Sports betting scandals have been popping up in every single sport over the last few years, but Major League Baseball seems to be getting the worst of it. This is a league that has already banned one of the best players in league history, and now it looks like another ban is going to be coming.
Tucupita Marcano of the San Diego Padres is facing a lifetime ban from MLB, and an announcement could be coming soon. According to sources, Marcano made MLB picks on Pittsburgh Pirates games last season when he was an injured player in that organization.
MLB’s Rule 21 throws the book at players who bet on their own team – a lifetime ban, just like Pete Rose received. After tearing his ACL last season, Marcano reportedly made bets on the Pirates, and those wagers were flagged by a sportsbook.
According to sources, there could be as many as five other players that are facing a similar ban, but those players are currently in the Minor Leagues. Despite the controversy surrounding baseball betting, all clubhouses prominently display Rule 21.
As long as a player is on the 40-man roster of MLB teams then that player has to follow Rule 21 and stay away from betting on his team. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred would have to sign off on the lifetime ban, but the league has been investigating Marcano since last year.
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A Big Blow
This is not the first time this season that the MLB schedule has had to deal with a sports betting scandal, but it’s the first time with a player. Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, is facing serious prison time for his role in sports betting.
Former MLB player David Fletcher landed himself in hot water during the investigation as it revealed he was placing bets on MLB games. Shohei Ohtani remains clear of the scandal so far, but it’s undeniable that a lot of illegal activity swirled around him.
MLB and the MLB Players Association continue to discuss the findings of this investigation, and they would jointly have to accept the punishment. Marcano has not made any public comments about the scandal, but the San Diego Padres did release a statement.
This would be a big blow for the San Diego Padres as they claimed him off waivers this winter from the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was originally in the Padres organization before the team sent him to Pittsburgh back in 2021.
Marcano has played in just 149 career MLB games according to the MLB player stats, and it feels like that will end up being the total for his career.
A Dark History
The most famous gambling punishments in professional sports history come from MLB, and there were two high-profile cases. Pete Rose is the hit king in MLB, but he was given a lifetime ban after it was discovered that he was betting on baseball.
The Chicago White Sox became embroiled in a massive scandal after throwing the 1919 World Series at the behest of bettors and bookmakers. The investigation resulted in suspensions for several players, most notably “Shoeless Joe Jackson.”
Off-limits for baseball, open for others! MLB players have the freedom to bet on other sports, but only at licensed U.S. sportsbooks. The United States Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that sports betting was legal in the U.S. and MLB has actually allowed teams to partner with sportsbooks.
The NBA has also had to deal with a sports betting scandal this year as Jontay Porter of the Toronto Raptors was recently given a lifetime ban. Porter wasn’t just leaking information – he was also betting on himself! The player allegedly provided details to bookmakers and used his own injury status to place prop bets on his performance.
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