Another more recent point-shaving scheme took place in the mid part of the twentieth century involving Arizona State’s men’s college basketball team. Unlike the Boston College scandal back in late 70’s, this one was orchestrated by one of the students on campus.
The Sun Devils’ Stevin Smith allegedly racked up $10,000 worth of gambling debts to student Benny Silman, who moonlighted as a bookie. With no means to pay Silman back, Smith resorted to shaving points to pay Silman off, agreeing to fix four games and got $20,000 a game. Smith also convinced teammate Isaac Burton to join the scam and paid him $4,300 for two games.
Ironically enough it was Las Vegas that helped pull the plug on this betting scam. Bookmakers became suspicious when a number of large bets were made against the Sun Devils and they contacted authorities.
When all the dust cleared, Benny Silman was given a 46 month prison sentence; Stevin Smith received a year sentence and Isaac Burton two months in jail plus house arrest, a fine, probation and community service.
Charlie hustles his way out of Cooperstown
If you head to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, you will see displays for baseball greats such as Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron and Sandy Koufax but amongst those, a section for Pete Rose is notably absent.
The switch hitter played for 23 seasons, and in that time he managed to win three World Series rings and batting titles, two Gold Glove awards, the 1963 NL Rookie of the Year, three batting titles and was named an All-Star 17 times, at five different positions. He managed the Reds after he retired as a player.
During his time in the big leagues, the man nicknamed Charlie Hustle became Major League Baseball’s all-time leader in hits, games played, and at bats.
A résumé like that would have most people as a guaranteed first balloter into the hall, but Rose liked to bet on sports and that landed him in a world of trouble.
In 1989, after reports circulated that Rose had wagered huge sums of money on sports, including baseball and possibly for and against his own team, Rose met MLB executives and was questioned about the allegations.
A lawyer by the name of John Dowd was retained to investigate the allegations and according to his findings Rose was knee deep in betting. In a 225 page report issued to then commissioner Bart Giamatti, Dowd found that Rose had wagered a minimum of $10,000 a day on virtually all games the Reds were involved in. Dowd even found evidence that suggested Rose bet against his team but there was nothing concrete.
The late Giamatti presented the report to Rose and scheduled a hearing. Rose filed a court order to try to prevent a hearing and disciplinary action from MLB and after a short legal battle, the case was thrown out.
The all-time hits leader then signed a deal that would place him on the “permanently ineligible” list and in exchange MLB wouldn’t rule on the allegations against Pete Rose.
At the time Charlie Hustle denied wrongdoing and denied betting on baseball but pulled an about-face in 2004 finally admitting to betting on the Reds, but not against them. Some say his acknowledgement was made to promote a book he wrote, some say it was to end his ban, regardless, sports betting has prevented one of baseball’s greats from immortalization in Cooperstown.
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