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by Digger

Willie Mays: Hall of Famer was suspended from baseball activities by then Commissioner Bowie Kuhn for accepting a job at Park Place Casino (Atlantic City, NJ) as Special Assistant to the President and greeter after he retired (later reinstated).

Mickey Mantle: Hall of Famer also suspended by Kuhn for accepting greeter position in Atlantic City, NJ after he retired (also reinstated).

Pete Rose: All Time Baseball Leader in Hits (4256), Games Played (3562), At Bats (14,053). Denied consideration for Hall of Fame due to baseball related gambling after playing days (manager).

Signs posted in each major league clubhouse scream "No Gambling Allowed"

So tell me why many current Major League clubs accept sponsorship by certified casino's nationwide? Doesn't "no gambling allowed" mean no gambling? Baseball's cardinal rule is players shall not bet or wager on games. Yet, baseball proudly displays tremendous banners... some of which are visible to television audiences from behind home plate... promoting gambling.

Hypocrisy based on what else... the G word again (Greed!). Otherwise, we'd see different sponsored ads or one less.

When Commissioner Selig boasts of how baseball revenues are at an all time high and growing... then why is baseball associating and promoting betting establishments? There is no common sense answer. Granted, sanctioned casino's are legal within the United States and they're not setting up betting lines for fans in box seats. However, there's no room to promote venues which have conflicting interests with America's favorite pastime.

Stadiums from East to West coasts have banners, scoreboard displays, ads in game programs and team yearbooks. Not only is baseball wrong for allowing teams to reap benefits from gambling operators ... they are also wrong promoting gambling to the youth of our country. Every game thousands of kids old enough to read, many of whom are not of legal gambling status, can sit in their seats and have a casino web site blasted before his/her eyes. Perhaps they go on line... maybe via iPod during a pitching change... or at home post game... visits the promoted site... and begins to learn all about gambling. Great marketing ploy by casinos. Thank you Major League Baseball. The seed has been planted.

There's been a sad display of open borders between gambling and baseball in force for years. Nobody seems ready to speak up or strong enough to refuse ads from these groups. Are team owners really starved thinking no other business will step up to pay advertising dollars? I think not.

Hey, this writer is far from an gambling hater. However, everyone should clearly see there's a stark contradiction in play here against something preached for nearly 100 years. Owners proved on numerous occasions ethics means nothing (drug abuse of 80's, steroids from 90's thru recent times, collusion). Recent years have introduced gambling ads to ballparks and soon casino's will run themed restaurants coming to a stadium near you.

The New York Yankees and Mohegan Sun Casino (Connecticut) formally entered into a working agreement. A Mohegan Sun sponsored/theme sports bar will reside in the new Yankee Stadium (2009-11) due to open next season. This sports bar will be located beyond center field behind famous "Monument Park" visible to everyone in the stadium. It also holds 132 ticketed seats located within a glass enclosed section.

Why not hand out a deck of cards and a betting line to every fan in attendance? Maybe quick Texas Hold Em games during the 7th inning stretch are in order?

No betting on baseball... yet, owners infinite wisdom gives up home field advantage by promoting gambling.

Get some balls and wisdom former-owner-appointed-commissioner Selig. When betting on baseball games is not allowed then there's no rationale for inviting gambling institutions to roam the confines of major league stadiums. Besides what's already been typed... could there be any set of circumstances when casino sponsored employees develope direct access to ballplayers and umpires? (Let's not go there).

Hypocrisy.