Cecil Fielder in hiding

[toopier]

what a sad story.
It seems that if you have change for a quarter, you have 5 million dollars more than Cecil.

Cecil has gambled away all of his wealth, and owes $5mil in gambling losses and mortgage payments, and thats before his wife, who is in divorce court, gets a hold of him.

It seems that this affliction is a close third behind drugs and sex in the "how to ruin my life and spend all my money" contest.

[Gaijin]

I'd put it way ahead of sex. How's sex going to ruin your life like that?

Anyway, I agree it's a shame. He could have had a comfortable life, but now it's going to suck.

[Mattingly]

Where's he hiding? What kind of gambling has he been doing? Horses, one-armed bandits, golf?

He should be glad he's not Michael Jordan, who lost tons of money gambling also, I've heard. At least Jordan had it to spend.

[Charlie Hustle 8]

wow.. do you guys think his son Prince Fielder, who is supposed to be in the mlb around halfway thru next season, will help him out a little? i think he will.

[toopier]

I'd put it way ahead of sex. How's sex going to ruin your life like that?

Ask
Bill O'Reilly
Kobe
Garvey
The Catholic Church
Otis Nixon
Calvin Murphy
et al...
however, i don't know of any World Series thrown over sex....yet.

[toopier]

Where's he hiding? What kind of gambling has he been doing? Horses, one-armed bandits, golf?

Casino Gambling is his choice.

and...
Prince Fielder gets served with papers ordering him to testify if he knows where his father is...that's gotta feel pretty awful.

[Brannu]

OUCH!

Well ... tell him to condition over the winter ... pick up a stick ... get his big behind in the cages ... and re-develop his home-run swing. The Tigers could use him.

Joking.

However ... on a serious note ... it really sucks that he did this to himself and his family ... but, it happens everyday to everyday people ... we aren't really concerned about it when it happens to them ... Cecil is no different.

Most people .... outside of the sports world ... and baseball specifically ... wouldn't even be able to tell you who he is or who he played for. But ... it is still sad. Another horrible addiction.

[Mattingly]

Casino Gambling is his choice.

and...
Prince Fielder gets served with papers ordering him to testify if he knows where his father is...that's gotta feel pretty awful.

I don't follow the NFL, but I remember casually watching some ESPN SportsCenter piece on a football owner who'd had to sell his team, since he spent way too much money at the casinos. At one point, he went in with $1 million *CASH* and blew it all. Can you believe that?

From what I hear, if you're an unknowledgeable hi-roller, they'll buy you "free" drinks, obviously very strong, and then between the lack of clocks and other things, they'll not let you know how long you've been there, so 2 hours becomes 6, which can become 12 easily. It's way too easy to lose your house there, since they're set up specifically for people to lose.

Unless you're extremely crafty, why would you go to a place which is designed for you to take and risk and lose, and whose employees know exactly how to get this done? I don't understand the attraction.

I've never gambled (except for a few cheap pool games), but Cecile definitely needs counseling if that's the case. If he can't be found, I'm wondering if some big galoot paid him a visit. You owe too much, your money's no good, can' t fork over some filthy green ones, what else could possibly happen but this?

[ElHalo]

Speaking of Michael Jordan's gambling problems...

Remember his little stint in baseball, when he "retired" from the NBA for a year and a half? Pretty reliable sources have said that Jordan actually had an unofficial suspension for betting on his own team... every single game during the 92-93 season. Since they went 57-25, and won the championship, he probably made a fair deal of money. There were always rumors that his father's murder came over his unpaid gambling debts.

There's also the fact (not a rumor) that he lost the VAST majority of his multi million dollar fortune in the stock market crash of 2000-2001... which led to his return to the NBA with the Washington Wizards, in an effort to raise his public image and get endorsement deals again to start raking in more money.

Gambling is, unfortunately, an addiction that a lot of athletes fall prey to... comes with the territory of being a competitive person by nature.

[Mattingly]

Denny McLain (spl?), who in 1968 or so was the last pitcher to win 30 games, said on SportsCentury that he would be anybody as to which of two chickens would cross the road first.

From seeing guys gamble several thousand dollars playing pool, it seems more like an addiction/dependence than anything else.

Michael Jordan, I think, once lost $150,000 playing golf. If someone knows their stuff, they'll make lots of money off the rich guy who's not as artful in their craft, but still loves the risk.

I think it's a crazy world, but I can't understand it fully.

[Jose Tartabul]

I'd put it way ahead of sex. How's sex going to ruin your life like that?

Anyway, I agree it's a shame. He could have had a comfortable life, but now it's going to suck.

Got to agree with Toopier's response on this one Gaijin. You've been in Asia too long. You forget how uptight the rest of the world is about sex.

[MudvilleMike]

From seeing guys gamble several thousand dollars playing pool, it seems more like an addiction/dependence than anything else.

No doubt. It's really hard to explain, but these people can't seem to stop.

[Mattingly]

No doubt. It's really hard to explain, but these people can't seem to stop.

For pool, that's definitely a form of poor-man's blue-collar gambling, and I guess that the casinos, be they Reno, Vegas, Atlantic City, etc, would be the rich man's way.

For bars, guys get the next guy upset, then out comes the "How much you wanna play for?" routine. It's like a setup. Acting boorish isn't exactly an ingenius trait, nor is upping the ante. Guys will bluff, lose a cheap game, then win when the stakes get higher. It's like how 3-card monte works re losing cheap, then winning big, if you're familiar with that street game.

For the pool hall, they had 9-ball games in what's known as a "race for 10". Whoever wins 10 first, wins it all. They go for $500, $1,000, then $1,500. After that, everyone goes home.

There was one main guy who put up 1/2 the money, and there were "investors" who put up the rest. They'd also put up the physical "protection" in case the guy who thought he'd win decides to get out of hand.

So from midnight to 8am, several nights in a row, some guy after another would forfeit $3,000. Imagine losing $375/hr? It was sick! You'd thought they'd just gotten some insurance money and decided to test their luck. Meanwhile, the guy shooting for the "investors" would be paid a percentage of the profits, so long as he keeps winning. I'd hate to see what happened if he lost. Likely worked over out in the back alley.

Lots of intimidation, since the guy who'd end up losing often came alone, wasn't that big, but there were like 8 guys there with money in those games. Then the insults, physical intimidations to get the player off his game. It was sick, and then you'd be broke going home.

I only played pool there, never bet those guys. Too many manufactured lines, too much of a "life" focused on swindling some fool out of his paycheck or savings. That's why I stay the heck away from this and suggest others do as well. If not, then someone will always take your money sooner or later.

[Mattingly]

Got to agree with Toopier's response on this one Gaijin. You've been in Asia too long. You forget how uptight the rest of the world is about sex.

I hate saying this, but in the back of many "free" publications that are popular in NYC, such as the Village Voice or NY Press, there are lots of "adult" ads in the back, often featuring Asians. I've heard stories about how these individuals are given meager wages, forced to do things w/guys and it seems quite sordid. Like the nightmares of runaway daughters and stuff.

I guess everyone's known of different things, but some of the things people get in trouble with can be insane.

I hope Cecil's still alive. He was great in 1996 with my boys.

[Captain Cold Nose]

I hate saying this, but in the back of many "free" publications that are popular in NYC, such as the Village Voice or NY Press, there are lots of "adult" ads in the back, often featuring Asians. I've heard stories about how these individuals are given meager wages, forced to do things w/guys and it seems quite sordid. Like the nightmares of runaway daughters and stuff.

I guess everyone's known of different things, but some of the things people get in trouble with can be insane.

I hope Cecil's still alive. He was great in 1996 with my boys.

Can't remember the player's name right now, but wasn't this a bit of controversey at the beginning of the season?

Cecil was great when he was with the Tigers, not just on the field, but in the community. No Tiger was as available and giving as Fielder was during the early 90's, it seemed. He's a genuinely good guy. I hope he comes out of this well.