Baseball’s all-time hits leader has taken a swing at the recent gambling scandal involving the game’s biggest star, Shohei Ohtani.
With tons of speculation surrounding the Japanese star after his ex-translator allegedly stole $4.5 million in order to pay off debts, Rose weighed in with a jab.
“Well, back in the ’70s and ‘80s, I wish I’d have had an interpreter. I’d be scot-free,” Rose said in a video posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Rose, of course, was banned from baseball after being found to have gambled on games. Because of this punishment, Rose is permanently ineligible for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame despite being the sport’s all-time hits leader with 4,256.
The retired Cincinnati Reds star had denied all accusations up until 2004, when in a bid for leniency from MLB he admitted to having only bet on games in which he managed and never bet on his own team to lose. However, an ESPN report in 2015 suggested Rose also wagered on games he played in.
Ohtani’s camp was rocked by allegations of gambling last week while his Los Angeles Dodgers were in South Korea to open the MLB regular season.
He publicly addressed the situation for the first time during a news conference on Monday, when he said he never placed any sports bets, nor did he go through somebody else to do so.
The Japanese star also said that his translator, Ippei Mizuhara, stole money from him rather than the interpreter’s story of Ohtani knowingly paying off his debts to help his close friend.
Both MLB and the IRS have opened investigations into the situation, which should help get to the bottom of things.
Whether Rose’s insinuation that perhaps Ohtani is not being honest about his current situation remains to be seen, but the Japanese star is no stranger to making headlines. While the 2023 AL MVP isn’t slated to pitch this coming season due to elbow surgery, he will play DH for the Dodgers and could potentially return to the outfield later in the year.
The Dodgers won the off-season sweepstakes for the free agent, signing Ohtani to a 10-year, $700-million contract – the richest in pro sports history.