Let the Conspiracists Rise Up ...

[jad]

Knowing now, without any trace of a doubt, why their team managed to lose all the games they did over the last decade.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/43680990/mlb-upholds-firing-ump-pat-hoberg-gambling-violations

[moonslav59]

Gotta figure this goes on much more than we know.

[mvp 78]

Keep on intertwining yourself with online gambling, MLB. It's going great!!!

[notin]

The early stories so far include:

1. No betting on baseball has been found on the ump’s device. Other sports? Yes.  But no baseball.

2. Baseball bets were placed on his friend’s device.

3. He was an umpire in a few games his friend bet on, but the friend lost those bets.

 

The big deal so far has been the deletion of the telegram threads…

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

8 minutes ago, notin said:

The early stories so far include:

1. No betting on baseball has been found on the ump’s device. Other sports? Yes.  But no baseball.

2. Baseball bets were placed on his friend’s device.

3. He was an umpire in a few games his friend bet on, but the friend lost those bets.

 

The big deal so far has been the deletion of the telegram threads…

I think I found one, but it looks Japanese. Wait, nope... it's written in New Balance.

[harmony]

On paper, MLB’s ban on participation in fantasy baseball extends to minimum-wage employees of minor league teams.

[notin]

44 minutes ago, harmony said:

On paper, MLB’s ban on participation in fantasy baseball extends to minimum-wage employees of minor league teams.

And in Fantasy Football, it’s limited to people who want to slug Joc Pederson.  
 

So… no limit…

[mvp 78]

 

[moonslav59]

Pete Rose should have used a friend.

[notin]

1 minute ago, moonslav59 said:

Pete Rose should have used a friend.

It doesn’t look like he bet on baseball and didn’t influence his friend’s games he bet on.  But the association in this endeavor still requires his banishment.  It sets a Zero Tilerance precedent that takes the opportunity for defense away from the next guy.

Plus why did they delete those telegram threads? I wouldn’t be surprised if the ump jokingly referenced causing his friend to lose bets or something similarly harmless.  Or was it something actually bad?

[mvp 78]

3 minutes ago, notin said:

It doesn’t look like he bet on baseball and didn’t influence his friend’s games he bet on.  But the association in this endeavor still requires his banishment.  It sets a Zero Tilerance precedent that takes the opportunity for defense away from the next guy.

Plus why did they delete those telegram threads? I wouldn’t be surprised if the ump jokingly referenced causing his friend to lose bets or something similarly harmless.  Or was it something actually bad?

He could also be giving notes from other umps about other games to his "buddy." 

Lifetime ban as presented by FanDuel! 

[notin]

8 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

He could also be giving notes from other umps about other games to his "buddy." 

Lifetime ban as presented by FanDuel! 

He could have been.  And that would explain deleting the telegram thread.

The remainder of the evidence suggests the ump did nothing wrong.  But I do support the ban regardless.  MLB needs a Zero Tolerance policy with umps gambling on baseball.

 

[mvp 78]

4 minutes ago, notin said:

He could have been.  And that would explain deleting the telegram thread.

The remainder of the evidence suggests the ump did nothing wrong.  But I do support the ban regardless.  MLB needs a Zero Tolerance policy with umps gambling.

 

He was "sharing a betting account" with a friend who was betting on baseball. He needs to be fired for being a dumbass. He should have just had his own gambling account and not been shady. Guilty by association is guilty when we are talking about betting on baseball. 

Bye bye!

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

FanFool vows to fire any pro sports employee who investigates betting, but any sports judge who doesn't ban bettors will be awarded $200 in bonus bets.

[Bellhorn04]

It's always about the fans, folks.  If Roger Goodell says so, it's gotta be true. 

[gojohn99]

4 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

Keep on intertwining yourself with online gambling, MLB. It's going great!!!

Exactly...yet Shohei gets away with a cover story!

[mvp 78]

8 minutes ago, gojohn99 said:

Exactly...yet Shohei gets away with a cover story!

That was entirely due to his nefarious interpreter. Shohei did nothing wrong! How would he have known that he had lost millions of dollars or even had a gambling problem?!?! 

[gojohn99]

I always misplace several million 😁

[Bellhorn04]

Well, we did finally learn that they have a recording of the interpreter on the phone with the bank.

https://apnews.com/article/shohei-ohtani-interpreter-ippei-mizuhara-bank-recording-030c0d89ecd7a6b8c55811d92842ab48#:~:text=A nearly four-minute audio,loan%2C federal prosecutors said Thursday.

I still find it amazing that this could have happened over and over without the bank thinking it might be useful to have a quick sit-down with Ohtani in person.

[jad]

1 hour ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Well, we did finally learn that they have a recording of the interpreter on the phone with the bank.

https://apnews.com/article/shohei-ohtani-interpreter-ippei-mizuhara-bank-recording-030c0d89ecd7a6b8c55811d92842ab48#:~:text=A nearly four-minute audio,loan%2C federal prosecutors said Thursday.

I still find it amazing that this could have happened over and over without the bank thinking it might be useful to have a quick sit-down with Ohtani in person.

Why would they?  They have a voice on the phone who has all of Ohtani's personal info, passwords etc.  I have pretty modest income yet I've borrowed or moved money close to that amount, and not once has the bank asked me to come in for a 'sit-down'.  

[notin]

1 hour ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Well, we did finally learn that they have a recording of the interpreter on the phone with the bank.

https://apnews.com/article/shohei-ohtani-interpreter-ippei-mizuhara-bank-recording-030c0d89ecd7a6b8c55811d92842ab48#:~:text=A nearly four-minute audio,loan%2C federal prosecutors said Thursday.

I still find it amazing that this could have happened over and over without the bank thinking it might be useful to have a quick sit-down with Ohtani in person.

Because any sit down would have involved the interpreter anyway, who could have relayed any message he wanted to either party..

Bank: Mr. Ohtani, we need your approval to move another $10,000,000 to this account.

Interpreter (to Shohei): He wants to know if you’re enjoying the Southern California weather.

Ohtani (in Japanese): It’s ok I guess

Interpreter: He approves.

Bank:  Good. Then just sign here.

Interpreter (to Shohei):  He’s a big fan and would like an autograph.

 

[Bellhorn04]

18 minutes ago, jad said:

Why would they?  They have a voice on the phone who has all of Ohtani's personal info, passwords etc.  I have pretty modest income yet I've borrowed or moved money close to that amount, and not once has the bank asked me to come in for a 'sit-down'.  

Why?  Well, let's look at a few details here.

1) The amount in this particular transaction was $200,000.

2) The total amount reportedly stolen was "almost $17 million".  That's $200,000 TIMES 85.

3) The story given by the interpreter for the $200,000 was that it was for a car loan to a friend.  I can see getting away with that story once, but it doesn't really cover the other $16.8 million, does it?

Maybe it's because I'm an accountant who has worked on audits.  Maybe I'm just a born skeptic.  But I think the bank still has some 'splaining to do.

[mvp 78]

3 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Why?  Well, let's look at a few details here.

1) The amount in this particular transaction was $200,000.

2) The total amount reportedly stolen was "almost $17 million".  That's $200,000 TIMES 85.

3) The story given by the interpreter for the $200,000 was that it was for a car loan to a friend.  I can see getting away with that story once, but it doesn't really cover the other $16.8 million, does it?

Maybe it's because I'm an accountant who has worked on audits.  Maybe I'm just a born skeptic.  But I think the bank still has some 'splaining to do.

The interpreter was basically the sweet, little old lady bookkeeper who had everything under control until she finally made a mistake and the company was out 1M. 

[mvp 78]

As Fay Vincent said "gambling always leads to corruption." 

[dgalehouse]

After many, many trips around the Sun, I have alarmingly reached the conclusion that everything is not always on the level. 

[Bellhorn04]

2 minutes ago, dgalehouse said:

After many, many trips around the Sun, I have alarmingly reached the conclusion that everything is not always on the level. 

It's even worse with me.  I've concluded that hardly anything is on the level.

[moonslav59]

44 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

It's even worse with me.  I've concluded that hardly anything is on the level.

More like nothing is on the level.

Hell, the planet going around the sun isn't even on a level trajectory!

[notin]

57 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

It's even worse with me.  I've concluded that hardly anything is on the level.

Nothing is level.  The planet is round.  

[jad]

No it's not!!!  I've done my research!!!!

 

[Deja Doh]

Is the guy banned from MLB facilities?  If not, he should be.

With the league and it's media partners relentlessly pushing gambling, you know it's going on at all levels, including ownership.