[h2]
Pay the man: Bettor to collect $375,000 after Cards win Series[/h2]
By
David Brown
We don't know his name. We just know he's out there, somewhere, and he has possessed two betting slips worth a total of $375,000 after the
St. Louis Cardinals won
Game 7 of the World Series on Friday night.
As we reported (thanks to Deadspin and Joe Sports Fan),
an unnamed individual made two wagers at the MGM sports book in Las Vegas on Sept. 12 that the Cardinals would win the National League pennant and the World Series, respectively. He put $250 on each possibility and won $125,000 after the Cards beat the Brewers in the NLCS. He has since cashed in that slip.
The Redbirds were 999-to-1 to win the World Series when the man placed his bets and, as we know, the Cards won their 11th World Series on Friday, making Johnny No-Name $250,000 richer. (Although, he technically came out ahead with $150,000 more because he hedged his bets before the Series started,
Deadspin says, putting a hundred grand on Texas to win just in case.)
Still, that's a net of $275,000 won betting on baseball â betting on a team that was 10 1/2 games out of a playoff spot on Aug. 25. Jay Rood, an MGM vice president who sets the line at 12 books in Nevada, told
the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the man bet with "perfect timing." One more day and the odds would have been substantially lower. Such long-shot bets do hit â but rarely. When the Minnesota Twins won the 1987 World Series, the team had been at least 500/1 during the season, Rood said.When the St. Louis Rams won the 2000 Super Bowl, the team had been 300/1 early in the season.
Rood said he has re-evaluated his decision to put the Cardinals at 999/1 odds to win the World Series. He said he probably had too much faith in the Braves not collapsing and too much faith in the Phillies playing well in the playoffs. Him and Philly both. Matt Sebek of JSF says he has been in contact with the gambler, but that "he won't do an interview." Harumph. I've got too many questions about this guy for him to stay quiet forever. Maybe he'll start talking now that he's no longer under the emotional gun of the wager. Show yourself, betting man! And do you want to wager on whether
Albert Pujols stays in St. Louis?