MLB bans Padres’ Tucupita Marcano for life for betting on baseball

In a move that hasn’t been seen in a century, Major League Baseball has banned infielder Tucupita Marcano for life for betting on the sport. MLB said Tuesday, June 4, that Marcano placed hundreds of bets on baseball, including wagers on games involving the Pittsburgh Pirates when he was with the team last season. 

Marcano — a San Diego Padres player sidelined this season with a knee injury — placed 387 bets totaling over $150,000, according to MLB. Of these, 231 were on major league games, including 25 on Pittsburgh Pirates games while he was on their major league roster. However, he did not participate in any of these games due to his injury.

Marcano primarily wagered on game outcomes and lost every parlay bet that involved the Pirates, winning only 4.3% of his MLB-related bets, according to league reports.

“We are extremely disappointed of Tucupita’s actions and are fully supportive of Major League Baseball’s ruling,” the Pirates said Tuesday in a statement. “The Pirates, along with MLB, Players Association and every Club, work to ensure all involved within our game are aware of the rules and policies around gambling. While the thorough investigation revealed no evidence of any games being compromised, influenced or manipulated in any way in this case, protecting the integrity of our game is paramount.”

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred emphasized the importance of this enforcement to maintain the sport’s integrity. The league has also suspended four other players for one year due to their gambling activities. 

“The longstanding prohibition against betting on Major League Baseball games by those in the sport has been a bedrock principle for over a century,” Manfred said in a statement. “We have been clear that the privilege of playing in baseball comes with a responsibility to refrain from engaging in certain types of behavior that are legal for other people.”

The last Major League Baseball player to be banned for gambling was New York Giants Outfield Jimmy O’Connell in 1924. Pete Rose agreed to a lifetime ban in 1989 after investigation found that he bet on games while managing the Cincinnati Reds.