WWTBAM Bored

Estonut wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 13, 2023 7:02 am

Not sure why the best two-way player in history would go to a NL team. Has he ever played another defensive position?

Out of curiosity, why would this matter now in the age of the universal DH?

lb13

littlebeast13 wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 14, 2023 2:30 pm

Estonut wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 13, 2023 7:02 am

Not sure why the best two-way player in history would go to a NL team. Has he ever played another defensive position?

Out of curiosity, why would this matter now in the age of the universal DH?

Shows you how much NL baseball I've watched lately. I was unaware they had gone to universal DH. The deal makes a lot more sense for the Dodgers now.

Relieved to see they just adopted it last year...

Astros, Jose Altuve reach 5-year, $125M extension

Jose Altuve signed a five-year extension on Tuesday that all but guarantees he will finish his career with the Houston Astros.

The deal is worth $125 million, sources told ESPN, taking him all the way through his age-39 season.

"He's a franchise-type player; one of the best in Houston history," owner Jim Crane said at the owners meetings in Orlando. "And we hope someday he's a Hall of Famer."

The Astros announced the agreement on social media, calling their superstar an "Astro For Life." The 33-year-old Altuve was heading into his final year before free agency. His new deal begins in 2025 and takes him through 2029.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/394 ... -extension

Altuve!!!! We love him.

Uh oh…

Dodgers fire Shohei Ohtani's interpreter amid allegation of 'massive theft'

The Los Angeles Dodgers interpreter for Shohei Ohtani was fired Wednesday afternoon after questions surrounding at least $4.5 million in wire transfers sent from Ohtani's bank account to a bookmaking operation set off a series of events.

Ippei Mizuhara, the longtime friend and interpreter for Ohtani, incurred the gambling debts to a Southern California bookmaking operation that is under federal investigation, multiple sources told ESPN. How he came to lose his job started with reporters asking questions about the wire transfers.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GJMzZftXkAAfiuZ?format=jpg

SI cover jinx:

Ohtani at today’s press conference, per the LA. Times:

“I never bet on baseball or any other sports and have never asked someone to do so on my behalf and have never bet through a bookmaker.’

"Until a couple of days ago, I didn’t know this was happening. … Ippei has stolen money from my account and told lies.”

“Ippei admitted that he had used my account to pay off the debt,” Ohtani said. “At that point I went to my representatives, who found out Ippei had been lying the whole time.”



Me:
I hope this doesn’t end up with a “gate” name like “gamblegate” or something equally lame.

Vandal wrote: ↑

Mon Mar 25, 2024 5:52 pm

Ohtani at today’s press conference, per the LA. Times:

“I never bet on baseball or any other sports and have never asked someone to do so on my behalf and have never bet through a bookmaker.”

"Until a couple of days ago, I didn’t know this was happening. … Ippei has stolen money from my account and told lies.”

“Ippei admitted that he had used my account to pay off the debt,” Ohtani said. “At that point I went to my representatives, who found out Ippei had been lying the whole time.”

Hw can we be sure that’s what Ohtani said?

jarnon wrote: ↑

Mon Mar 25, 2024 6:09 pm

Vandal wrote: ↑

Mon Mar 25, 2024 5:52 pm

Ohtani at today’s press conference, per the LA. Times:

“I never bet on baseball or any other sports and have never asked someone to do so on my behalf and have never bet through a bookmaker.”

"Until a couple of days ago, I didn’t know this was happening. … Ippei has stolen money from my account and told lies.”

“Ippei admitted that he had used my account to pay off the debt,” Ohtani said. “At that point I went to my representatives, who found out Ippei had been lying the whole time.”

Hw can we be sure that’s what Ohtani said?

That is what the interpretor is for.

Vandal wrote: ↑

Mon Mar 25, 2024 5:52 pm

Ohtani at today’s press conference, per the LA. Times:

“I never bet on baseball or any other sports and have never asked someone to do so on my behalf and have never bet through a bookmaker.’

"Until a couple of days ago, I didn’t know this was happening. … Ippei has stolen money from my account and told lies.”

“Ippei admitted that he had used my account to pay off the debt,” Ohtani said. “At that point I went to my representatives, who found out Ippei had been lying the whole time.”



Me:
I hope this doesn’t end up with a “gate” name like “gamblegate” or something equally lame.

I'm glad he was able to say these things. Assuming they're true (and I'm confident MLB will investigate to confirm or refute), that will put to rest most of the concern.

Note, however, that Ohtani did not say that he never gambled -- just that he never did so on sports and never did so through a bookmaker. --Bob

The gambling cloud over Ohtani's head has had a detrimental effect on his batting this year.

Average: .370 (first in MLB)
Homers: 11 (first in MLB)
Hits: 54 (first in MLB)
2B: 14 (first in MLB)
OPS: 1.139 (first in MLB)

Also:
WAR: 2.6 (2nd in MLB)
RBI: 27 (8th in MLB)