Threat to players
Just hours before the MLB All-Star Game in Texas, league Commissioner Rob Manfred voiced his concern for the safety of the league’s players due to the rise of gambling-related threats.
spoken to players “in the past month” who had received threats
Manfred, who was voted into his high-profile liaison role by owners of MLB franchises in 2015, maintains a close relationship with the teams and their players. As such, on Tuesday Manfred said he’d spoken to players “in the past month” who had received threats.
He stated that the threats are troubling players and the league intends to act. “If a player receives a threat from any source, on any topic, it is a matter of concern to us that we take really seriously,” Manfred warned.
All about gambling
Manfred going public with player concerns underlines the impact gambling is having on the MLB.
At the All-Star game on Tuesday, one star under a gambling scandal spotlight hit a 400-ft three-run homer clocked at 103.7 mph off the bat. It was Shohei Ohtani’s first home run in the midsummer classic and comes weeks after his ex-interpreter pleaded guilty to financial fraud charges after stealing money from the LA Dodgers star to clear his gambling debts.
The league also hit four MLB players with one-year bans
In June, the MLB banned San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano for life for violating the league’s gambling rules while he was a Pittsburgh Pirates player last season. The league also hit four MLB players with one-year bans for betting while they were in the minors. The MLB is also investigating one of its umpires, Pat Hoberg, over an alleged gambling violation.
Manfred, however, believes there is an upside to the increased scrutiny and public censure. “I’m a believer that penalties and demonstration of your ability to figure what’s going on serves as a deterrent,” ESPN cited the Commissioner as stating.
Manfred added that for anyone getting into the MLB in any role, to throw that chance away over sports betting was “a huge penalty.”
A good relationship
Manfred also believes that baseball today has its finger on the pulse better than “in the old days when it was all illegal.”
The MLB Commissioner expressed his confidence that the relationship the league has with gambling firms and related bodies is helping police betting policies. According to ESPN, the entities report violations to the MLB that “can lead to investigations being opened and stiff penalties assessed.”