Wanna Bet? Jammin' With the Dukes!

Jammin' about Gambling

We here at Wanna Bet? could tell you about the dangers of teen gambling until we were BLUE in the face, and it probably would not mean as much as hearing these messages from famous people! This month Amanda, our Junior Editor, made a trip to Wade Stadium in Duluth, Minnesota to interview players from the minor league baseball team, the Duluth/Superior Dukes, about their opinions on teen and underage gambling along with some other interesting facts about the players.

Jammin' with Javier Rodriguez

Javier Rodriguez is from Miami, Florida, and he played catcher for the Duluth/Superior Dukes this season. His lifetime batting average is .250! Javier first started playing baseball at the young age of 6, and he also likes to play basketball and football in his spare time. However, sports fishing is his true love. Javier enjoys playing for the Dukes because of the fans. He loves going up to bat and hearing the fans cheering for him. He also loves being able to play baseball for his profession. The worst part of playing baseball for the Dukes, according to Javier, is that the season has to end.

Javier has had to face some pretty tough challenges during his baseball career. He signed with the Seattle Mariners in 1994, and after his first year, he suffered a shoulder injury. Javier had surgery and underwent rehabilitation for one year in order to repair the shoulder. Javier says this was very challenging, but he overcame it, took care of his shoulder, and is out here playing baseball again. Way to go, Javier!

His goal was to come back and play baseball again. After two years, Javier is playing baseball again. Javier says he wanted to get some decent stats this year, but he did not do as well as he wanted. However, Javier is not too hard on himself He says he played his best and is just happy to be playing baseball again.

As for his views on teen and underage gambling, Javier, who is from Florida, says he is not used to seeing all the gambling facilities that are here in Minnesota. Florida does not have any casinos - only lotteries! Javier believes gambling is a problem for kids today, and he does not think kids should be gambling. Javier says he would tell his own kids that gambling is like a drug. "It's very addicting. Once they get older and of legal age, they can make their own decisions to gamble, but I don't think it [teen gambling] is right at all."

Thanks, Javier! Good luck next season!

Jammin' with Rick Wagner

Rick Wagner was born right here in Duluth, Minnesota. He now lives in California, but he plans to move back to Minnesota this winter to be close to his family. Rick was a pitcher for the Dukes this season, and his ERA was 4.13. Rick says he started playing baseball during the 5th grade, but he didn't really start playing seriously until the 8th grade. Hey kids, there may still be /hope for you! Rick enjoys playing many sports, including football, basketball, tennis, and just about anything that is active.

Rick says the best parts about playing for the Dukes baseball team are the crowd, the people, the town, and the team in general. He just loves to play the game! One of the challenges Rick has had to overcome is the "mind game" of baseball. In other words, it's very difficult having to think the game out. Rick says playing the game is easy, but he also has to know what he is doing, make sure he is in control, and have confidence in himself. There are many different things to think about during the game, according to Rick. His goals are to make it as far as he can, play hard, and play for the Lord. Rick also wants kids to know they can make something of themselves if they give 100%, believe in what they are doing, and never give up!

As for his gambling opinions, Rick has difficulty accepting the fact that states are mandating more and more gambling facilities. Rick also says, "Kids are getting drawn into gambling because their parents are drawn into it." Rick has seen some gambling in baseball. He says there is more gambling in the higher leagues, especially the major leagues, but there is even some in the minor and college leagues. He has seen some gambling between players and some gambling between players and bookies. However, Rick says, "You hear it, but it is usually so quiet that it is hard to hear it even if you're on the same team with someone who is gambling." Rick has also seen a few ball players with gambling problems, but all of them did not know they had a problem. Rick believes these players would have laughed at him if he would have tried to tell them they had a problem. He says these players also had many other problems in their lives so they felt like they did not have to deal with the gambling problem.

Rick sees compulsive gambling as a very serious issue. He plans to tell his own kids some day that "gambling is not a wise move." Rick also realizes that gambling is a difficult topic to address, because so many people gamble today. He admits to betting his friend 500 pushups during the Final Four season! Rick says it was a big thing to have to pay up, but not as difficult as having to pay up with money or other personal possessions. "It just catches you. It can be like alcohol or anything else, because it slowly draws you in before you know what is going on." Rick plans to tell his kids to put their money into something they can work for and appreciate more instead of trying to get something for free. Rick knows that a few people win at gambling, but believes that most of them lose out in the long run.

Well, thanks Rick! We'll look for you in the big league!

The opinions in this article are those of the players, but we want to know what you think about sports betting. Drop us a line or click here. wannabet@wannabet.org ! Š1998, MCCG, NATI. Not to be reproduced for commercial use.