Major League Baseball has fired umpire Pat Hoberg after an investigation found he had a sportsbook account with a friend who was betting on MLB games, the league said.
With sports gambling now running rampant across the league and even other sports leagues, how should such occurrences be handled?
MLB's Crackdown on Betting Violations
Hoberg, who had called a perfect game in the 2022 World Series, ran afoul of the league's tight gambling rules. On Monday, Feb. 3, the league said in a press release that he failed to maintain the integrity of the game.
He was likewise accused of deleting important messages relevant to the investigation.
How the Investigation Went Down
According to CNN, the scandal was revealed in February 2024 after a sports betting operator noticed something suspicious about Hoberg's account.
The report said that the 38-year-old umpire opened an account in his name but allowed his friend, a professional poker player, to use the same account. The friend reportedly bet on several MLB games. However, no evidence has proved that he has influenced those results.
Although no evidence was found of actual manipulation of game results, the league wasted little time in announcing his termination last May after a thorough review.
"There is just cause to uphold Mr. Hoberg's termination for failing to conform to high standards of personal conduct and to maintain the integrity of the game of baseball," MLB Commish Rob Manfred told the reporters, TMZ Sports learned.
Hoberg Takes Responsibility
After the ruling had been announced, Hoberg released a statement of contrition.
"I take full responsibility for the errors in judgment that are outlined in today's statement," he said. "Those errors will always be a source of shame and embarrassment to me."
Road to Repentance
Hoberg might have been relieved of his duties, but it is not all doom and gloom for him. The league has left the door ajar, allowing him to apply for reinstatement before Spring Training in 2026.
The strong stance that the MLB has adopted with gambling-related offenses shows how seriously it considers the issue of maintaining cleanliness in the sport. No better case can explain this than Hoberg's case.
Outside MLB, the NBA also imposed strict sanctions on players linked to gambling schemes. Back in July 2024, Raptors cager Jontay Porter faced felony criminal charges because of a gambling scandal. Later, this led to his lifetime ban from the biggest basketball league in the world.
In late January, Terry Rozier of the Miami Heat was discovered to have a connection to an illegal betting scheme that resulted in Porter's lifetime ban.
The shooting guard, who previously played for the Charlotte Hornets, reportedly manipulated some parts of the game. His early exit was suspicious, and it was intentional in nature. He just played less than 10 minutes at the time.
If Rozier is charged with any violation regarding the illegal betting scheme, his NBA career will surely be affected. There's a chance he could not play in the NBA forever, but this is up to the decision of the authorities.
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