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In the past 2 years, MLB has had 2 of the biggest gambling scandals involving some of the biggest names. One was with Shohei Ohtani and his interpreter, and the other was with the Cleveland Guardians and two of their superstars, allegedly. After that whole drama with the Guardians and their players, we might finally have an update from Rob Manfred.

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In a recent interview, Commissioner Rob Manfred talked about how MLB protects itself from gambling. “Obviously, our No. 1 priority is to protect the integrity of the game… We think we have great systems in place that allow us to do that.” After this, he also talked about Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz.

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As reported by Jake Mintz, “Manfred shared no updates on that situation Saturday, only offering that the investigation is ‘ongoing.'”

Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred addressed the league’s stance on gambling before Game 2 of the World Series, defending partnerships with sportsbooks as necessary safeguards. He explained that legalized betting has created an unavoidable environment where “access to data” is crucial for spotting irregularities. Manfred said the league never asked for legalized betting, but now relies on sportsbooks to detect suspicious wagering patterns.

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That vigilance is currently focused on Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, both under investigation for alleged unusual betting activity flagged by an Ohio sportsbook. Reports indicate that these cases involve micro or proposition bets, where gamblers place wagers on isolated in-game events, such as a pitcher’s strikeout total.

Clase, a two-time All-Star with 44 saves this season, was barred from pitching in the Dominican and Venezuelan winter leagues as the inquiry continues.

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Manfred’s defense comes as professional sports face renewed scrutiny following the NBA’s shocking gambling scandal. The commissioner said MLB’s priority remains protecting the integrity of the game, citing past punishments like lifetime bans for players caught betting. Fans now find themselves watching two leagues fight similar storms.

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Beyond Manfred: MLB is in an awkward position because of one tweet, again

Major League Baseball finds itself squirming under a spotlight it didn’t choose, and the culprit isn’t a scandal this time; it’s a single, careless tweet.

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Joez McFly, part of the MLB-affiliated Jomboy Media, managed to stir the pot in a way that has fans debating professionalism, league integrity, and boundaries in sports media. Even a giant like MLB can look small when the internet decides to roast it. Joez McFly, a content creator at MLB-affiliated Jomboy Media, posted a viral tweet referencing Ippei Mizuhara.

The message, “IPPEIIIIIIIIIII START TALKIN GOAT NO BETTER TIME THAN TODAY,” recalled Mizuhara’s gambling scandal. Fans immediately recognized the connection to Shohei Ohtani, whose former translator stole millions to pay off gambling debts.

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The tweet reignited debate as the internet scrutinized McFly’s professional affiliation with MLB directly. Many followers questioned whether an official partner should publicly mock league controversies during sensitive situations.

The online reaction was intense, leaving fans feeling both shocked and uneasy about league media accountability.

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Karthik Sri Hari KC

1,726 Articles

Karthik Sri Hari KC is a US Sports writer at EssentiallySports, covering soccer. His reporting follows MLS, the USMNT and the governance stories around FIFA, with recent work on the MLS salary cap discussions, Mauricio Pochettino's future and FIFA's $4.2 billion commercial plan. Karthik previously reported from the EssentiallySports MLB GameDay Desk, where he covered the league with a focus on statistics and team strategy. A former national-level baseball player, he is part of the EssentiallySports Journalistic Excellence Program, the newsroom's in-house training track where writers develop their reporting and storytelling under industry practitioners.

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Ahana Chatterjee

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