- Image via Wikipedia
You would have thought the big news this week for the Mets were the interviews for the open managerial position to replace Jerry Manuel. Instead, the news got particularly ugly when well-liked clubhouse manager Charlie Samuels was implicated in an illegal sports gambling ring. Apparently, Samuels was caught on wiretaps with a mob-run gambling organization.
Samuels has been with the Mets for more than 30 years. It’s hard to believe that anyone with such a good job would jeopardize it by getting involved in an illegal sports gambling ring. I have to assume that Samuels is a gambling addict and couldn’t stop himself. It’s really sad that he would hit rock bottom and it looks like he’s going to lose his job over this.
Of course, most of us don’t know Samuels. But Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling bring his name up frequently on SNY broadcasts. They talk about him with such affection. It sounds like he’s a universally liked figure among Mets and former Mets players.
The news in the media is that Samuels admitted gambling on baseball to an MLB investigator. That’s something the Mets just can’t have in the locker room. I don’t think there’s any way Samuels can keep his job of that’s the case. I’m sure the authorities will be working hard to make a splash by getting Samuels to admit that he took bets from players on the team too. Hopefully, that isn’t the next scandal to hit the news.
Here’s a rundown of the news about Samuels:
- The Mets suspended Samuels last week indefinitely without pay
- Samuels admitted to an MLB investigator that he has bet on baseball games
- It came out that K-Rod started living with Samuels after he was suspended for fighting with his girlfriends’ father
- Samuels reportedly gave comped seats for Mets games to organized crime figures
- Samuels may have misappropriated Mets funds for short periods of time before paying the accounts back
- Jeff Francoeur gave Samuels a $50,000 gratuity before he was traded to the Rangers
The Mets Report 