Greetings from the sports desk located somewhere below decks of the Good Pirate Ship RedState. Sammy the Shark and Karl the Kraken are too busy analyzing the Stanley Cup Finals matchup between the high-flying Edmonton Oilers and the blue-collar Florida Panthers to help with the writing today, so to paraphrase Stealers Wheel, you’re stuck in the middle with me.

One would think that between the Great White North versus Sunny South angle of the Stanley Cup finals and the Stuck-Up North versus “Why Can’t the Cowboys Do This Well” Smiling South angle of this year’s NBA Finals featuring the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks, these would be the predominant sports stories making the rounds. Instead, we need to talk baseball. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, mind you. Unfortunately, it’s not the game that is the news.

Major League Baseball has banned San Diego Padres utility man Tucupita Marcano for life following its investigation, which revealed Marcano bet on baseball in 2023 while a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates. MLB also suspended one other major league and three minor league players for violating its “no betting on baseball” rule. The announcement came on June 4, 2024.

The MLB rules regarding betting on baseball are quite clear.

Any player or person connected with a Club who shall promise or agree to lose, or to attempt to lose, or to fail to give his best efforts towards the winning of any baseball game with which he is or may be in any way concerned, or who shall intentionally lose or attempt to lose, or intentionally fail to give his best efforts towards the winning of any such baseball game, or who shall solicit or attempt to induce any player or person connected with a Club to lose or attempt to lose, or to fail to give his best efforts towards the winning of any baseball game with which such other player or person is or may be in any way concerned, or who, being solicited by any person, shall fail to inform the Commissioner (in the case of a player or person associated with a Major League Club) or the President of the Minor League Association (in the case of a player or person associated with an independent Minor League Club) immediately of such solicitation, and of all facts and circumstances connected therewith, shall be declared permanently ineligible.

Any player, umpire, or Club or League official or employee, who shall bet any sum whatsoever upon any baseball game in connection with which the bettor has no duty to perform, shall be declared ineligible for one year.

Any player, umpire, or Club or League official or employee, who shall bet any sum whatsoever upon any baseball game in connection with which the bettor has a duty to perform, shall be declared permanently ineligible.

Marcano made 25 separate wagers on Pirates games in 2023 while he was out for the season with a knee injury. Although no charges have been leveled against Marcano that he used inside information gathered as a member of the Pirates organization to enhance his chances of winning, the fact that he was under contract to Pittsburgh sealed his fate regarding his baseball career, which is now over.

An interesting element to the story is how MLB was tipped off (no pun intended) to the matter.

In March 2024, a legal sports betting operator made MLB aware that it had identified past baseball betting activity from accounts connected to multiple Major and Minor League players. MLB obtained data from that operator and other sportsbooks, including authentication data for bets.

Another interesting note is that one of the minor league players receiving a one-year suspension is — like Marcano was — a member of the Padres organization. This perhaps reveals that the Catholic Church’s well-earned reputation for fundraising via bingo socials renders any attempts by its friars to warn against gambling’s dangers moot.

Seriously, given the easy alliance between online gambling with its appearance of anonymity among participants, professional sports, and the organizations that cover same (ESPNBet, anyone?), what else can professional sports leagues expect? This incident comes hard on the heels of NBA player Jontay Porter being banned in April 2024 for life due to deliberately tanking in games to enhance bets made on his performance. Baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, has pled guilty to embezzling millions from Ohtani to cover his sports gambling debts. In April 2024, the NFL reinstated five players it had suspended indefinitely the previous year for betting on NFL games. In October 2023, the NHL suspended Ottawa Senator Shane Pinto for 41 games due to sports wagering not involving NHL teams.

Recently, no sports superstar has been caught with their hand in the online betting cookie jar, the last major figure tainted by gambling being Pete Rose after his playing days were over. One would think that with the amount of money top athletes now make from salary and endorsements, there would be little temptation to bet where betting is not allowed. However, never underestimate either the power of greed or gambling’s addictive nature. Sooner or later, something will give, and it won’t be pretty.