Pete Rose, baseballs all-time hits leader,died of natural causes this weekat the age of 83.
Baseballs biggest star today is probably Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher and designated hitter.
He is almost certainly bound for baseballs Hall of Fame.
Pete Rose in 1989Bettmann Archive/Getty Images
But hes also in the middle of his own gambling scandal.
The MLB has cleared Ohtani of any wrongdoing.
Rose joked in avideo posted to Twitter,I wish I had an interpreter.
When Rose was found to be gambling on baseball, it was a national scandal.
The allegations, the investigation, and Roses legal battle to defend himself were front-page headlines.
The sport had firm roots in the world of gambling.
And players frequently bet on themselves with gamblers and with each other.
One thing Roses case did bring to the forefront for Americans was the realities of gambling addiction.
Gambling addiction wasnt treated the same way as other forms of addiction then, nor is it today.
In the 1990s, Daryl Strawberry was allowed to seek help for his addictions and return to the game.
He wasnt using inside information or asking players to throw games.
He was backing the Reds with everything he had, including his wallet.
I was rooting for my teams no,believingin my teams.
I bet the Reds to win every time.
What could be more American than that?
