Rob Manfred: MLB Prioritizes Game Integrity
Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred stated the league’s primary focus remains on protecting the integrity of the sport. Manfred’s remarks came Saturday night before Game 2 of the World Series in Toronto.
His comments followed a week of increased scrutiny on professional sports and gambling. This focus stems from recent arrests in the NBA and ongoing investigations within MLB. The core issue is maintaining athletic credibility inside the wide landscape of legalized sports betting.
Monitoring Systems and Data Access are Key
Manfred defended MLB’s efforts, calling the league “really vigilant” on sports betting issues. He emphasized that the environment of legalized gambling came to the league.
He noted the league had little choice but to adapt to this change. Manfred said the single most important task is putting monitoring systems in place. These systems give the league needed access to data. This data helps find any play that seems abnormal or out of the ordinary.
Manfred outlined the process after an issue is found. “I think then when you get that, you need to conduct a thorough investigation, make sure that you understand exactly what caused that aberration,” he said. “And then you need to discipline.”
The Commissioner stressed that access to data is the “crucial issue” once sports betting is in play. The league needs a working relationship with sportsbooks to get this data. Manfred explained that in such relationships, the league must give something to get the data it needs.
Recent Incidents Increase Scrutiny
The Commissioner’s statement comes after several high-profile incidents across professional sports. Earlier in the same week, NBA figures faced arrests over alleged involvement in betting schemes. These included Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former NBA player and coach Damon Jones. They were accused of fraudulent betting activity.
MLB also deals with its own internal integrity issues. The league has an ongoing investigation into two Cleveland Guardians pitchers, Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz. This probe started in June when a betting integrity firm reported several suspicious wagers on the players. Governor Mike DeWine of Ohio has called for a ban on microbets. These are small wagers, such as betting on a single pitch to be a ball or a strike.
The MLB has already taken major action this year. In June 2024, the league gave a lifetime ban to San Diego Padres player Tucupita Marcano. Four other players received one-year suspensions for betting on baseball games. Umpire Pat Hoberg was fired in February for breaking league gambling rules. Manfred noted that any widespread change to the legalized betting environment would likely require action from the federal government.
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