On June 14, Major League Baseball (MLB) announced the official suspension of well-respected full-time umpire Pat Hoberg who has filled the position since 2017.
The 37-year-old known for his consistency and accuracy on the field during seven postseason series, including his first World Series in 2022, has been accused of allegedly violating the league’s gambling policy.
The Iowa resident who was also a home-plate umpire for the Field of Dreams game played by the Yankees and the White Sox three years ago was slapped with serious disciplinary action for underscoring MLB's commitment to upholding the integrity of the game.
Hoberg Appealed the Decision
While the details of the penalty have not been disclosed, Hober, who did not umpire any game this season, has appealed the decision.
In a statement on the matter, MLB explained Hoberg did not directly manipulate any games. However, the league did not rule out the umpire betting on the sport.
This, according to the league’s regulations, is an activity punishable with a year-long ban, in the context of the gambling policy strictly prohibiting any form of involvement with betting on baseball games to maintain the integrity of the sport and prevent conflicts of interest.
This includes anything from placing wagers to revealing inside information and taking part in activities that could be construed as gambling tied to baseball.
On the other hand, betting on games in which one is either coaching, playing, or officiating will result in a lifetime ban.
The MLB statement explained that, during spring training, MLB initiated an “investigation regarding a potential violation of MLB’s sports betting policies by umpire Pat Hoberg”.
The statement added Hoberg, who became an MLB umpire in 2014 and was selected for post-season games in all seasons between 2018-2022, “was removed from the field during the pendency of that investigation.”
While the league said no evidence “that games worked by Mr Hoberg were compromised or manipulated in any way” was found at the end of the investigation, they however established “discipline was warranted” without offering any additional explanations.
The Suspension Would Be a Pioneer Decision Post-PASPA
Provided the disciplinary measure is upheld against Hoberg, he would become the first MLB umpire to receive a sanction for betting since the US Supreme Court’s decision to revoke the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in 2018.
The last time the gambling world witnessed a high-profile scandal involving an official belonging to the big US professional leagues was in 2008.
Then, former National Basketball Association referee Tim Donaghy was slapped with a punishment of 15 months in prison for committing wire fraud and revealing betting information.
The referee wagered on NBA games over four years while also sharing inside information with fellow bettors. At the time, sports betting was banned and only allowed in Nevada.
The League Is Battling Several Betting Scandals
The news on umpire Hoberg's alleged involvement in betting is just the latest from a long string of similar gambling scandals that the league is facing at the moment.
Roughly 10 days ago, MLB slapped former Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano with a life ban and decided to suspend four other players.
Marcano was accused of allegedly betting on Pittsburgh Pirates games while he was still actively part of the respective team back in 2021. He was the first to receive the ban since Pete Rose’s ban in 1989.
Oakland A’s pitcher Michael Kelly and minor leaguers Jose Rodriguez, Andrew Saalfrank, and Jay Groome were also suspended for one year for wagering on baseball.
Two-time MVP Shohei Ohtani’s ex-interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, recently pleaded guilty to stealing $17 million from the former to pay off his gambling debts.
Mizuhara seemingly placed bets using an illegal sportsbook and lost hundreds of millions in the process.
Ohtani’s ex-LA Angels teammate David Fletcher is also investigated for similar betting charges via the same illegal sportsbook used by the interpreter.
According to a person briefed on the process who chose to stay anonymous given the sensitive nature of the investigation, the probe of umpire Hoberg was not connected to the one that triggered Marcano’s ban and the additional four suspensions mentioned previously.
Hoberg, who received a perfect grade on calling strokes and balls when working home plate in Game 2 (Houston Astros VS Philadelphia Phillies) during the 2022 World Series, also attended the 2018 AL Wild Card Game at Yankee Stadium, the NL Division Series in 2019, the 2020 NL Wild Card Series, the NL Championship Series in 2020, the 2021 NL Division Series as well as the AL Division Series in 2022.
