River Rat - Significant Betting Activities
"I played the game one way. I gave it everything I had. It doesn’t take any ability to hustle." - Pete Rose
According to Paul Janszen, Pete Rose owned 75% of the winning ticket, and Janszen and Gioiosa split the remaining 25%. The ticket cost approximately $2,000. Rose paid approximately $1,500, and Gioiosa and Janszen paid approximately $250 each for their respective shares. Janszen stated that Gioiosa cashed and signed for the winning ticket so that Rose could avoid having to report his winnings. When asked whether he was a winner on the January 16, 1987 Pik-Six ticket, Rose said that he was not.
Welcome to Ballpark Confidential: Baseball’s Backstory on Culture, Society, & History. Whether you’re a die-hard fan, a newcomer to the game, or just someone who enjoys a good baseball story, we’re set to dive deep into the essence of baseball, uncovering pivotal moments and key figures. This is more than a history lesson; it’s a judgment of how baseball reflects and influences our culture and society.
A new installment of River Rat – “Hustle, Heroism, and Hubris: The Pete Rose Conundrum” comes out every Friday!
In this first series, titled River Rat – “Hustle, Heroism, and Hubris: The Pete Rose Conundrum” I’m examining books, articles, opinions, watching TLC reality TV show “Hits & Mrs.” on Pete and will read the document that rocked Major League Baseball – The Dowd Report sparking a 35+ year debate on one of baseball’s greatest players.
Over the past several weeks, we have embarked on a comprehensive journey through the Dowd Report, breaking it down section by section. This analysis has allowed us to examine the evidence, testimonies, and conclusions that led to Pete Rose's lifetime ban from Major League Baseball. Each section of the Dowd Report has been explored to provide a clear and nuanced understanding of the events and actions that defined this pivotal moment in baseball history.
This section of the Dowd Report offers deeper insights into Pete Rose's character and actions. His relationship with Joseph Cambra, a known bookmaker, and his involvement in significant betting activities at Turfway Racetrack, reveal a pattern of behavior that intersects with illegal gambling. Rose's attempts to distance himself from these activities, despite evidence to the contrary, further highlight issues of credibility and transparency. These revelations contribute to a more nuanced understanding of Rose's character, particularly in the context of the ethical standards expected in professional sports.
If you just started reading this series I suggest starting with Part One.
Section III. RESULTS OF INVESTIGATION, F. OTHER SUBJECTS COVERED IN PETE ROSE'S DEPOSITION
Throughout the preceding narrative, we have included excerpts from Pete Rose's deposition, which was taken on April 20–21, 1989. In addition to the subjects already covered in the narrative, Rose was asked during the deposition about the following additional subjects.
1. ROSE'S RELATIONSHIP WITH JOSEPH CAMBRA
Joseph Cambra, from Somerset, Massachusetts, was charged with being a bookmaker in 1984, and subsequently pleaded guilty to gambling charges in 1986. Pete Rose acknowledged meeting Cambra during Spring training in West Palm Beach, Florida, in February 1984, while Rose was a player with the Montreal Expos. Rose stated that he did not know Cambra was a bookmaker, or that he had been convicted of bookmaking, until about two weeks prior to his deposition on April 20, 1989. Rose denied ever betting with Cambra or going to the racetrack with him. Rose testified that the only financial transaction he had with Cambra involved a real estate deal in which Cambra told Rose he could double his money. As part of the deal, Rose gave Cambra $19,800, but the deal fell through and Cambra returned the money in cash. Rose believed the money was returned to him in Montreal, during1984, several months after he had given it to Cambra.
Cambra stated that he has had a real estate license in Massachusetts and that Rose gave him two checks totaling $19,300 for a real estate deal in which Rose was going to participate. Cambra provided copies of the checks. Both are dated July 5, 1984. One is for $10,300, payable to Joe Cambra and drawn on Rose's personal account at First National Bank of Cincinnati. The second is a cashier's check drawn on the Royal Bank of Canada, payable to Joe Cambra, for $9,000. Cambra stated that the real estate deal could have been very lucrative, but it “fell through” and the money was returned to Rose. Cambra would not provide any details about the proposed real estate deal. Cambra's attorney stated that for personal reasons on Cambra's part, as well as possible criminal prosecution, no details surrounding the real estate transaction could be provided. Cambra could also not explain how he returned the money to Rose. Cambra denied that the police had seized a check issued to him from Pete Rose in a gambling raid on Cambra's home on November 13, 1984. Cambra also denied that Rose ever bet on baseball with him but stated that he could not answer whether Rose ever bet on other sports with him.
Rose described Cambra as a "dear friend" and "a down-to-earth guy." Cambra asked Rose for a Reds World Series ring. Rose wrote a letter to John Scarpellini of the Balfour Ring Company requesting that World Series ring be made for Cambra. Rose denied that this was a gift for Cambra and stated that Cambra paid $3,150 for the ring.
Cambra stated that he asked Rose if he could have a copy of Rose's 1975 World Series ring. Cambra confirms that Rose wrote a letter to Balfour requesting that a copy of the ring be made. Cambra stated that he requested that a diamond be put in the ring, and that he paid Balfour $3,141 for it.
John Scarpellini, Vice President of Balfour (whom Rose stated he knew very well ), stated that a Balfour employee, who was also Joe Cambra's nephew, wanted Scarpellini to contact Rose in reference to the loss of Rose's 1975 World Series ring. Scarpellini eventually spoke to Rose, who requested that a replacement 1975 ring be made. Scarpellini recalled later receiving a letter from Rose requesting that the ring be made for Cambra.
Rose stated that he has seen Cambra five to six days a year from 1984 to 1989, during Spring training. When Cambra comes to Florida, Rose asks the Reds traveling secretary to get Cambra a room. Cambra has visited Rose's new home in Florida. When asked whether Cambra was ever in the Reds' clubhouse, Rose responded, "Well, it's all according to what your definition of the clubhouse is." Rose stated that Cambra has been in his office, but not in the part of the clubhouse where the players are.
2. ROSE'S ROLE IN THE JANUARY 1987 "PIK-SIX" AT TURFWAY RACETRACK
On April 6, 1989, Tommy Gioiosa was indicted on five felony counts alleging violations of the drug and tax laws. Counts four and five relate to the Pik-Six at Turfway Racetrack on January 16, 1987. Those counts allege that Gioiosa falsely represented to the IRS that he was the sole winner of the $47,646 Pik-Six ticket at Turfway on that day, when in actuality someone else was the true holder of the winning ticket.
According to Paul Janszen, Pete Rose owned 75% of the winning ticket, and Janszen and Gioiosa split the remaining 25%. The ticket cost approximately $2,000. Rose paid approximately $1,500, and Gioiosa and Janszen paid approximately $250 each for their respective shares.
Janszen stated that Gioiosa cashed and signed for the winning ticket so that Rose could avoid having to report his winnings.
When asked whether he was a winner on the January 16, 1987 Pik-Six ticket, Rose said that he was not. Rose also said Gioiosa never cashed a Pik-Six winning ticket for him. Rose further testified that he did not recall ever being at Turfway Racetrack on January 16, 1987.
After this testimony, Rose was shown two $10,000 checks drawn on his account, payable to cash, signed by him, dated January 16, 1987 and cashed the same day at Turfway. Upon examining these checks, Rose acknowledged that they established that he was at Turfway on January 16, 1987, the date of the Pik-Six. However, he further testified that the checks were "good" and "great" because they established that he did not win the January 16, 1987 Pik-Six. Rose explained that if he had won the Pik-Six, he would not have cashed the two $10,000 checks because he would not have needed the funds. Rose, after further questioning, agreed that the Pik-Six winnings could not have been collected until after the eighth race because the Pik-Six requires the bettor to pick the winners for the third through the eighth races.
3. ROSE'S ROLE IN WINNING THE JANUARY 1989 "PIK-SIX" AT TURFWAY RACETRACK
On January 25, 1989, Rose and Jerry Carroll, the Owner and Chairman of Turfway Racetrack, had a winning Pik-Six ticket which paid $265,669.20. Rose paid $1,340 for his half of the ticket. Neither Rose nor Carroll, however, signed for the ticket. Instead, Arnie Metz, a former groundskeeper for the Cincinnati Reds and runner for Rose, signed for the ticket. Rose testified that Metz was "in for 15%."
Although Metz signed for the ticket, he did not cash it for two days, when Rose or Carroll told him to do so. Metz delivered $109,000 to Rose, of which Rose gave Metz approximately $8,000. Rose put the remaining money in a satchel and took it to Spring training in Florida.
Although Rose admitted winning the 1989 Pik-Six during his deposition, prior to this deposition he had denied that he was a Pik-Six winner to the press. Rose also had told Commissioner Giamatti, former Commissioner Ueberroth and others, at a meeting at the Commissioner's office in New York on February 20, 1989, that he was not a winner on the January 25, 1989 Pik-Six. When asked about his denial to the Commissioner and the others at the February 20, 1989 meeting, Rose responded that he did not recall making such a statement. He further stated that the only mention of the Pik-Six at the meeting that he recalled was a statement by Mr. Ueberroth or Commissioner Giamatti to Rose that "we don't care about Pik-Six's."
End of Section
In the next post we review:
Section IV. DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE