The article says that he bet on his team to win, as if that is a mitigating factor. However, even betting to win the threatens the integrity of the game. Managers make decisions on what pitchers to use on a given day, knowing that they have to rest those pitchers other days. Managers are in a unique position to decide which days they will maximize their team’s chances for success. Fans and players trust that they will use that decision-making authority to maximize the number of games won over the course of a 162 game season. However, if Rose was betting on his team to win certain games, he had strong incentive to use his best players in those games, even if it would be better to save them for other games.
Recently, I read one of the reports claimed he didn’t bet on games that were started by two specific pitchers.
Good point.
Baseball was almost completed ruined by the Black Sox scandal. If there was any hint the integrity of the game were in question, it would kill the game.
That’s why Baseball has to be as harsh as it is towards gambling.
Keep waiting, Pete.