Dorhauer: Shoeless Joe and the art of knowing
From Adam Dorhauer at The Hardball Times on January 25, 2018:
Pinned to the wall of every major league clubhouse, in English and in Spanish, are the following words: “THIS IS PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL RULE 21, REGARDING GAMBLING, etc. Read It Carefully.“
What follows is a full page of mostly et cetera, including, in large font at the bottom of the page, the simple edict “DO NOT ASSAULT UMPIRES.” But the best-known part of Rule 21 is section (d):
(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.
This might seem harsh. And, well, it is harsh. But the reason Rule 21(d) comes down so emphatically is that gambling once nearly ruined baseball.
Read the full article here: https://www.fangraphs.com/tht/tht-annual-2018/shoeless-joe-and-the-art-of-knowing/
Originally published: January 25, 2018. Last Updated: January 25, 2018.