Major League Baseball (MLB) umpire Pat Hoberg is the latest professional sports figure to be punished for violating his league’s gambling policy. Hoberg, who is an MLB umpire of some distinction, was hit last week with an unspecified punishment/suspension for gambling violations, though the specific nature of his violations have not yet been made public.
While no one knows exactly what Hoberg did to earn his punishment, the fact that he didn’t catch a lifetime ban from MLB suggests that he wasn’t betting on baseball. MLB is very serious about enforcing its gambling policies and is not shy about handing out lifetime bans to players who bet on their own sport. Just last week former San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano was banned for life after it was shown he had bet on his own games.
In a statement reported on by ESPN, MLB officials danced around the specifics of Hoberg’s violations saying, “While MLB’s investigation did not find any evidence that games worked by Mr. Hoberg were compromised or manipulated in any way, MLB determined that discipline was warranted. Mr. Hoberg has chosen to appeal that determination. Therefore, we cannot comment further until the appeal process is concluded.”
Hoberg himself has been pretty mum on the details of his gambling violations saying, “I am appealing Major League Baseball’s determination that I should be disciplined for violating the sports betting policies. While that appeal is pending, it would not be appropriate to discuss the case.”
HOberg has been off the field since early spring while the case was being heard and it’s unclear when, or if, he’ll umpire another MLB game.