Major League Baseball (MLB) issued a statement announcing the dismissal of umpire Pat Hoberg for violating sports betting rules in baseball.
Hoberg had been removed from his refereeing duties since the investigation into his sports betting began in February last year, which prevented him from officiating in matches for the entire 2024 season.
The 38-year-old, who began his work as a full-time MLB umpire in 2017, has since been in seven postseason series, including his first World Series in 2022, had avoided dismissal by appealing to a court the decision made by MLB and the Major League Baseball Umpires Association (MLBUA).
Initially, when the investigation was made public in June last year, the league specified that, although it found no evidence that he bet on the games in which he was to officiate, it did find sufficient elements to suspend him.
As the process progressed, MLB discovered that Hoberg attempted to obstruct the investigation, in which they were able to determine that by sharing legal sports betting accounts with a friend, he had respected the integrity of the game.
In his eagerness to prevent MLB from discovering this relationship, Hoberg deleted the messages he had exchanged with his friend, who is a professional poker player.
“The strict application of Major League Baseball’s rules governing sports betting conduct is a fundamental component of upholding our most important priority: protecting the integrity of our games for fans,” MLB said.
An exhaustive investigation found no evidence that Hoberg bet on baseball directly or that he or anyone else manipulated games in any way, MLB added.
His very poor judgment in sharing betting accounts with a professional poker player, combined with the deletion of messages, creates at least the appearance of impropriety
MLB
“However, his very poor judgment in sharing gambling accounts with a professional poker player who had reason to believe he was betting on baseball and who did, in fact, bet on baseball from the shared accounts, combined with the deletion of messages creates, at the very least, the appearance of impropriety that warrants the imposition of the most severe discipline. Therefore, there is just cause to uphold Mr. Hoberg’s dismissal for failing to meet the high standards of personal conduct and to uphold the integrity of the game of baseball,” MLB said.
According to MLB statutes, umpires can legally bet on sports other than baseball. As for Hoberg, he has accepted the decision of the MLB commissioner’s office.
“I take full responsibility for the errors in judgment that are described in today’s statement. Those errors will always be a source of shame and embarrassment for me. Major League Baseball umpires are held to a high standard of personal conduct, and my own conduct did not live up to that standard,” he said.
I have never bet on baseball and I would never bet on baseball in any way, shape or form
Pat Hoberg
“I have never bet nor would I ever bet on baseball in any way, shape or form,” Hoberg said. “I have never provided nor would I provide information to anyone for the purpose of betting on baseball. Upholding the integrity of the game has always been of the utmost importance to me. I apologize to Major League Baseball and the entire baseball community for my mistakes. I promise to learn from them and be a better version of myself in the future.”
Under MLB rules, Hoberg is eligible to apply for reinstatement no earlier than the start of spring training in 2026.