MLB Axes Umpire Pat Hoberg Over Shared Betting Accounts

Umpire Pat Hoberg, 38, has been relieved from his position by the MLB following the conclusion of an internal investigation that found him being involved in baseball betting.

MLB Fires Pat Hoberg

On Monday, the Major League Baseball (MLB) revealed that it has fired umpire Pat Hoberg for breaching the league’s gambling regulations. The decision, made in May 2024, was confirmed after an appeal process in line with the league’s collective bargaining agreement with the MLB Umpires Association (MLBUA).

The organization opened an investigation into Hoberg’s case in February last year. This was because a licensed sportsbook operator in Iowa informed the MLB that the umpire had created a sports betting account and placed bets on baseball. Allegedly, this account was installed on a mobile device that a friend of Hoberg owned, who also told investigators he was a professional poker player.

Hoberg himself adamantly denied betting on baseball. Commissioner Rob Manfred said there was “no evidence” that Hoberg directly bet on any games or manipulated the outcomes. However, the commissioner also explained the reasons behind the MLB’s decision.

According to them, Hoberg shared a betting account linked to a professional poker player, whom he believed to be placing bets on baseball, and who indeed did place baseball wagers using the shared accounts. This violates rule 21 of the MLB which states that if you’re an umpire, you can’t bet on baseball regardless of your involvement. In addition, Hoberg also deleted messages that created the appearance of impropriety that warrants imposing the punishment.

Hoberg Responds

The umpire said he takes full responsibility and agrees with the MLB’s decision to fire him. He explained that MLB umpires are held to a high standard of personal conduct and his personal conduct fell short of that. However, Hoberg also reiterated that he has never provided, and would never provide, information to anyone to bet on baseball, as holding the integrity of the game has always been of utmost importance to him.

Hoberg also explained the reason why he deleted the text messages between him and his friend. He said this was not because there was any incriminating evidence in them, but rather because he was embarrassed about the frequency of betting on other sports. Technically, this does not violate Rule 21 as it doesn’t prohibit umpires from participating in legal sports betting outside of the MLB.

I apologize to Major League Baseball and the entire baseball community for my mistakes. I vow to learn from them and to be a better version of myself moving forward.

Pat Hoberg

However, this is not a career-ending obstacle for the umpire. According to the MLB Umpires Association’s collective bargaining agreement, Hoberg is eligible to apply for reinstatement starting at the beginning of Spring Training in 2026.