Yu Darvish’s Brother’s Arrest Could Add Complications to His Return to the Rangers’ Starting Lineup.
The younger brother of Texas Rangers star pitcher, Yu Darvish, was arrested in Japan for his part in an illegal sports betting ring. The 26-year old Sho Darvish was one of eight people taken into custody in Osaka, the second-largest city in Japan.
The group is alleged to have taken up to $154,000 in wagers on Japanese and American baseball games, according to the Asahi newspaper. Baseball is a popular sport in Japan, dating back to the period when U.S. forces occupied the country (1945-1952) and many parts of the American culture gained popularity there. No news source has said whether Sho Darvish’s sports betting ring took wagers on Texas Rangers game.
NPB Investigation into Sports Betting
The arrests came as part of a nationwide sports betting investigation launched by Nippon Professional Baseball, the Japanese equivalent of Major League Baseball. The NPB investigations began after three members of the Yomiuri Giants were discovered to have gambled on baseball games.
Japanese Gambling Laws
Most forms of gambling are illegal in Japan, though the gaming laws of the island nation are complex. Pachinko parlors dot the landscape and the Japanese people spend more money on gaming machines (pachinko) than any other nation on Earth, including the United States. But it is illegal for pachinko parlors to pay winnings in cash. Instead, players receive a collection of pachinko balls, used to play the game. These balls can be exchanged for prizes and cash at exchange booths near the parlors.
Casino gambling is illegal in Japan, though the Japanese Diet (congress) has been discussing a legalization bill throughout 2014 and 2015, in time for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Sports Betting in Japan
Sportsbooks are also illegal. Like MLB, the NPB is serious about policing players who bet on their games. Thus, when Satoshi Fukuda was learned to have bet on MLB and NPB during his absence from the Yomiuri Giants, it became national news. The Giants are called “The New York Yankees of Japan” for their winning tradition and array of star players.
Satoshi Fukuda Scandal
In the wake of the Satoshi Fukuda scandal, the Giants launched an investigation of its other players. This quickly revealed that Ryuya Matsumoto and Shoki Kasahara also wagered on game. In all cases, no evidence exists that players fixed games, but it remains a tremendous and ongoing scandal. As the Tokyo-based Yomiuri Giants were investigating their players, the NPB launched a wider probe. That probe discovered Sho Darvish’s illegal operations.
If Sho Darvish is learned to have been a part of a gaming operation which took bets on Texas Rangers game, it could cause complications for his brother, 29-year old Yu Darvish. Yu Darvish was a star in the NPB before making a move to Major League Baseball. The Texas Rangers won a bidding process which gave them sole rights to negotiate with Yu Darvish, known for his speed, control, array of pitches, and mixed Japanese and Iranian heritage.
Yu Darvish’s MLB Career
Yu Darvish was a huge star in Japan, creating buzz about his possible emergence as a MLB player. Once he came to the Texas Rangers, Yu Darvish became an international star and a MLB All-Star.
He led Major League Baseball in strikeouts in 2013 with 277 Ks. He was again a star in 2014, though he appeared to wear down towards the end of the season. But then he suffered an injury which required the once-dreaded Tommy John Surgery. Given years to perfect the operation, doctors say Darvish is expected to make a full recovery, but might not pitch until the middle of 2016. When he does, Darvish is expected to be a boost for the AL West Division Champions.
His brother’s sports betting scandal could be a distraction for the pitcher in his return to the mound. It is inevitable that journalists and investigators will ask whether Yu Darvish knew of his brother’s gaming practices. Given the brothers are thousands of miles apart across the Pacific Ocean, that is not likely. But in a sport obsessed with the betting scandals of the past (Shoeless Joe Jackson, Pete Rose), it could prove to be a lingering issue.
Baseball’s Push for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics
The timing is not good for Japan, the sports of baseball, or the 2020 Olympics, either. Japan has been determined to have baseball included in the Tokyo Olympics, after it was removed from the list of games in recent years. The betting scandal won’t help those chances, though an IOC official recently said he did not expect it to affect his committee’s ultimate decision.
