Notable baseball umpire Pat Hoberg has been dismissed from his position by Major League Baseball (MLB), following his involvement in sports gambling in collaboration with a seasoned poker professional who placed bets on baseball. An official announcement regarding this development was delivered by the league on Monday. Though the MLB clarified they have not discovered proof of Hoberg directly influencing game results, they did find traces of substantial betting activity.
Despite the fact that all data collected from the sportsbooks made it evident that there was no record of Hoberg placing bets through his personal electronic devices, it was found that the poker professional in question had made a number of baseball wagers from their shared account. This notably included eight baseball matches where Hoberg operated in an official capacity, either on-site or as the replay umpire. Among these games was Game 4 of the notable 2021 World Series.
While the MLB discovered no proof indicating that Hoberg was personally implicated in any of the bets placed, or that he manipulated the outcomes of any games, they did found that key messages were wiped by Hoberg which could have played a crucial role in the entire investigation. Overall, Hoberg’s accounts were involved in a heavy betting activity over a span of approximately three years.
During this period, hundreds of bets were placed using Hoberg’s devices from the accounts he shared on two sportsbooks, accounting to approximate wagering over $700,000. As per the MLB’s statements, the majority of these wagers were placed on non-baseball games including football, basketball, hockey, and golf fixtures.
Hoberg, post these events, is enabled to apply for reinstatement which is not due until the commencement of spring training in 2026. Accepting his faults, he released a personal statement which read, ‘I am fully responsible for the judgement errors that are highlighted in today’s announcement. These mistakes will forever be an embarrassing blot on my reputation.’
In his statement, Hoberg emphasized the stringent code of conduct upheld by Major League Baseball umpires and acknowledged his failure in maintaining these standards. Despite these errors, Hoberg stood firm on his claim that he had never participated, in any form, in placing bets on baseball.
His statement further expressed his unwavering stance against sharing information for betting purposes on baseball, reinstating his commitment to uphold the integrity of the game. Expressing his apologies to MLB and the larger baseball community for his indiscretions, Hoberg concluded his statement with a promise to learn, evolve, and emerge as a better version of himself.
Hoberg and the poker player, identified as Individual A in the MLB’s report, had been friends since they met at a poker tournament back in 2014. Around 2015 or 2016, Hoberg started making indirect sports-related wagers through Individual A. During 2019, when sports betting was legalized in Iowa, Individual A shared his betting account details with Hoberg, facilitating Hoberg to place bets from Individual A’s account.
Their shared betting activities carried on, with investigations indicating the use of Sportsbook A from December 2020 to January 2024. They also began using a secondary account on Sportsbook B during this period. Individual A frequently stayed at Hoberg’s house in Iowa, visiting approximately 20 to 30 times each year.
Throughout this time, Hoberg’s betting activities were monitored. From his devices, on the shared account at Sportsbook A, 417 direct bets were placed, equating to a total of $487,475.83. These bets collectively entailed a loss of $53,189.65. Meanwhile, at Sportsbook B, Hoberg’s devices were utilized for at least 112 bets totalling $222,130, resulting in a loss of $21,686.96. Crucially, most of these bets focused on games other than baseball.
Even though no baseball bets were placed from Individual A’s accounts using Hoberg’s devices, Individual A independently placed baseball bets using his personal devices. Documented betting included 141 baseball wagers over three years, with a total bet amount of $213,754.45, and earnings of $34,583.06. Of these wagers, 19 were noted to have been placed whilst Individual A was present at Hoberg’s property.
In several instances, these bets were placed on games officiated by Hoberg – either as an on-field umpire or handling replay reviews. Investigative reports from MLB pertaining to these eight cases concluded there is no discernible evidence suggesting Hoberg carried out any actions with the intention of manipulation.
The total value of the eight controversial wagering instances linked to games officiated by Hoberg amounted to approximately $16,000. Despite their size, these bets did not contribute to an overall profitability. The wider betting pattern during Hoberg’s association with Individual A did not demonstrate any specific focus on a particular club, player, umpire, or a correlation between the success rate and the size of the bet.
Interestingly, one of the aforementioned eight games included the 2021 World Series match. During this game, Hoberg served as the principal replay official. The game featured a replay review where Hoberg confirmed a call about player Austin Riley’s potential slide past second base. All considered, this ruling was backed by the MLB staff at the Replay Operations Center, despite Individual A’s sizable loss in bets on the Astros to win.
Pat Hoberg started his career as a professional umpire in 2009 and took on the role of a full-time major-league umpire in 2017 according to MLB’s umpires media guide. Despite his long-standing career and personal ties to gambling, no evidence surfaced to suggest any foul play or baseball betting involvement on his part.