{"id":30616,"date":"2025-07-29T18:46:08","date_gmt":"2025-07-29T18:46:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/30616\/"},"modified":"2025-07-29T18:46:08","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T18:46:08","slug":"major-league-baseball-dealing-with-massive-sports-betting-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/30616\/","title":{"rendered":"Major League Baseball Dealing With Massive Sports Betting Problem"},"content":{"rendered":"

1. I\u2019ve always said that I didn\u2019t think legalizing sports betting would lead to any great scandals because players make too much money to throw games.<\/p>\n

I now have to officially rip myself for having such a dumb take. <\/p>\n

When I think of sports betting, I think of picking a team to win or wagering on an over-under. What I naively didn\u2019t factor into the equation were players being tempted by prop bets.<\/p>\n

It just never occurred to me that whether a pitcher throws a ball or strike for the first pitch of the ninth inning would be something that could lead to a scandal. Clearly, I was dead wrong.<\/p>\n

We don\u2019t know if Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase actually bet on his first pitch thrown in the ninth inning being a ball, and I have to use \u201callegedly\u201d with all of this, but if this turns out to be true, baseball has a major problem on its hands because Clase makes $5.4 million a year. If players making more than $5 million a year are going to risk their careers to win some prop bets, baseball is in big trouble.<\/p>\n

Clase is the second Guardians pitcher to be placed on leave while under investigation for gambling. Pitcher Luis Ortiz was sidelined a month ago after unusual betting activity.<\/p>\n

Here is some of the potential evidence against Clase.<\/p>\n

Emmanuel Clase has thrown 22 pitches this season with a 0-0 count with the bases empty outside of the Gameday strike zone.<\/p>\n

Of those, I’ve classified 11 of them as “uncompetitive.” Here is a look at all of them. pic.twitter.com\/zLCawGsyM9<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Ahaan Rungta (@AhaanRungta) July 28, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Emmanuel Clase has come in to the game at the beginning of the 9th inning 40 times this season. Here is his Statcast Waste% (pitches that aren’t close to zone).<\/p>\n

First pitch of 9th inning: = 17.5%
Every other pitch = 5.2%<\/p>\n

Just speculating, but this how Luis Ortiz got flagged. pic.twitter.com\/lZGwgQ2KdZ<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Foolish Baseball (@FoolishBB) July 28, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

A collection on Emmanuel Clase\u2019s first pitches to start an inning. #Guardians<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/9MJBWDZKW6<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Travis Hudson (@TravisFHudson) July 28, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

The accusations against Clase have also led to some solid content.<\/p>\n

Emmanuel Clas\u00e9 when \u201cfirst pitch ball\u201d is the last leg of his parlay pic.twitter.com\/iQ63WbGpP3<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 DollarDog Nick (@DollarDogNick) July 28, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Cleveland Guardians baseball pic.twitter.com\/zmNdyZlktL<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Mike Salvatore (@MikeSalvatore10) July 28, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Emmanuel Clase https:\/\/t.co\/s8u2H4YFTe<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/FDHwXkVCor<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Kev \u26be\ufe0f\ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\udded (@RoyalReportKev) July 28, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

The irony in all of this, of course, is that one of Clase\u2019s pitches in question was delivered with a big Bet365 advertisement in his vision.<\/p>\n

\"Emmanuel<\/p>\n

Betting advertisements can be seen all over Major League ballparks. \/ MLB<\/p>\n

2. This is why I always roll my eyes when people trot out the \u201cumpires\/referees do a great job overall\u201d clich\u00e9.<\/p>\n

This just cannot happen under any circumstances. The upside, though, is LASIK is here to help.<\/p>\n

Better Vision. Better Calls. <\/p>\n

Yes all MLB umps get free LASIK. Yes, this is real. pic.twitter.com\/tERdXBqLyi<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 LASIK.com (@LASIKdotcom) July 29, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

3. For those of you who are itching for the NFL to go to an 18-game regular season so that the Super Bowl will get pushed to President\u2019s Day weekend, it sounds like there is no light at the end of the tunnel.<\/p>\n

Puck\u2019s John Ourand reports that<\/a> because of the current mess with the players union, talks about an 18-game schedule \u201care back to square one.\u201d<\/p>\n

4. This one is for my loyal SI Media With Jimmy Traina podcast listeners.<\/p>\n

TNT Sports to present MASSIVE slate of summer & fall @TheSavBananas<\/a> games! <\/p>\n

\u26be\ufe0f 19 games on truTV & @hbomax<\/a>, including first-ever @BananaBall_<\/a> Tour Championship in October
\ud83c\udf4c To visit MLB stadiums throughout U.S.
\ud83d\udcfa Starts Sat., Aug. 16<\/p>\n

More: https:\/\/t.co\/9q4olqXXzH<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/fl3ue7yT8u<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 TNT Sports U.S. PR (@TNTSportsUS) July 29, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

5. What a beautiful and touching tribute to MACtion football that so many degenerate gamblers love to watch on a Tuesday and Wednesday night in the winter.<\/p>\n

I may have just stumbled upon the greatest YouTube comment I’ve ever seen \ud83d\ude2d\ud83d\ude02 @SickosCommittee<\/a> @CFBHome<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/npXA2wNSZx<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Jefferson Donovan (@JDonovanWx) July 28, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

6. The latest SI Media With Jimmy Traina podcast features a conversation with\u00a0The Ringer\u2019s editor-at-large, Bryan Curtis, about all the latest sports media news.<\/p>\n

Topics covered include the partnership between Fox Sports and Barstool Sports, which company needs the other more, why Barstool\u2019s daily FS1 show is more intriguing than the\u00a0Big Noon Kickoff\u00a0deal, the battle between\u00a0Big Noon Kickoff\u00a0and\u00a0College GameDay\u00a0and Barstool\u2019s turnaround when it comes to public perception.<\/p>\n

Other topics discussed include ESPN getting close to purchasing NFL Media and what that would mean, where Major League Baseball will end up selling the rights to its wild-card games and\u00a0Sunday Night Baseball, ESPN\u2019s decisions on Richard Jefferson and Doris Burke and its lead NBA booth, the cost of streaming and more.<\/p>\n

You can listen to the SI Media With Jimmy Traina podcast below or on Apple<\/a> and Spotify<\/a>.<\/p>\n

7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: While watching some Ryne Sandberg videos on YouTube last night, I came across this doozy of a fight between the Cubs and Mets from 1988, with the great Vin Scully and Joe Garagiola on the mic. <\/p>\n

Be sure to\u00a0catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts<\/a>\u00a0and check out the\u00a0Sports Illustrated Media Podcast\u00a0hosted by Jimmy Traina on\u00a0Apple<\/a>,\u00a0Spotify<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0Google<\/a>. You can also follow Jimmy on\u00a0X<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n