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Current San Diego Padre and former Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Tucupita Marcano is under investigation for breaking the MLB’s gambling policy. He’s alleged to do the one thing that’s not allowed!
If found to have violated the league’s rule, he could receive a lifetime ban. More from Jared Diamond and Lindsey Adler of the Wall Street Journal:
Major League Baseball is investigating San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano for violating the sport’s gambling policy, and he faces the possibility of a lifetime ban, people familiar with the matter said…
Marcano’s ultimate punishment hasn’t been finalized, pending ongoing negotiations between MLB and the MLB Players Association. In addition to Marcano, four other players face potential discipline for betting on baseball while in the minor leagues, people familiar with the matter said.
Marcano is one of five players being investigated, though he’s the only one on a Major League roster. Those four minor league players have yet to be named.
The timeline is said to have occurred last season when he was a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The infielder tore his ACL while running the basepaths midway through the year, and these bets were said to have been placed while he was on the injured list.
Tucupita Marcano did the only thing you’re not allowed to do…
He bet on baseball games!
The MLB allows players to bet on all sports other than baseball, legally. The one no-no is gambling on the diamond, though that stretches across all levels of play (NCAA, MiLB, MLB, etc.). Everything else is fair game!
The language of Rule 21, which outlines MLB’s gambling policy, is posted prominently in every clubhouse. Players are allowed to bet legally on sports other than baseball. A player betting on a baseball game involving teams other than his own results in a one-year suspension. Betting on a game involving your own team comes with a lifetime ban.
Given that he was living in legalized sports betting state Pennsylvania at the time of these alleged placements, Marcano would’ve been within the league policy had he wagered on say, an NFL game or NBA action.
He’s said to have broken the cardinal rule, and it could cost him!
Making matters worse, he’s believed to have bet on his own team, moving that potential one-year suspension to a lifetime ban. It’s now the second major gambling scandal to sweep through the MLB this season, following the drama with Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter.
It will be interesting to see how the league handles the situation.