America’s former pastime has collided with America’s new pastime. And it has gotten the attention of two prominent American lawmakers.
Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) have requested information from Major League Baseball as to “gambling corruption allegations” involving Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz. Both have been indicted on federal charges arising from accusations of rigging pitches for the purposes of betting.
“The integrity of the game is paramount,” Cruz and Cantwell wrote in a November 14 letter to Commissioner Rob Manfred. “MLB has every interest in ensuring baseball is free from influence and manipulation. But in light of these recent developments, MLB must clearly demonstrate how it is meeting its responsibility to safeguard America’s pastime.”
The concern is that the Clase/Ortiz case wasn’t a one-time thing, but possibly the tip of the iceberg.
“An isolated incident of game rigging might be dismissed as an aberration, but the emergence of manipulation across multiple leagues suggests a deeper, systemic vulnerability,” they wrote. “These developments warrant thorough scrutiny by Congress before misconduct issues become more widespread.”
Previously, Cruz and Cantwell made a similar request to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, after basketball’s latest gambling scandal.
Among other things, they want Manfred to identify any other internal investigations since January 1, 2020.
Sports leagues generally will want to keep matters like that under wraps, due to the P.R. consequences and the increased likelihood of external scrutiny, from legislators or prosecutors. That’s why it’s always fair to wonder whether there are league-run probes we don’t yet know about.
Ideally, all sports leagues — including the NFL — will be inclined to circle the wagons and conceal damaging information for as long as possible. “Nothing to see here” is a much more productive message than, “Come on in and bring your microscopes.”
That’s why sports leagues abhor letting anyone other than themselves regulate their businesses. Self-regulation always includes a strong element of self-protection. The less the public knows, the less problematic a problem can become.
For now, the NFL has avoided the kind of scandals that the MLB and NBA are currently dealing with. It’s fair to wonder whether the NFL has simply done a better job of keeping its secrets secret.