Sounds like we could have another Pete Rose here, bets online, but NEVER on sports...yeah right LOL
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>Mets star: You bet it's legal!
</TD></TD><TR><TD>Gambling, cheat rumors fail to shake Lo Duca
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</TD></TR><TR><TD>[SIZE=-1]All-Star catcher Paul Lo Duca, who replaced Mike Piazza as the Mets catcher this season, has been an integral part in helping the team to its runaway lead in National League East this year. [/SIZE]</TD></TR><TR><TD width=10 height=10><!--
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</TD></TR><TR><TD>[SIZE=-1]Sonia Lo Duca, who appeared in Playboy's 'Sexy Girl Next Door' spread in 2001, is divorcing from the Mets catcher because of his alleged infidelity. [/SIZE]</TD></TR><TR><TD width=10 height=10><!--
--></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- Component: NYDailyNews : component/story/picture.comp -->This story was reported by:
SHERRY ROSS in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
NANCY DILLON in San Antonio, Tex.
MICHELLE CARUSO in Phoenix
KERRY BURKE, CHRIS ROVZAR and TINA MOORE
It was written by: TINA MOORE
Mets catcher Paul Lo Duca brushed off his estranged wife's allegations that he was a philanderer and spent a carefree day at the races yesterday — despite emerging allegations of troublesome gambling issues.
"I talk to my wife every day," Lo Duca, 34, told the Daily News after being spotted at Saratoga Race Track. "We get along great."
But in a divorce petition filed in Bexar County, Tex., in late June, 34-year-old Sonia Lo Duca paints a different picture. The former Playboy model accuses the Met of infidelity.
Yet sources close to the Brooklyn-born four-time All-Star told The News that his divorce fight was only part of his woes. The sources said Lo Duca also had gambling debts, accumulating a big enough tab that Mets management was aware of it.
The morals clause within Major League Baseball doesn't prohibit a player from gambling at casinos or race tracks, but the league becomes concerned when one of its players runs up unmanageable gambling debts.
Lo Duca insisted to The News yesterday that he only gambled on horses, never on sports. He admitted betting through the Internet, but said all his wagers were legal.
He would not address his wife's allegations, saying only, "We decided to get a divorce six months ago and I wish it didn't happen, but it happens."
The two planned to appear together on WFAN-AM today to discuss their divorce.
They were married just before Lo Duca's first full season in the majors, in which he hit .320 for the Dodgers. The following year, in 2001, she posed for Playboy's "Sexy Girl Next Door" spread.
Standing outside her Spanish-style mansion in a gated community in San Antonio, Tex., Sonia Lo Duca said last night, "I just want my privacy. I want what's best for my daughter."
Despite the media scrutiny, she seemed the picture of tranquility. She smiled as she held one of her dogs, a small teacup terrier, in one hand and a diaper in the other. "I'm feeling fine," she added.
The petition filed by Lo Duca's wife specifically asks the court to prevent Lo Duca from incurring any indebtedness, making withdrawals from accounts or entering safe deposit boxes.
The document also seeks to prevent him from "consuming alcohol" within 24 hours before seeing his 21-month-old daughter or having "intimate" overnight guests when the child is present.
Anne Buonocore, Sonia Lo Duca's Texas-based lawyer, called the laundry list of prohibitions standard fare.
"They want to be able to maintain a positive relationship for their daughter's sake," she said.
There is nothing in the divorce papers targeting Lo Duca's gambling — although he has never kept secret his love for Thoroughbred racing.
His dad, who once owned horses in Arizona, nurtured a love of horse racing in his son. The ballplayer has five horses in training — four in California and one in New York.
Paul Lo Duca Sr. vowed not to discuss his son's headline-grabbing split from his wife — and only wanted to talk about his All-Star season. "People get divorced every day, every 10 seconds," Lo Duca Sr. said.
"I just advised him to get involved with the right people and to be careful and that's what he's done," he added.
Lo Duca's agent, Andrew Mongelluzzi of Palm Harbor, Fla., didn't return calls seeking comment. But Lo Duca's longtime friend Jeff Wallner said the Met "absolutely did not cheat" on his wife.
"He's not a player," Wallner said. "He was a homebody."
Wallner, who runs Lighthouse Financial Group and advises athletes on their finances, said he frequently tries to protect them from women "looking for high-profile athletes to go after their money."
But Sonia Lo Duca's father, Jose Flores of Houston, said his daughter "is a generous individual who's always trying to help everybody" and wasn't interested in money. The 61-year-old dad said his Christian daughter never mentioned marital problems or infidelity. "Like every other parent, I hope it's a rumor," Flores said.
The catcher's brother, Anthony Lo Duca, said the family was taken aback when the divorce case became public. "He's having his best season ever and this has to come out," he said.
The athlete's teammates were sticking by him, including David Wright, who said last night, "Right now we need Paul to do what he does on the field." The divorce doesn't seem to be hurting Lo Duca's game. The petition was filed on June 30. Since July 1, no player in baseball has a higher batting average than his .430.
Originally published on August 8, 2006
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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>Mets star: You bet it's legal!
</TD></TD><TR><TD>Gambling, cheat rumors fail to shake Lo Duca
</TD></TR><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- Component: NYDailyNews : component/story/picture.comp --><TABLE cellSpacing=10 cellPadding=0 width=50 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
SHERRY ROSS in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
NANCY DILLON in San Antonio, Tex.
MICHELLE CARUSO in Phoenix
KERRY BURKE, CHRIS ROVZAR and TINA MOORE
It was written by: TINA MOORE
Mets catcher Paul Lo Duca brushed off his estranged wife's allegations that he was a philanderer and spent a carefree day at the races yesterday — despite emerging allegations of troublesome gambling issues.
"I talk to my wife every day," Lo Duca, 34, told the Daily News after being spotted at Saratoga Race Track. "We get along great."
But in a divorce petition filed in Bexar County, Tex., in late June, 34-year-old Sonia Lo Duca paints a different picture. The former Playboy model accuses the Met of infidelity.
Yet sources close to the Brooklyn-born four-time All-Star told The News that his divorce fight was only part of his woes. The sources said Lo Duca also had gambling debts, accumulating a big enough tab that Mets management was aware of it.
The morals clause within Major League Baseball doesn't prohibit a player from gambling at casinos or race tracks, but the league becomes concerned when one of its players runs up unmanageable gambling debts.
Lo Duca insisted to The News yesterday that he only gambled on horses, never on sports. He admitted betting through the Internet, but said all his wagers were legal.
He would not address his wife's allegations, saying only, "We decided to get a divorce six months ago and I wish it didn't happen, but it happens."
The two planned to appear together on WFAN-AM today to discuss their divorce.
They were married just before Lo Duca's first full season in the majors, in which he hit .320 for the Dodgers. The following year, in 2001, she posed for Playboy's "Sexy Girl Next Door" spread.
Standing outside her Spanish-style mansion in a gated community in San Antonio, Tex., Sonia Lo Duca said last night, "I just want my privacy. I want what's best for my daughter."
Despite the media scrutiny, she seemed the picture of tranquility. She smiled as she held one of her dogs, a small teacup terrier, in one hand and a diaper in the other. "I'm feeling fine," she added.
The petition filed by Lo Duca's wife specifically asks the court to prevent Lo Duca from incurring any indebtedness, making withdrawals from accounts or entering safe deposit boxes.
The document also seeks to prevent him from "consuming alcohol" within 24 hours before seeing his 21-month-old daughter or having "intimate" overnight guests when the child is present.
Anne Buonocore, Sonia Lo Duca's Texas-based lawyer, called the laundry list of prohibitions standard fare.
"They want to be able to maintain a positive relationship for their daughter's sake," she said.
There is nothing in the divorce papers targeting Lo Duca's gambling — although he has never kept secret his love for Thoroughbred racing.
His dad, who once owned horses in Arizona, nurtured a love of horse racing in his son. The ballplayer has five horses in training — four in California and one in New York.
Paul Lo Duca Sr. vowed not to discuss his son's headline-grabbing split from his wife — and only wanted to talk about his All-Star season. "People get divorced every day, every 10 seconds," Lo Duca Sr. said.
"I just advised him to get involved with the right people and to be careful and that's what he's done," he added.
Lo Duca's agent, Andrew Mongelluzzi of Palm Harbor, Fla., didn't return calls seeking comment. But Lo Duca's longtime friend Jeff Wallner said the Met "absolutely did not cheat" on his wife.
"He's not a player," Wallner said. "He was a homebody."
Wallner, who runs Lighthouse Financial Group and advises athletes on their finances, said he frequently tries to protect them from women "looking for high-profile athletes to go after their money."
But Sonia Lo Duca's father, Jose Flores of Houston, said his daughter "is a generous individual who's always trying to help everybody" and wasn't interested in money. The 61-year-old dad said his Christian daughter never mentioned marital problems or infidelity. "Like every other parent, I hope it's a rumor," Flores said.
The catcher's brother, Anthony Lo Duca, said the family was taken aback when the divorce case became public. "He's having his best season ever and this has to come out," he said.
The athlete's teammates were sticking by him, including David Wright, who said last night, "Right now we need Paul to do what he does on the field." The divorce doesn't seem to be hurting Lo Duca's game. The petition was filed on June 30. Since July 1, no player in baseball has a higher batting average than his .430.
Originally published on August 8, 2006
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