MLB fires umpire Pat Hoberg for violating league's gambling policy

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Major League Baseball announced Monday it fired an umpire for sharing his legal sports gambling accounts with a friend who bet on baseball games.

MLB said umpire Pat Hoberg was also fired for intentionally deleting electronic messages pertinent to the league’s investigation. The league opened up a probe into Hoberg last February after a sportsbook brought it to the attention of officials.

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Umpire Pat Hoberg during a game between the Seattle Mariners and the Orioles at Camden Yards on June 23, 2023, in Baltimore. (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

The league said that while the probe didn’t uncover evidence he personally bet on baseball or manipulated games, MLB senior vice president Michael Hill recommended on May 24 that Hoberg be fired. Hoberg didn’t umpire last season. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred upheld Hill's decision.

Hobert can apply for reinstatement no earlier than 2026 spring training.

"The strict enforcement of Major League Baseball’s rules governing sports betting conduct is a critical component of upholding our most important priority: protecting the integrity of our games for the fans," Manfred said in a statement. "An extensive investigation revealed no evidence that Mr. Hoberg placed bets on baseball directly or that he or anyone else manipulated games in any way.

"However, his extremely poor judgment in sharing betting accounts with a professional poker player he had reason to believe bet on baseball and who did, in fact, bet on baseball from the shared accounts, combined with his deletion of messages, creates at minimum the appearance of impropriety that warrants