Stop me if this sounds familiar.
- An MLB star “at the peak of his fame and power.”
- An otherworldly talent who “compiled a mountain of stats that made him not just a baseball hero” but also an “icon.”
- A player whose “future enshrinement in baseball’s Hall of Fame seemed ensured.”
- Yet also a star embroiled in a nationwide scandal involving “betting on sports with a bookie.”
No, we’re not talking about Shohei Ohtani. Rather, these are excerpts from Keith O'Brien's new book, Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball. Rose, of course, is the most prolific athlete ever embroiled in sports betting, resulting in the all-time great being permanently banned from baseball.
Of course, there’s a mountain of difference between each player's controversy.
Rose placed bets himself, and he even did so on his own team. Meanwhile, Ohtani’s scandal revolves around bets placed by close friend and interpreter Ippei Mizuhara, who reportedly stole money from Ohtani to pay off his debts. The Dodgers star reportedly had zero idea about the theft, and Ohtani is adamant he never bet on sports himself. Mizuhara also fervently denies Ohtani ever placed a single bet.
Nonetheless, Ohtani’s betting scandal is the biggest in professional sports since Rose’s. News of “Charlie Hustle’s” gambling was a national story when it broke, much like Ohtani’s. It took decades for the true story of Rose’s addiction to come to light. There are countless questions about what Ohtani knew, when he knew it, and what actually went down.
And, much like with Rose, the public interest in this story will be sky-high until all the details come to light.
Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball, which can be purchased here, was released to the public on Tuesday.
