MLB Fires Umpire Over Sports Betting

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Major League Baseball umpire Pat Hoberg was dismissed from his position on Monday after an investigation revealed that he had shared sports betting accounts with a friend who placed wagers on professional baseball games, including five games in which Hoberg was involved. While the league found no evidence that Hoberg himself had placed bets or influenced game outcomes, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred stated that the situation created “the appearance of impropriety” significant enough to warrant his termination.

The league’s investigation found that Hoberg’s friend, a professional poker player, placed 141 bets on baseball games between April 2, 2021, and November 1, 2023, totaling $214,000. The bets reportedly resulted in nearly $35,000 in winnings. MLB also determined that Hoberg had deleted messages related to the bets, though he denied any direct involvement in gambling on baseball.

“An extensive investigation revealed no evidence that Mr. Hoberg placed bets on baseball directly or that he or anyone else manipulated games in any way,” Manfred said in a statement. “However, his extremely poor judgment in sharing betting accounts with a professional poker player he had reason to believe bet on baseball, and who did, in fact, bet on baseball from the shared accounts, combined with his deletion of messages, creates at minimum the appearance of impropriety that warrants imposing the most severe discipline.”

Hoberg, 38, was considered one of MLB’s top umpires and gained attention for correctly calling all 129 balls and strikes during Game 2 of the 2022 World Series. He was first removed from duty in May 2023 as the league conducted its investigation. Following an appeals process, the decision to fire him was finalized on Monday.

The former umpire issued a statement acknowledging his missteps. “I take full responsibility for the errors in judgment that are outlined in today’s statement [from MLB],” Hoberg said. “Those errors will always be a source of shame and embarrassment to me. I never and would never bet on baseball in any way, shape, or form.” He also denied ever providing information to anyone for the purpose of betting on the sport.

Hoberg and his friend met at a poker tournament in 2014 and frequently traveled together. They reportedly used the messaging app Telegram to track their bets and settle debts. The poker player deleted his Telegram account after MLB investigators contacted Hoberg, a move Hoberg claimed was due to embarrassment over the volume of non-baseball bets placed.


Hoberg’s dismissal comes as sports leagues are facing increased scrutiny over gambling-related issues. A federal investigation into a sports betting ring has now expanded to include men’s college basketball programs after being linked to betting cases involving NBA players.

The investigation initially focused on former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection to gambling activities. Porter was permanently banned from the NBA earlier this year, and five men have been charged with conspiring with him, three of whom have pleaded guilty. Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier is also under investigation in connection with the case, though the NBA conducted its own inquiry and did not find a violation.

At least three NCAA men’s basketball programs—North Carolina A&T, Mississippi Valley State, and Eastern Michigan—are now under scrutiny due to suspicious betting patterns identified in multiple games. According to ESPN, two Eastern Michigan games and a North Carolina A&T game showed irregular betting activity. The specifics of any potential violations or involvement from players and staff remain unclear.

“The NCAA takes sports betting very seriously and is committed to the protection of student-athlete well-being and the integrity of competition,” the NCAA said in a statement. “The Association works with integrity monitoring services, state regulators, and other stakeholders to conduct appropriate due diligence whenever suspicious reports are received. Due to confidentiality rules put in place by NCAA member schools, the NCAA will not comment on current or potential investigations.”

The sports world continues to grapple with the growing influence of legalized gambling and its implications for competition integrity. As more professional and collegiate leagues face betting-related concerns, additional policy changes and enforcement measures may follow.

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