thus potentially impacting the outcome of the game. It has nothing to do with the fact that now the average person can bet on games ... even at stadiums. Who's to say that he didn't intentionally manipulate pitcher rotations to ensure he had a better chance to win or simply cover? Who's to say he didn't go for an extra base because he was desperate for a run to win a bet when the smart and safe play would be to stay on the base he was? Who's to say he didn't give players enough rest because he wanted their bat in the lineup of a game that he bet on? There are plenty of situations where even betting on his own team to win can affect how he chose to manage and/or play certain games and situations. And then he brutally denied it for 15+ years even with all of the evidence. Only choosing to finally take responsibility when HE wanted to be in the hall of fame. In baseball it is a cardinal sin for players/coaches/etc to bet on games. It is written in stone and there is/was no ambiguity about it. He earned the ban that he got.