to me than familiarity. A pitcher gets tired (even in a long inning) and they start to overthrow to maintain velocity. Their command and control vanish and they begin walking people they had been putting away with five pitches. They begin to miss over the plate and get hit. If it's primarily familiarity you would think everyone knows who Houck is by now and they would all be laying off the slider and his sinker and just sit on his four seam.
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Post by patford on Mar 12, 2024 10:11:04 GMT -5
Does the fact the Red Sox didn't immediately release Bonaci suggest or mean anything?
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Post by patford on Mar 12, 2024 8:57:25 GMT -5
Greinke would be cool but I want Rich Hill so that we can have Dick Mountain and Dick Fitts on the same roster. Your argument is sound. However, I got the sense that Dick M. was one of the grouchy guys on that 2022 team who complained about Casas sunbathing and Plawecki being DFA's and whatnot and I think he could be a bad influence on the youths. Whereas Greinke and Casas hanging out is about the most delightful thing I could imagine. I've seen a couple of stories just now saying due to the possible Cole injury (that also hints the Yankees already know something) they are talking to Greinke.
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