MLB scandals and controversies over the years: gambling, sign stealing

Major League Soccer (MLB) has seen its fair share of public scandals over the years, some of which have involved more than one player — and in some cases, an entire team.

After years of speculation, The athlete Published a statement In November 2019, it was revealed that the Houston Astros were stealing signs from opposing teams. This quickly became the biggest controversy in MLB in recent years.

A former Astros player explained to a reporter at the time that the team placed a video camera in center field, which was aimed at the opposing team’s catcher to film how pitches were called. A live broadcast was seen during each game as players and team staff signaled to Astros players — by banging on trash cans — which pitch was next.

After MLB investigated the allegations, the organization determined in January 2020 that the Astros had stolen signs throughout the entire 2017 baseball season and some of the 2018 regular season.

Keep scrolling for details on some of the biggest scandals in baseball over the years:

Pete Rose Betting Scandal

After his football career, Rose – who is who All-time hitting leader in MLB history He took over as manager of the Cincinnati Reds. During his managerial career, Rose was accused of gambling on games during his playing career, with a strong suggestion of betting on games involving his team.

While Rose vehemently denied the accusations for years, he was banned from MLB and was not eligible for inclusion in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. In 2014, Rose admitted that these allegations were true.

rose He died of heart disease He will be 83 years old in September 2024.

Growth hormone scandal of 2013

While steroid scandals have spread throughout MLB over the years, things reached a new level in 2013 when 20 players were accused of using human growth hormone (HGH) after obtaining it from a Biogenesis of America clinic in Florida.

The scandal erupted when a former Biogenesis employee linked several MLB players to the clinic. A total of 14 athletes have been linked to the scandal, many of whom have denied any involvement.

Tony Bush, the clinic’s owner, pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to distribute testosterone in October 2014. However, USA Today It was reported at the time that it had not been determined whether the charges were related to the MLB scandal. He was sentenced to four years in prison.

Death of Jose Fernandez

The Miami Marlins outfielder died at the age of 24 in September 2016 in a boat crash.

The athlete was driving a boat at 65 mph with two other men – Eduardo Rivero and Emilio Jesus Macias – On the plane when it crashed into a rocky pier in Miami Beach. The three men were found dead at the scene and Fernandez’s cause of death was the direct impact of the accident. A toxicology report, obtained by ESPN, later revealed that Fernandez had cocaine and alcohol in his system at the time of the accident. (The Rivero and Macias families sued the Fernandez estate in 2017, alleging negligence and personal injury. The suits were settled the following year.)

An investigative report published in March 2017 ruled that Fernandez was driving the boat “in a reckless manner, at an extremely high speed, in the dark of night, in an area with known navigational hazards such as rock jetties and channel marks.” He was also noted to have been legally intoxicated at the time of the accident. His blood alcohol level was 0.147% – nearly twice the legal limit.

Investigators also ruled that Fernandez violated various state laws, including manslaughter, DUI boating, vessel homicide, and reckless or negligent operation of a vessel. (The Fernandez family’s lawyer eventually appealed the results.)

Everything indicates theft

Following MLB’s January 2020 ruling that the Astros engaged in sign stealing, team manager AJ Hinch And the general manager Jeff Lunow They were suspended for one year. They were subsequently fired by the Astros’ owner Jim Crane.

The Astros organization was also fined $5 million and forfeited first- and second-round picks in 2020 and 2021.

Former Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora (who was the Astros’ bench coach in 2017) and New York Mets manager Carlos Beltran (who played for the Astros in 2017) were also involved in the scandal. Cora and Beltran were released from the Red Sox and Mets organizations, respectively, in January 2020.

Block spider tack

jar Trevor Bauer The use of Spider Tack — a resin-based material used to improve baseball control — was first brought up during a 2020 interview on Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel. It has been estimated that about 70 percent of MLB pitchers were using an illegal substance while on the mound.

The following year, MLB considered using baseballs during games. By June 2021, it was decided that pitchers found using illegal substances during games would be ejected from the game and would subsequently be suspended for 10 games.

Several pitchers, incl Edwin Diaz and Ronel Blancohas since been discontinued for using sticky materials.

Translator Shohei Ohtani makes headlines

He made headlines as Ohtani’s former translator Ibi Mizuhara He was fired in March 2024. At that time, the athlete’s representatives charged Mizuhara steals millions from Ohtani To pay off gambling debts at an illegal sportsbook.

A criminal complaint alleged that Mizuhara transferred money to the account of a person called “Assistant 1.” Months later, ESPN reported it “Participant 1” was The Real Housewives of Orange County star Jennifer Pedrantehis fiancée, Ryan Boyajian.

Ohtani maintained that he was the victim of “large-scale theft” and had no role in Mizuhara’s wrongdoing. In June 2024, Mizuhara pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud crimes.

Cover-up of Mariano Rivera’s alleged sexual assault

In January 2025, a lawsuit alleged that former New York Yankees Jar child sexual abuse cover up Which allegedly occurred at their home in New York and at a summer camp connected to their church.

Rivera and his wife Clara He denied the accusations.

“Mariano and Clara Rivera do not tolerate child abuse of any kind, and allegations that they were aware of reports of child abuse or failed to act on them are completely false.” Joseph A. RotaThe couple’s lawyer said in a statement after news of the lawsuit was published.

“The first time they heard about these allegations was nearly four years after the alleged incident, when in 2022 a New York lawyer sent a letter requesting a financial settlement. This was followed by a second letter in 2023, from a different law firm in Florida, again requesting a financial settlement. “The lawsuit, which seeks monetary damages for the Riveras family’s alleged failure to act on alleged incidents that were never reported, is riddled with inaccurate and misleading statements that we have no doubt would not hold up in a court of law.”