{"id":7722,"date":"2018-06-06T18:29:53","date_gmt":"2018-06-06T18:29:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pokerscout.com\/?p=7722"},"modified":"2018-06-07T15:55:37","modified_gmt":"2018-06-07T15:55:37","slug":"even-joe-torre-and-joe-girardi-are-weighing-in-on-ny-sports-betting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pokerscout.com\/even-joe-torre-and-joe-girardi-are-weighing-in-on-ny-sports-betting\/","title":{"rendered":"Even Joe Torre And Joe Girardi Are Weighing In On NY Sports Betting"},"content":{"rendered":"
Major League Baseball<\/strong> is working the angles with New York<\/strong> lawmakers. In recent months, the league has shuffled several of its local cast members through\u00a0Albany<\/strong> to advocate for regulated NY\u00a0sports betting<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Joe Girardi<\/strong> and Joe Torre<\/strong> were the most recent to appear. The last two managers of the New York Yankees<\/strong> each paid a visit to the capital over the past two weeks, urging\u00a0lawmakers<\/strong> to adopt updated provisions proposed by their league and others.<\/p>\n \u201cThe game has meant so much to me and my family,\u201d Girardi said, \u201cand I\u2019m here encouraging New York legislators to pass a law that basically protects the integrity of the game.\u201d He and Torre have\u00a0traded in their pinstripes<\/strong> for a coat and tie, both now working for MLB directly.<\/p>\n The pitch comes as the NY legislature works to broaden the existing sports betting language before its June 20 deadline<\/strong>. Under that 2013 law, activated by the recent US Supreme Court<\/strong> ruling, the four upstate\u00a0NY casinos<\/strong>\u00a0could soon be taking bets.<\/p>\n MLB contends that any revised terms should include things like integrity fees<\/strong> and league control over the flow of sports data<\/strong>. The multi-pronged approach has included on-the-record testimony<\/strong> from lawyers,\u00a0closed-door sessions<\/strong> with paid lobbyists, and now visits from local NY athletes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Lawmakers have also heard from former Knicks<\/strong> guard\u00a0John Starks<\/strong> and Mets<\/strong> pitcher Al Leiter<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Girardi was the Yankees catcher<\/strong> for four seasons, three of which ended with a World Series<\/strong> title. He assumed the role of manager after retiring, delivering another Yanks championship in 2009<\/strong> \u2014 its 27th in history. You\u2019ll find him providing analysis for the MLB Network<\/strong> these days.<\/p>\n As you\u2019d expect from someone talking sports betting on MLB\u2019s behalf, Girardi featured the word \u201cintegrity\u201d prominently.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the law is coming so I think important for New York to be out on the forefront and get something passed, again, that protects the integrity of the game \u2014 this session. I don\u2019t think we can wait.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n His local history<\/strong> and his feel-good childhood baseball story<\/strong> make Girardi a good candidate to pinch hit<\/strong> for MLB lobbyists. Here\u2019s what he said about his motivations for speaking on the topic:<\/p>\n It\u2019s because I care so much about this game. It\u2019s been a part of my life since I was five or six years old. We\u2019d to go Cubs games with my father. We would drive up three hours, ride with him as a little boy in his car and listen to games on the radio. And then eventually, I got a chance to live my dream and to be a player for many years and also a manager. So I worry about the integrity of the game.<\/p><\/blockquote>\nGirardi on sports betting integrity<\/span><\/h2>\n