Major League Baseball, which has been turned upside down after Cleveland Guardians pitchers’ match fixing was caught, is complacent about the countermeasures.
Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said in an interview with local media such as “The Athletic” after the owner’s meeting on the 20th (Korea Standard Time), “I’m glad we could do something about the recent betting manipulation.”
Major League Baseball recently suffered from match fixing. Two Cleveland pitchers, Luis Ortiz and Immanuel Clase, were found to have manipulated side bets related to their pitches by manipulating the pitching content. The two players were indicted by prosecutors.
사진 확대 Commissioner Manfred drew the line that there would be no further action to prevent match fixing. 사진=ⓒAFPBBNews = News1
Major League Baseball, along with betting companies, announced a $200 cap on side bets related to pitching by individual pitchers.
However, when asked if further action was needed, Manfred said, “At the moment, we are ready to proceed with the rest of the program in accordance with the regulations we currently have,” drawing the line that there will be no further action.
“I think we’ve made changes that will have the right balance,” said Manfred, who said he introduced the betting cap in discussions with Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio, home to the Guardians, again signaling no further action.
Officials at the scene are making different noises. Tony Clark, general secretary of the players’ union, agent Scott Boras, called for stronger regulations, saying in unison that Shive betting itself related to pitching should be banned.
Meanwhile, Manfred recently expressed his intention to cooperate with the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, saying, “We will respond fully cooperatively and in a timely manner to the Senate’s investigation.”
It also revealed plans for its own investigation into two players, Clase and Ortiz. “We will make every effort to make the most of it during the offseason and complete it with a thorough investigation,” he said.
Major League Baseball, like other professional sports, is partnering with betting companies after a 2018 Supreme Court ruling lifted the ban on sports betting.
“The most important thing in our partnership with betting companies is to monitor betting activity,” he said, stressing that cooperation with betting companies is helping to uncover illegal bets.
What to do when the risk of betting on the league is greater than the gains from partnerships? “It’s the government’s decision, and we just do our best within the given framework to protect the integrity of the game,” he said, declining to say.
[KIM JAE HO, MK Sports Reporter]