Congressmen Demand Answers from MLB Over Gambling Scandal
The American baseball world is at the center of a new controversy. Members of Congress sent a letter to the commissioner of Major League Baseball (MLB), Rob Manfred, expressing their concern about a “new integrity crisis” in the sport and requesting information about the alleged betting scheme involving two pitchers from the Cleveland Guardians. The missive, originating from the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, responsible for overseeing professional sports, qualifies the accusations against Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz as “markedly more serious” compared to other recent incidents related to betting in baseball. Federal prosecutors charged Clase and Ortiz with fixing individual pitches in multiple games so that betting associates could profit. Senators Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell, committee leaders, questioned why Clase’s alleged actions, which began in May 2023, were not discovered until two years later.The committee members requested information from MLB about when and how they learned of the alleged activity of Clase and Ortiz, as well as documentation detailing the league’s betting policies and details of any other betting-related investigations since January 1, 2020. The committee requested the information and documentation by December 5. On Monday, MLB announced that its sports betting partners had agreed to set a $200 limit on all bets involving individual pitches and to prohibit such bets from being included in parlay bets. These measures seek to reduce the amount that could be won with pitch-level bets and, therefore, decrease the incentive for manipulation. The same committee sent a letter to the NBA in October, requesting information related to the league’s handling of the alleged betting scandal that led to the accusations against Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, former player and coach Damon Jones, and veteran Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier. According to the committee, the appearance of manipulation in multiple leagues suggests a systemic vulnerability that requires thorough scrutiny by Congress.How did MLB catch Marcano and suspend him for life, but not realize that Clase was allegedly doctoring pitches for two years? The integrity of the game is paramount. MLB has every interest in ensuring that baseball is free from influence and manipulation.
Letter from Congressmen to Rob Manfred
