Craig Carton, the indisputable sports talk show host, “The Carton Show”, recently voiced opinions on baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani’s alleged gambling scandal.
Carton, who has himself admitted to gambling addiction and was incarcerated for fraudulent ticket practices, gave his take on the controversy.
It all began when the Los Angeles Dodgers terminated their association with Ohtani’s translator, Ippei Mizuhara, amid accusations of massive gambling debts linked to Ohtani.
Reacting to these accusations, Carton stated that Ohtani’s scandal posed a tremendous problem and that funds transferred to a bookie necessitated instant suspension.
Carton argued this not only violated CBA regulations but questioned the honor of the sport.
Ohtani story is a real problem 1- $ being wired to bookie warrants immediate suspension it violates CBA 2- Claiming theft means his friend is facing jail time 3- Compulsive gambler losing like that would try to get whole by betting on sport he knows most which would be baseball
— Craig Carton (@craigcartonlive) March 21, 2024
“From a legal perspective, the Ohtani camp changing its tune from Ohtani helping a friend to Ohtani being the victim of theft-fraud changes the game completely for the interpreter,” wrote Carton, “because he is now subject to criminal charges for wire fraud and embezzlement. And is looking at a prison sentence.”
“Being a team guy and taking the fall, which results in losing your job, is one thing. Taking the fall and losing your freedom is something else entirely, and this story is not going away any time soon.”
Contrary to Carton’s outcry, reliable sources from The Athletic reassure fans that Ohtani is not currently facing any disciplinary action from Major League Baseball, nor is he under active investigation.
However, if Ohtani’s charged allegations hold water, it could be a horrifying reality for Mizuhara, which might lead to possible incarceration.
Carton maintains that a compulsive gambler may resort to betting on familiar sports to repay the losses.
In an abrupt turn of events, “The Carton Show” deleted their earlier tweet emphasizing Ohtani’s inevitable suspension.
Craig Carton says Shohei Ohtani ‘must’ be suspended, immediately changes tune https://t.co/Uli7q8rzeM pic.twitter.com/GWfRrQJSwz
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 21, 2024
Carton, in a subsequent tweet from his personal account, introduced a contrasting viewpoint. He stepped back from his earlier stance suggesting Ohtani’s immediate suspension.
Update – Betting on Non baseball events w/ an ILLEGAL Bookie violates Rule 21 of the CBA but is NOT an auto suspension – its at discretion of commissioner -there is precedent in which a player was fined and not suspended – unlikely Ohtani is suspended if the story is as presented
— Craig Carton (@craigcartonlive) March 21, 2024
During an episode of “The Carton Show”, Carton expressed his confusion over why Ohtani should not be suspended.
He commented on how one of the most commercial players like Ohtani, with wire transfers to an alleged bookie, still played professionally.
“I cannot figure out now — and we’ll get into the details of it — how Shohei Ohtani, the most marketable athlete in Major League Baseball, the most recognizable athlete on the planet, next to maybe a Ronaldo or a Messi, LeBron up there as well — like that level out of athlete and notoriety must be suspended now by Major League Baseball,” said Carton. “Because there are two wires that come from his bank account…wired to an admitted bookie in Orange Couty, California.
“And the CBA is very, very clear in Major League Baseball: you cannot associate with known bookies, and you cannot gamble illegally. And there are two wires from Shohei Ohtani’s personal bank account; this has been verified by reporters who’ve seen it into the hands of a bookie. By default, Shohei Ohtani must be suspended by Major League Baseball. And I’m not naive enough to tell you he will be. But the way the letter of the law works, the most prominent athlete in baseball on Day 2 of the Major League Baseball season is now facing a legitimate and indefinite suspension.”
He compared his fame to that of global sports icons like Ronaldo, Messi, and LeBron.
