MLB Players Aces on the Diamond and on the Felt

October 24, 2015

MLB Players Aces on the Diamond and on the Felt

 

When the topic of baseball players and gambling comes up, it is often associated with the ongoing saga of former superstar Pete Rose, who was banished from the game for laying wagers on baseball games.

 

While Rose's activities gave a black eye to both the game of baseball and responsible, legal gambling, it is far from representative of the positive role that gambling, particularly poker, is playing among ball players looking to give back to the community.

 

That was the case earlier this year, when dozens of MLB players, past and present, including hall-of-famers Eddie Murray, Ozzie Smith, and Dave Winfield, gathered in Las Vegas for the Major League Baseball Players Association's Players Trust annual golf tourney, which featured a poker tournament at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino.

 

For over a decade, the Players' Trust has held charitable events designed to raise awareness and funds for a variety of community-based causes, ranging from aid to communities struck by natural disasters, to academic scholarships, and programs that make it possible for disadvantaged youth to attend major league ball games.

 

Card playing has been a decades-long tradition in baseball, with players waiting out rain delays and long hours on long-distance bus rides with a deck of cards and a set of chips.

 

While greats like all-time stolen base leader Rickey Henderson have become legend with their poker prowess in the clubhouse, most players end their poker careers when they end their baseball careers, settling into retirement with the occasional poker tournament at a local casino, or getting into blackjack and video poker action at online casinos like Spin Palace.

 

But just like when he was winning a World Series and Cy Young during his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Orel Hershiser is not like most players.

 

Following a 17-year career that earned him three All-Star nominations, Hershiser left the game after stints with the Dodgers, Cleveland Indians, San Francisco Giants, and New York Mets, and has become widely recognizable as baseball analyst for ESPN, and more recently, as part of the Dodgers' TV crew, sitting in on the road for the legendary Vin Scully, who typically calls only home games.

 

In addition to his continued involvement in baseball, Hershiser has also been actively involved in competitive poker, making a stunning debut at a 2008 event, where he knocked off such World Series of Poker notables as Ted Forrest, Alan Cunningham, and Freddy Deeb to reach the quarterfinals, where he earned $75,000 in prize money.

 

Former slugger Jose Canseco has enjoyed less success on the felt since ending his playing days.

 

The two-time home run king and World Series champion achieved notoriety last year when his surgically reattached middle finger, badly injured in a gun mishap, fell off and landed on the table during a poker tournament.

 

While Canseco joked about the mishap on Twitter, he is unlikely to be invited back to that tournament anytime soon.