European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 23, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 22 the stars and stripes thursday March 23,1989 baseball has its reasons to be wary of gambling by John Nelson new York a if Pete Rose gets into trouble for gambling he inn i be the first baseball Man to run afoul of the commissioner s office for casting his lot in the wrong direction. While policies May change with Lime baseball s concern with the effect of gambling on the game dates Back to the 1919 Black so scandal when the Chicago White son threw the world series to the Cincinnati reds. Now Cincinnati s manager is under investigation by commissioner Peler Ueberroth s office for serious allegations that could according to a source Rchull in his suspension Al though the commissioner won t say what the allegations Are against Rose they reportedly have to do with Gam bling. And although the exact nature of any transgressions is not known,1 Rose is known to be an avid horse player reportedly also likes to be on College a Scibal games and May have owed substantial Gambl ing debts. While horse playing is not against the rules of baseball commissioners have imposed various penalties for other forms of gambling and for associating with known gamblers. Baseball s Only written guideline on gambling is Section 21 d of  league rules which prohibits betting on baseball games. Other forms of Bel Ting May not be specifically against the rules of baseball but if the wagers Are made with bookies they May be against the Law. Of course.  the. Commissioner has Broad Powers to act in the Best interests of the game said Rich Levin a spokesman for the com missioner. The absolute Low Point for baseball was the result of gambling. In 1919, several Chicago White sox players schemed to fix the world series. Com missioner Ken saw Mountain Landis issued lifetime bans against Buck Weaver de Cie Olte Fred Mcmullen what s at Issue. Misconduct d betting on Ball games. Any player Umpire or club or league official or employee who shall bet any sum whatsoever upon any Bumball game in connection with which the bet Lor his no duty to perform shall be declared ineligible Lor oat year any player Umpire or club or league official or employee who shall bet any sum whatsoever open any baseball flame in connection with which the bet Tor has s duly to perform shall be declared permanently ineligible Happy Felsch and shoeless Joe Jack son although criminal charges were never proven. As the game s Shady image finally began to improve in 1922, Pitcher Phil Douglas of the new York giants was banned for life for his alleged involve Mcnol in gambling. The game got a rest from gambling scandal Tor 25 years before commissioner Happy Chandler suspended Brooklyn dodgers manager Leo Durocher for the 1947 season for Inci dents detrimental to baseball namely his association with known gamblers. For a Long Lime i had questioned him Chandler said he said he spoke with dodgers general manager Branch Rickey and i said to or Rickey he s your Man you see to it thai he s straightened out finally 1 said to. Rickey let me handle it. I almost made a Good boy out of  it was More than 20 years before another major baseball figure was involved in a gambling scandal. In 1970. Commissioner Bowie Kuhn twice suspended Detroit tigers Pitcher Denny Mclain the major league s last 30-game Winner for associating with gamblers. Mel Ain later was convict thu of various charges including racketeering cocaine posses Sion loan sharking and gambling and served 29 months in prison. Nine years later Kuhn banished Hall of Famer Willie Mays from the game because Mays went to work for an Atlantic City gambling Casino. Four years later Kuhn barred another Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle from associating with baseball because he too had accepted a s100,000-a-Ycar Public relations Job in Atlantic City. Neither was heavily involved with baseball at inc time. Mays was in honorary Roach of he new York mets. And Mantle a Spring training bailing instructor with the new York yank its but the message was Here Gam bling once nearly ruined the game. It would not do so again Kuhn never hinted in fact did no believe that either Mantle or Mays was involved in anything underhanded or illegal. It was just that baseball and gambling should not be connected in any Way Kuhn said. Peter Ueberroth look Over As com missioner in september 1084 and the following March lifted the bans against Mantle and Mays. I find no fault with the previous ruling Ueberroth said at the time. Baseball must remain free from any connection Between it and gambling. That is vital 1 am making two exceptions for these two great players be cause of what they mean to our game "1 read everything there is to read on inc subject. I checked what they had been doing. They Don t deserve to be out of the game if they want tote in  Kuhn disa graced saying his prob Lem was with their  obviously any problem Rose might have with Ueberroth would be quite different since his employment is with the reds. The end result however could be quite Simitar. I could t figure it out Mantle said of his banishment. It was a dumbfounded feeling. I wondered Why twas banned. It seemed to me 1 was a better Guy then than i used to be. I acted like it did t bother me but it did. You Don t want to. Get kicked out of your favorite bar or be banned from  poses Tough Choice for Angels Palm Springs. Calif. A the Sun basking bleacher bums in right Field have for the moment abandoned heir   beef now it s Dante s Gonna slay Dante s Gonna slay. Dante Bichette who already has do Velo cd a Loyal following in inc right Field bleachers at the Angels Park in Palm Springs May stay up a ii inc California Angels or he May be Dis patched Hack .10 their farm club at Emo non. But building a Strong Case for the angers to include him on heir Rosier inc muscular out fielder is providing a sort of Dante s Bichette Hilling inferno this Spring. Bichette is one of the hottest hitlers in inc California Camp. His four homers is a club High and he has 13 rats and a ,375 batting average. The Brawny 6-foot-3, 212-Pound out fielder tagged with the nickname  hit a couple or booming homers while the Angels were training in Arizona ear Lier and he s kept the Power on since the club switched to Palm Springs hut week. He smashed a grand slam Homer sit urday against Scalle then a Cal 3-for-5 on sunday against san Francisco. I Kinda go along with what Bob Lemon used to say Angel manager Doug radar said of Uichi Etc s hitting tear. "1 guess you can t get Loo excited that he s getting All those hits since it s Spring training. But All those other Guys Are going by inst the same pitching. Bichette sporting s Boyish Grin said of his Hilling tear it s about  i be been in the minors for five years he said. It better be happening  Bichette who hil.267 and 14 homers with 81 runs balled in at Edmonton in 132 games last year credits a fresh approach at the plate a refreshed Outlook and working with weights for his improved hitting this Spring. Angels won t be spelling Relief a by of to Rookie Southpaw Jim Abbott. Abilities Best served1 As starter by Ken Peters Palm Springs Calif a i As a group of reporters milled about the Cali fornia clubhouse an Angel Veteran joked you Guys can t find him huh he does Leam  but a few moments later Rookie vim Abbott sweat pouring Down his face from his Post game laps around the out Field stood in front of his locker and patiently answered questions. The queries were different Unis time Abbott one of the most watched rookies in a major league Camp for quite a while had just finished what was his first really Rocky Outing As a pro. Taking Over in the seventh inning after Mike Witt shut out the Cleveland indians through six innings monday a Bott quickly lost a 1-0 Lead. He gave up a Fluke single a wild pitch that advanced the runner another single to score a run and a two run Homer by Cory Snyder. Abbott finally got out of that inning without further harm then gave up three More singles and hit a Batter in the final two innings but escaped without further damage although the Angels lost afterwards California manager Doug radar who earlier had mentioned the possibility that Abbott might be kept on the major league team s Rosier As a re Liever apparently had ruled omit that Choice. I m being convinced that if he s hot starting his ability would t be besi served radar said there has been no decision made on him but hell either be starting with the Angels or going elsewhere to Start. He s demonstrated poise and pitch ing stuff and the rest  the logistics of possible open spots on Ilic Rosier Abbott meanwhile took his Outing against the indians in stride. Think i m learning you can t get Loo High or too Low when something happens in a game he said. When you give up a Home run you can t let it bother you. You be just got to get on to the next Bat  the Low was the first in three Spring decisions for Abbott the Sullivan award winning former Michigan Star who s trying to become the first one handed Pitcher in the majors since Hugh daily made it 16. The big leagues before the turn of the Century Abbott who was born without a right hand has appeared exclusively in Relief roles this Spring. He has pitched 10 innings not including a a game allow ing 12 hits and seven earned runs his 9q-plus Mph Foj Tiball und his composure on the Mound has led to speculation that he might Slick with the an gels rather than be sent to their a farm club in Midland Texas As originally planned. Abbott who capped Oil his Amateur career with a Victory in the Gold medal game at the scout olympics last year said whatever the Angels decide is Fine with him. I think every Rookie that comes to Spring training wants to make it the major league roster lie said. If it Hap pens for me it happens. Bui i m really new to the game and if it does t happen i m in no big hurry. If they told me 1 could help the club canting out of inc bullpen Ilia would be Fine. Bui i want to be a starter career Wise and i think that s How the Angel see it  a Boll said he has grown confident that he can Pilch on me major league level adding i think my strongest Point is As a competitor. That has t really shown that much yet