Details continue to surface regarding the NYPD's investigation into the gambling habits of longtime Mets clubhouse manager Charlie Samuels, and what originally appeared to be a mildly noteworthy story about a few football bets is rapidly evolving into something potentially much bigger.
The Times is now reporting that, after his altercation at Citi Field and the suspension and restraining order that followed, Francisco Rodriguez moved in with Samuels. Right now this is nothing more than Samuels lending a room to a fellow Mets employee, but it's at least a little strange that a man earning $13 million a year chose to move in with the team's equipment manager instead of renting a room at the Waldorf.
The Daily News also notes that, right before leaving for Texas, Jeff Francoeur gave Samuels a $50,000 tip. I'm not going to assume that this was anything more than an affable ballplayer taking care of the Mets clubhouse concierge, but it isn't difficult to construct a less innocuous scenario.
This post probably smacks more of sensationalism than I intend it to, but we already know that Samuels wasn't suspended by the Mets for playing in a $50 survivor football league with his buddies. He definitely bet on baseball and he might have done more than that. He probably didn't kill any hookers, though.