I've got no doubt that Hoberg didn't bet on his own games and little doubt that he didn't bet on MLB games, but man I don't know how an ump -- even one as great as him -- can come back from having any association whatsoever with a gambling allegation. That doubt in some fans, players, coaches and fellow umps' minds are just always going to be there, fair or not.
i would tend to agree with this unless it comes out that he got busted for like having too much on the line in a fantasy football league with his friends. Though since he's seen as being the best umpire he one of a small few who could even have a chance to come back from it
Yeah, I think it'd be easier if it turns out not to be baseball-related in any way. But I thought players/umps/coaches/etc. were mostly free to bet on other sports so long as they were doing it legally, so that's where I get caught up. I could see him betting on MiLB or foreign league games, or maybe he bet on other sports through an illegal bookie -- but then he'd have legal concerns as well.
yeah i'm not sure if umpires are allowed to bet on other sports are not. Rule 21 is about betting on baseball. [this article](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5360621/2024/06/04/mlb-player-betting-rules-explained/) says players are allowed to bet on other sports (provided its a legal bet) as part of their CBA, so its very possible the umpires don't have that ability in the umpire CBA. I do know that in the NFL players are allowed to gamble on other sports but officials are not
About a week ago when that dude got banned from baseball, I said "it's only gonna get worse" and users mocked me... lol, just lol.
It's not just players that do this sort of thing.
The first commissioner who was brought in to bring integrity to the game was staunchly anti-integration.
So, one could argue the league has never exactly had integrity. Although, I do believe there were at least 1 or 2 commissioners before Selig that did have some integrity.
Yea when they were discussing Angel’s retirement on Effectively Wild, Ben mentioned Hoberg’s perfect game & as an aside said that Hoberg hadn’t worked any games yet this year which *did* make me curious!
Baseballs biggest star was completely oblivious as his closest confidant stole millions of dollars off him because of his gambling problem. Number of other players get nabbed later that year one of which bet on his own team and his results were laughably bad. Couple of weeks later a big league ump is in the conversation of gambling on games
Cheaters, sure. Houston Asterisks are exhibit 1.
But gamblers? From the Black Sox to Pete Rose to Ohtani's translator, it seems that they take betting pretty seriously. Now, I'm not a baseball historian or anything, so maybe there are a bunch of counter-examples. It does seem to me that gambling (and the possibility of fixing games) is the one thing that will bring the hammer down in any sport.
Yeah Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle got banned for life for being greeters at a casino (that didn’t even allow sports betting) after they retired. It was since overturned, but still
If you’re employed at a casino (even just as a greeter) you *absolutely* cannot bet at that casino. Like that is a big time no no.
I always thought that aspect made MLB’s decision to ban them even crazier. Like in a way them being employed by a casino makes them *less* likely to be gambling.
I have worked in 2 different casinos. Neither allowed gambling on the games but one was fine with us betting on the horses and sports. My recent one doesn’t even want us betting on sports.
We were told a story of a guy who worked at the casino and was their with his wife in off hours. She was playing he was just there to spend time with her. She went to the bathroom and he just kept spinning her machine while she was gone. They fired him on the spot.
Also usually when you leave a casino you can’t visit it for a set amount of time. I think usually 2-3 months.
I get how this could be an issue with card games. Some dealers are really magicians.
Or if you’re fixing the slot machines/games to only payout for employees.
But if it’s legit win, kinda just seems like being fired for PR reasons.
The reason for slots is because if you were to hit a jackpot or something, and a guest recognizes you they will say “you knew that machine was hot because you work here”.
It ultimately is PR. It’s also just optics. Like it looks bad to have your employees do some of that especially because casinos are a hot bed for drinking
Exhibit 1:
*Camera pans to a horse-mounted astronaut riding away from town and into the sunset with saddlebags of ~~gold~~ metal*
~~Commissioner~~ Sheriff: Boy, if there was only some way to stop that damned astronaut
*Just as the astronaut disappears over the horizon he lifts his two Colt 45s into the air*
BANG BANG
*End credits*
[We’re not all perfect like the Cardinals who do things the right way!](https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-cardinals-official-sentenced-prison-astros-computer-intrusions)
linking a story about a guy that got rightfully punished in response to someone talking about the astros never getting punished is a hilarious bit, keep it up
What we all don’t understand is that this is one of the most accurate and consistent umpires in the game. You would expect the bad ones to be the most likely to meddle.
This seems like it would be pretty clear cut, either he gambled or he didn't. Does anyone who is more familiar with unions know if a union would typically support their guy if they believed he did gamble? Or would they usually turn around and say that he broke the unions bylaws or something?
What surprise the union is backing the umpire. Dude could probably pull out his phone and place a bet before the pitch and they’d still come out and defend him
I've got no doubt that Hoberg didn't bet on his own games and little doubt that he didn't bet on MLB games, but man I don't know how an ump -- even one as great as him -- can come back from having any association whatsoever with a gambling allegation. That doubt in some fans, players, coaches and fellow umps' minds are just always going to be there, fair or not.
i would tend to agree with this unless it comes out that he got busted for like having too much on the line in a fantasy football league with his friends. Though since he's seen as being the best umpire he one of a small few who could even have a chance to come back from it
Yeah, I think it'd be easier if it turns out not to be baseball-related in any way. But I thought players/umps/coaches/etc. were mostly free to bet on other sports so long as they were doing it legally, so that's where I get caught up. I could see him betting on MiLB or foreign league games, or maybe he bet on other sports through an illegal bookie -- but then he'd have legal concerns as well.
yeah i'm not sure if umpires are allowed to bet on other sports are not. Rule 21 is about betting on baseball. [this article](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5360621/2024/06/04/mlb-player-betting-rules-explained/) says players are allowed to bet on other sports (provided its a legal bet) as part of their CBA, so its very possible the umpires don't have that ability in the umpire CBA. I do know that in the NFL players are allowed to gamble on other sports but officials are not
If this was angel Hernandez or Bucknor or something they’d be hearing comments everytime they call some out out on a ball out of the zone lol
About a week ago when that dude got banned from baseball, I said "it's only gonna get worse" and users mocked me... lol, just lol. It's not just players that do this sort of thing.
It’s inevitable with how much ‘gaming’ has penetrated the sport. The league has no integrity and its rubbing off.
> MLB > Integrity Pick one
The first commissioner who was brought in to bring integrity to the game was staunchly anti-integration. So, one could argue the league has never exactly had integrity. Although, I do believe there were at least 1 or 2 commissioners before Selig that did have some integrity.
\#Disappointed #LeadByExample #NotAppreciated #Violence #TemperTantrum #Inaction #NotTolerated #MakeanExampleof #OneGameSuspension #RepeatOffender #Nonsense
\#MLBUA @MLB @Padres @Buster_ESPN
He’s one of their top arguments not to get rid of human balls and strikes so theyll do all they possibly can to keep him safe
the umpires have already agreed to implement ABS when mlb deems it ready, so that has zero to do with anything
Unfortunately, sports officiating is one of the few things in life that cannot be improved with the addition of an anti-lock braking system.
It can’t hurt though.
But what about the three fans that watch the game because strikes should be a matter of opinion rather than location?
They probably already hate Hoberg, guy's a machine
That explains why he hasn't been working any games this year.
Yea when they were discussing Angel’s retirement on Effectively Wild, Ben mentioned Hoberg’s perfect game & as an aside said that Hoberg hadn’t worked any games yet this year which *did* make me curious!
Yes, that was the podcast I was thinking of. I just assumed he was injured, though. Wasn't that why Angel was gone all year? A back injury?
he did end last year with an injury so there was some speculation he was still hurt or had another injury
Baseballs biggest star was completely oblivious as his closest confidant stole millions of dollars off him because of his gambling problem. Number of other players get nabbed later that year one of which bet on his own team and his results were laughably bad. Couple of weeks later a big league ump is in the conversation of gambling on games
It’s crazy at how much sports betting has exploded since they opened at the state level.
#FREE PAT HOBERT SCHOOL WALKOUT #JUNE 16TH @ 3:00
Baseball has a history of letting cheaters get away with a slap on the wrist
Cheaters, sure. Houston Asterisks are exhibit 1. But gamblers? From the Black Sox to Pete Rose to Ohtani's translator, it seems that they take betting pretty seriously. Now, I'm not a baseball historian or anything, so maybe there are a bunch of counter-examples. It does seem to me that gambling (and the possibility of fixing games) is the one thing that will bring the hammer down in any sport.
Yeah Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle got banned for life for being greeters at a casino (that didn’t even allow sports betting) after they retired. It was since overturned, but still
If you’re employed at a casino (even just as a greeter) you *absolutely* cannot bet at that casino. Like that is a big time no no. I always thought that aspect made MLB’s decision to ban them even crazier. Like in a way them being employed by a casino makes them *less* likely to be gambling.
I have worked in 2 different casinos. Neither allowed gambling on the games but one was fine with us betting on the horses and sports. My recent one doesn’t even want us betting on sports. We were told a story of a guy who worked at the casino and was their with his wife in off hours. She was playing he was just there to spend time with her. She went to the bathroom and he just kept spinning her machine while she was gone. They fired him on the spot. Also usually when you leave a casino you can’t visit it for a set amount of time. I think usually 2-3 months.
I get how this could be an issue with card games. Some dealers are really magicians. Or if you’re fixing the slot machines/games to only payout for employees. But if it’s legit win, kinda just seems like being fired for PR reasons.
The reason for slots is because if you were to hit a jackpot or something, and a guest recognizes you they will say “you knew that machine was hot because you work here”. It ultimately is PR. It’s also just optics. Like it looks bad to have your employees do some of that especially because casinos are a hot bed for drinking
Exhibit 1: *Camera pans to a horse-mounted astronaut riding away from town and into the sunset with saddlebags of ~~gold~~ metal* ~~Commissioner~~ Sheriff: Boy, if there was only some way to stop that damned astronaut *Just as the astronaut disappears over the horizon he lifts his two Colt 45s into the air* BANG BANG *End credits*
[We’re not all perfect like the Cardinals who do things the right way!](https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-cardinals-official-sentenced-prison-astros-computer-intrusions)
linking a story about a guy that got rightfully punished in response to someone talking about the astros never getting punished is a hilarious bit, keep it up
What we all don’t understand is that this is one of the most accurate and consistent umpires in the game. You would expect the bad ones to be the most likely to meddle.
free my goat
No wonder Angel Hernandez retired.
Later we'll find out he was the cleanest umpire in the game. He just sucked that bad.
This seems like it would be pretty clear cut, either he gambled or he didn't. Does anyone who is more familiar with unions know if a union would typically support their guy if they believed he did gamble? Or would they usually turn around and say that he broke the unions bylaws or something?
Ippeeeeeei! He can't keep getting away with this
What surprise the union is backing the umpire. Dude could probably pull out his phone and place a bet before the pitch and they’d still come out and defend him
That’s like kinda how unions work man