Indefinitely Suspended Minor Baseball Player Goes In On MLB Over Gambling Rules

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Even the most diehard of baseball fans probably haven’t heard the name Peter Bayer.

Bayer, a 2016 ninth-round pick by the Tampa Bay Rays, has never played about A+ ball in four seasons with both the Rays and Athletics organizations.

In fact, he’s probably most notable for speaking out about the A’s decision to stop paying minor league players at the start of the pandemic.

Minor League Baseball Player Calls Out MLB Over Lengthy Gambling Suspension

But Bayer made headlines on Wednesday when he called out Major League Baseball after the league placed him on its Ineligible List for the third year running. Bayer landed on the list in 2021 after gambling on MLB games. He states he was not under contract at the time of the bets due to the pandemic and the cancellation of the 2020 Minor League Baseball season.

Since the beginning of the 2021, I have been on the MLB Ineligible List due to placing wagers on a few MLB games during the 2020 COVID year when MILB did not have a season. I am currently still ineligible for the 2023 season, a third straight year,” the tweet read.

In addition, he shared a lengthy note breaking down his situation.

Bayer took responsibility for placing bets at the time and says that he was first informed of the investigation when signed with the Cincinnati Reds in 2021. He then states that the league required him to meet with a psychologist and attend Zoom meeting with its investigative team.

Bayer then says he was told he could apply for reinstatement following the 2022 season. But his application was denied. He states that he did not bet on games when actively playing or under contract and never bet on any games he could actively influence.

Fans quickly rushed to his defense.

Many also pointed out the league’s hypocrisy as it actively endorses sports betting through partnerships with both DraftKings and FanDuel.

While others called out the league’s refusal to punish those charged with sexual violence with the same level of severity.