Hoberg, 38, considered one of baseball’s best umpires, is the first known umpire to be terminated for violating baseball’s gambling policy.
While there is no evidence that Hoberg directly bet on baseball during his 529 direct bets totaling $709,606 with two sports books, an account he shared with his close friend – a professional poker player – revealed 141 bets on baseball games, including eight bets during five games that Hoberg was either umpiring or in New York’s video replay booth.
“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 imposing the most severe discipline.
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“Therefore, there is just cause to uphold Mr. Hoberg’s termination for failing to conform to high standards of personal conduct and to maintain the integrity of the game of baseball.”
MLB announced last summer that Hoberg was disciplined for potential illegal activity, but never revealed that he was terminated on May 24, 2024 because of an appeal he filed with the umpires’ union. MLB officially denied his appeal on Monday, ending his association with Major League Baseball.
Hoberg has the right to apply for reinstatement in 2026, just like Pete Rose had the opportunity to apply for reinstatement every year, but the all-time hits leader remained permanently banned from baseball until his death.
While Hoberg admitted to gambling on different sports, he vehemently denied gambling on baseball. Yet, after MLB opened its investigation in February, 2024, officials determined that he intentionally deleted messages central to its investigation. MLB did not find any data from sportsbooks that revealed Hoberg bet on baseball or manipulated the outcome of any games.
“I take full responsibility for the errors in judgment that are outlined in today’s statement,’ Hoberg said in his own statement. “Those errors will always be a source of shame and embarrassment to me. Major League Baseball umpires are held to a high standard of personal conduct, and my own conduct fell short of that standard. That said, to be clear, I have never and would never bet on baseball in any way, shape, or form.
‘I have never provided, and would never provide, information to anyone for the purpose of betting on baseball. Upholding the integrity of the game has always been of the utmost importance to me. 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.”
The MLB Umpires Association also released a statement, thanking the commissioner ‘for his careful consideration of Pat Hoberg’s appeal.
‘As Major League Baseball umpires, we have devoted our professional lives to upholding the rules and integrity of the game. If our union believed that an umpire bet on baseball, we would never defend him. But as today’s statement from the League makes clear, the neutral factfinder did not find that Pat placed bets on baseball. Yet we respect Pat’s unequivocal acceptance of responsibility for the mistakes that led to his termination.’
MLB opened its investigation last February when it received information from a licensed sports betting operator that Hoberg opened a sports betting account in his own name in January 2024, and that the personal electronic device associated with this account was connected with the legal sports betting account of a close friend of his who frequently traveled with him during the season.
Michael Hill, MLB senior vice president of on-field operations and workforce development, determined after viewing the evidence last year that “based on the totality of the circumstances, including impeding the investigation into his conduct, Hoberg’s conduct and extremely poor judgment created a situation in which Hoberg could not be trusted to maintain the integrity of the international game of baseball on the field as required by Article 9.A of the CBA.’’
Manfred reviewed all of the information during the grievance procedure, met personally with Hoberg, and upheld the termination.
Hoberg, who had a perfect score as the home-plate umpire during Game 2 of the 2022 World Series, began placing bets through his friend beginning in 2015 or 2016, and then opened his online account in 2019 when sports betting became legal in his home state of Iowa. Hoberg and his friend shared passwords and accounts, using the messaging app ‘Telegram.’ Hoberg and his friend settled outstanding debts in cash when they saw one another in person.
The investigation showed that Hoberg’s devices were used to place 529 direct bets with two sports books from Dec. 30, 2020 to Jan. 15, 2024, spending $709,605.83. He lost a total of $75,876 betting on football, basketball, hockey and golf. Hoberg’s associate bet 141 times on baseball between April 2, 2021-Nov. 1, 2023, betting a total of $213,754.45, focusing on the runs scored and the winner of games. Those bets produced winnings of $34,583.06.
There were five games that Hoberg was an umpire or in the replay booth in New York during those 141 bets, but MLB found no evidence of wrongdoing or attempt to manipulate the outcome of the games. His associate won $9,000 on those five games, all in 2021, but there was no call or replay that showed any potential pattern that indicated there was an integrity risk.
‘Throughout the entire process, Hoberg has adamantly denied betting on baseball or knowing that Individual A was betting on baseball, and the data provided by the sportsbooks does not show any baseball bets from his electronic devices,’ MLB said in a statement. ‘However, based on the record of evidence, it is found as a matter of fact that Hoberg knew or should have known that Individual A bet on baseball. He had unfettered access to the account that reflected his own bets – as well as his wins and losses.
“Individual A’s bets as well as wins and losses could easily be distinguished when compared to the Telegram ledger. Hoberg admitted that given Individual A was a sports gambler he had reason to believe that Individual A bet on baseball and thought that he could have bet on baseball.
“Hoberg acknowledged that he never told Individual A not to bet on baseball and said that it did not occur to him to ask if Individual A had done so. Accordingly, Hoberg did nothing to disassociate himself as a Major League Umpire from Individual A’s baseball betting for several years despite knowing that he was allowed to open betting accounts in his own name and bet on other sports.’’
The earliest Hoberg could apply for reinstatement is at the start of spring training in 2026, but in all probability, he has umpired his last game in Major League Baseball.
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(This story has been updated with additional details.)