Illegal online casino gambling...Are you this tolerant of "crime"? Japanese national team pitcher returned in less than a month
Illegal online casino gambling...Are you this tolerant of "crime"? Japanese national team pitcher returned in less than a month
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Daisuke Yamaoka, who won the gold medal in the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier 12 as a Japanese national team, joined the team less than a month after it was revealed that he used an illegal online casino.
Multiple local media, including Japan's "Sankei Sports" and "Chunichi Sports," reported on the 21st that Daisuke Yamaoka of the Orix Buffaloes joined the team for the first time in about a month. Yamaoka was excluded from the training because of his past history using online casinos.
Yamaoka, who was drafted by the Orix Buffaloes in the first round of the Japanese professional baseball rookie draft in 2016, pitched in 24 games in his first season and recorded an 8-11 record with an ERA of 3.74. Then the following year, he went between the starting pitcher and the bullpen, recording 7 wins, 12 losses and a 3.95 ERA with four holds in 30 games.
Yamaoka had a career-high season in the 2019 season. Yamaoka had 13 wins, 4 losses and an earned run average of 3.71 in 170 innings in 26 games. Based on his performance, Yamaoka joined the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier 12 national team and lifted the trophy.
Since then, Yamaoka has pitched in 163 games for eight seasons, including switching to a bullpen pitcher, recording 43 wins, 45 losses, 14 holds, three saves and an ERA of 3.35. However, he became embroiled in a gambling scandal prior to this season. Multiple Japanese media outlets reported on Monday that Yamaoka used an online casino, which Yamaoka also admitted.
The problem is that there were more than a few players who used online casinos than Yamaoka. The Orix team said that there are more players besides Yamaoka who participated in a poker game run by a website that has acquired a casino license overseas. In addition, it was revealed that other players besides Orix also played online casinos. According to Japanese reports, as many as 14 players were caught at online casinos.
In response, Orix excluded Yamaoka from the training. However, in less than a month, they called in Yamaoka. "Yamaoka resumed his activities on March 13 after the team's approval," Sankei Sports said. "Yamaoka practiced indoors by playing catch and other games on March 21. After an exhibition game with the Hanshin Tigers, Yamaoka met with reporters and bowed his head.
Yamaoka apologized, saying, "I'm definitely reflecting on myself," and "It's more of an act I did than another player doing something." However, since Yamaoka is in the process of being investigated by the police, he did not explain the detailed method and background of using online casinos.
In response, the Japanese Professional Baseball Players Association and the Japanese Baseball Organization (NPB) held a time to discuss illegal online casino users in Tokyo on the 21st. "For simple gambling that is not prosecuted, the team demanded that the players avoid severe disciplinary measures such as travel expenses and impose financial penalties after covering their names," Chunichi Sports reported. "NPB will also positively consider it."
Despite committing an illegal act, the Japanese baseball community appears to be very tolerant of crimes. Satoshi Kato, deputy director of the Japan Professional 온라인바카라 Baseball Players Association, left a somewhat incomprehensible reply, saying, "We would like to have him back a little sooner." Junichi Sports said, "Yamaoka is already under social sanctions. He said he told her to add some to the punishment."