Did Rick James Bet on Baseball?

There is an article about Rick James in the New York Times Magazine that is pretty interesting. The writer, Jonathan Lethem, attempts to show us that there was more to Rick James than his "Super Freak" image. Interestingly, Lethem refers to James as the "Pete Rose of funk." I think he's more like the Rickey Henderson of funk, but who am I to quibble with the Paper of Record?