Mac Engel: We all want to believe Shohei Ohtani. We all wanted to believe Pete Rose, too.

FORT WORTH, Texas — The invisible line for professional sports was drawn on Aug. 24, 1989, when the remaining innocence to it all was buried, and the reality of our “heroes” was exposed.

That was the day Major League Baseball suspended Pete Rose for life because he bet on Major League Baseball games. These sentiments belong to author Keith O’ Brien, who has written a fantastic new book that is the definitive account about the exiled hit king, “Charlie Hustle: The rise and fall of Pete Rose, and the last glory days of baseball.”

It is a coincidence that as O’ Brien’s book is released MLB is dealing with a potential scandal involving its biggest star, L.A. Dodgers pitcher/hitter Shohei Ohtani.

The first and obvious comparison to be made with Ohtani is Rose.

Two weeks have passed since MLB announced it is investigating Ohtani for his relationship with his ex-interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara. Ohtani fired Mizuhara after he reportedly stole $4.5 million from the international baseball star to help cover a massive gambling debt.

If Ohtani knew about any of this, and there is even a sentence to suggest he was aware that his BFF was putting money on games in which he was playing, there must be consequences.

Some of the reported particulars thus far are confusing, and suspicious. Ohtani said in a statement that he’s never bet on sports, or “willfully sent money to the bookmaker.”

I believe him, just as I believed Pete Rose back in 1989.

“(MLB) believed him,” O’ Brien said in a recent interview of Rose telling MLB officials he would not bet on baseball because he “wouldn’t be that stupid.”

People bought it until the stacks of evidence said Pete was indeed that stupid. Or arrogant. Or both.

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