Major League Baseball announced Monday that it has fired referee Pat Horberg for violating the league's gambling rules. MLB made this decision in May 2024 and it was subsequently upheld after an appeal process under a collective bargaining agreement between the league and the Major League Baseball Referees Association (MLBUA).

Hoberg denied betting on baseball games, and MLB's investigation into his actions found no evidence that he placed bets on baseball games or took any action to manipulate the outcome of the games. However, Hoberg shared a legitimate sports betting account with a friend who did bet on baseball games, and Hoberg obstructed MLB's investigation by removing information with the friend, so MLB ruled that he failed to uphold the integrity of the game.

Coalition Commissioner Rob Manfred issued the following statement:

"Strict enforcement of Major League Baseball's rules regarding sports betting practices is a key component of upholding our most important priority – protecting the integrity of the game for fans. An extensive investigation found no evidence that Mr. Horberg placed bets directly on baseball games, nor did he or anyone else rig the game in any way.

However, his extremely poor judgment in sharing a betting account with a professional poker player whom he had reason to believe would bet on baseball games (and in fact the friend did bet on baseball games through a shared account), which, combined with his deletion of the information, at least created a semblance of misconduct, justified the harshest disciplinary action. Accordingly, there are good reasons to uphold Mr. Horberg's dismissal for his failure to adhere to a high standard of personal conduct and to uphold the fairness of the baseball game. ”

The 38-year-old Hoberg officiated at Major League Baseball games for the first time in 2014 and became a full-time referee in 2017. He officiated playoff games every year from 2018 to 2022 and officiated the World Baseball Classic in 2023. He is widely regarded as one of the best good-bad-ball referees in the sport, especially after a match (the second game) of the 2022 World Series, in which the Umpire Scorecards website ruled that his decision was "flawless" and that there were no mistakes.

Major League Baseball referees are allowed to place legal bets on sporting events other than baseball. But MLB's investigation into Holberg's conduct began in February 2024, when a licensed sportsbook operator alerted the league that Holberg had opened a sportsbook account in his own name and that the personal electronic device associated with the account was also linked to a legitimate sportsbook account of a person who was not subject to MLB policy and placed bets on baseball games. After learning of the investigation, Mr. Hoberg deleted the messages he had sent with the friend through an instant messaging app called Telegram, which was believed to be key to the investigation. In May 2024, Hoberg was told of his dismissal and his appeal was unsuccessful. He did not officiate a single game in the regular season or playoffs in 2024.

Under Rule 2(c), Hoberg can apply for reinstatement as early as the beginning of spring training in 2026. He issued the following statement through the MLBUA:

"As detailed in a statement released today by Major League Baseball, Commissioner Manfred upheld my dismissal on the grounds that I failed to 'adhere to a high standard of personal conduct and uphold the integrity of baseball.'

"I take full responsibility for the errors of judgment outlined in today's statement. These mistakes will always be a source of shame and embarrassment for me. Major League Baseball referees are required to adhere to a high standard of personal conduct, and my own behavior is not up to that standard. That said, to be clear, I have never and never will bet on a baseball game in any way or form. I have never and never will give information to anyone for the purpose of placing bets on baseball games. Maintaining the integrity of the game has always been the most important thing for me.

"I apologize to Major League Baseball and the entire baseball community for my mistakes. I vowed to learn from these mistakes and become a better version of myself in the future. ”

The MLBUA also issued a statement:

"We thank Commissioner Manfred for his serious consideration of Pat Houberg's appeal. As a Major League Baseball referee, we have dedicated our careers to upholding the rules and fairness of the game. If our union believes that a referee has placed a bet on a baseball game, we will never defend it. But Pat Hoberg didn't bet on a baseball game. As the league's statement today made clear, neither the neutral fact-finder nor the commissioner found Pat betting on a baseball game. However, we respect Pat's clear responsibility for the mistakes that led to his dismissal. ”

MLB's statement contains a thorough summary from a neutral fact-finder detailing how Hoberg began legal sports betting through his friend's account in 2015 or 2016, initially indirectly and later directly from his own mobile device while in Iowa. Until January 15, 2024, Hoberg continued to use his friend's account to place bets on sporting events other than baseball.

Hoberg asked his friend to place bets on his behalf via Telegram. After Hoberg was contacted by MLB investigators, the friend deleted his message record with Hoberg, who also deleted his Telegram account. Based on the release of the findings, Hoberg told MLB investigators that he deleted the information "simply because he was embarrassed by the frequency and volume of his legal non-baseball betting activities."

Hoberg's outright bets are mostly focused on football, basketball, hockey, and golf. None of the bets placed through his device were about baseball. However, his friend's device placed 141 bets on baseball games between 2021 and 2023, including eight bets on five games that Hoberg enforced or was responsible for replay review. Investigation and analysis of these games did not reveal any pattern suggesting that Hoberg's decision was influenced by his friend's bet. The average amount of bets placed on these games matches the amount of other baseball bets made by the person, and none of these eight bets have been profitable.