Minor league pitcher Pete Bayer says MLB's three-year suspension for betting on games is too long, but the league disagrees
  • About Us / Contact
  • Responsible Gambling
This site contains commercial content
SportsHandle
  • US Sports Betting
    • Arizona
    • Arkansas
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • Delaware
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Louisiana
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Mississippi
    • New Jersey
    • New Mexico
    • New York
    • Ohio
    • Oregon
    • Pennsylvania
    • Tennessee
    • Virginia
    • West Virginia
    • Wyoming
  • Pending States
    • California
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Missouri
    • North Carolina
  • Canada
    • Ontario
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta
  • Sportsbook Apps
    • FanDuel
    • BetMGM
    • Caesars
    • PointsBet
    • BetRivers
  • Tools
    • Sportsbook Bonuses Explained
    • Sports Betting Revenue Tracker
    • Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Partnership Tracker
    • Expected Value
    • Sports Scores And Odds Apps
    • Sports Betting Twitter
  • News
No Result
View All Result
SportsHandle
  • US Sports Betting
    • Arizona
    • Arkansas
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • Delaware
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Louisiana
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Mississippi
    • New Jersey
    • New Mexico
    • New York
    • Ohio
    • Oregon
    • Pennsylvania
    • Tennessee
    • Virginia
    • West Virginia
    • Wyoming
  • Pending States
    • California
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Missouri
    • North Carolina
  • Canada
    • Ontario
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta
  • Sportsbook Apps
    • FanDuel
    • BetMGM
    • Caesars
    • PointsBet
    • BetRivers
  • Tools
    • Sportsbook Bonuses Explained
    • Sports Betting Revenue Tracker
    • Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Partnership Tracker
    • Expected Value
    • Sports Scores And Odds Apps
    • Sports Betting Twitter
  • News
No Result
View All Result
SportsHandle
No Result
View All Result

Minor League Pitcher Cries Foul Over MLB Suspension For Baseball Bets

Pete Bayer says MLB's three-year suspension is too long, but the league alleges 'other misconduct'

Mark Saxon by Mark Saxon
February 16, 2023
in Sports
Getty Images

Getty Images

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Major League Baseball is pushing back on complaints by a minor-league player that he has been unfairly blacklisted for three years because of bets he placed on the sport during the 2020 COVID era.

In a series of posts on social media platforms, pitcher Pete Bayer said he placed the wagers only during the COVID pandemic after the 2020 minor league season was canceled. He said he made the bets in Colorado, his home state, while he was still a member of the Oakland A’s organization.

Some personal news:

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. pic.twitter.com/623z0s6BXk

— Peter Bayer (@PeterBayer47) February 15, 2023

A ninth-round pick of the Tampa Bay Rays out of Cal Poly Pomona in 2016, Bayer reached as far as High-A Stockton in 2019. He pitched in several independent leagues in 2022 and remains listed as a free agent.

β€œMy entire life, I’ve spent the summers playing baseball and, without competing and playing, I did not know what to do with myself,” Bayer said in one of the posts. β€œWhen the season was canceled in 2020, a lot of us were uncertain about our careers moving forward. These were unprecedented times in which many of us weren’t thinking clearly. I made this mistake and I’ve owned up to it.”

Bayer said he signed with the Cincinnati Reds in January 2021, but he received a letter from Commissioner Rob Manfred’s office a few weeks later informing him that he was being investigated and suspended. The league put him on the ineligible list and he has remained on it ever since.

β€œI did everything MLB asked, including meeting with a psychologist and other ZOOM meetings with their investigative team,” Bayer said in one of his posts. β€œThey informed me that I would be able to apply for reinstatement after the 2022 World Series. I figured they would grant me the ability to play again or be involved with MLB because this has been an extensive suspension.”

He said he found out Wednesday his request had been denied.

Commissioner’s office responds

Major League Baseball issued a statement to Sports Handle Thursday, saying, β€œAfter a thorough investigation, it was determined that Mr. Bayer repeatedly bet on baseball in violation of Major League Rule 21 and MLB’s policy on sports betting and engaged in other misconduct that was not in the best interest of baseball. Therefore, he was placed on the ineligible list, where he remains.”

Reached via direct message on Twitter, Bayer said he suspects the β€œother misconduct” could refer to comments he made in various publications criticizing low wages for minor-league players. Amid publication of those critical stories, MLB raised minor league wages in 2021, with Class A players getting a roughly $200 weekly raise.

β€œMy guess is interfering with the investigation as well as other comments on MILB pay that I was fairly outspoken on,” Bayer said. β€œThey said they didn’t like how my attorney and I constantly hounded them about it.”

Baseball’s relationship with sports betting has evolved considerably since Pete Rose’s lifetime ban was handed down in 1989, but the league’s rule on gambling on the sport remains firm.

β€œAny player, umpire or Club or League official or employee who shall bet any sum whatsoever on any baseball game in connection with which the bettor has no duty to perform, shall be declared ineligible for one year,” the rule states. The punishment for betting on games in which the person has a duty to perform is a lifetime ban.

In this case, MLB seems to be relying on the β€œother misconduct” aspect of its statement to prolong the suspension.

ShareTweetShare
Mark Saxon

Mark Saxon

Mark has been covering sports for more than 30 years at stops that include The Athletic, ESPN.com, the Orange County Register, and Oakland Tribune. A Major League Baseball beat reporter from 1998 to 2021, Mark also has covered college football and basketball extensively and dabbled in nearly every other major sports league. He has been a lifelong sports gambler. He pays special attention to developments in the sports betting world in New York. Contact Mark on Twitter (@markasaxon) or via email at [email protected].

Related Posts

get a grip graphic
Industry

Get A Grip β€” The Week In Sports Betting: MLB + NCAA = Euphoria

March 31, 2023
tim anderson
Industry

Media Notebook: MLB Ads Explaining New Rules Hit The Bull’s-Eye

March 30, 2023
Load More

Top Stories

taylor mathis

Taylor Mathis Got Sacrificed At The Altar Of Responsible Gambling

March 20, 2023
fanduel baseball wall

Premade Same Game Parlays Are Sucker Bets

March 13, 2023
maginfier-over-small-print

Read The Fine Print: A Proposed Federal Rule Could Change Everything For Indian Gaming

March 6, 2023
roman reigns wwe

Colorado Denies Report Stating That It’s Considering WWE Wagering

March 8, 2023

State Sports Betting Guides

Ohio (U.S. state) flag waving against clear blue sky, close up, isolated with clipping path mask alpha channel transparency, perfect for film, news, composition

Ohio Sports Betting – All Online Sportsbooks, Bonus Offers, and News 2023

by Brian Pempus
March 31, 2023

Downtown Detroit at twilight (Shutterstock)

Michigan Sports Betting – Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks, And FAQ

by Brett Smiley
March 27, 2023

VA captial

Virginia Sports Betting – Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks And Bonus Offers

by Brett Smiley
January 17, 2023

nj flag

New Jersey Sports Betting — Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks, And FAQ

by Brett Smiley
March 22, 2023

pa online sportsbooks

Pennsylvania Sports Betting – Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks And Bonuses

by Brett Smiley
October 6, 2022

Canada Sports Betting Guides

Canada Sports Betting – Best Sportsbook Apps & Bonus Offers

British Columbia Sports Betting – Legal Update, Available Sportsbooks, and FAQ

Ontario Sports Betting – Legal Status And Where To Play

SportsHandle

  • Analysis
  • Casino
  • Features
  • Horse Racing
  • Industry
  • Legal
  • Legislation
  • Opinion
  • Podcasts
  • Poker
  • Politics
  • Promotions
  • Regulation
  • Sports
  • Uncategorized

Better Collective

This website is owned and operated by Better Collective USA. Trademarks and copyrights referenced on this website are and shall remain the exclusive property of their respective owners and/or licensors. Please be sure to visit the operator’s website(s) to review their terms & conditions. We advise you to read these carefully as they contain important information. Copyright Β© 2023 USBets.com | Better Collective USA
21 Play Responsibly
Gamble Aware West Virginia
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
GameSense

Search Sports Handle

No Result
View All Result
  • About Us / Contact
  • Responsible Gambling

No Result
View All Result
  • US Sports Betting
    • Arizona
    • Arkansas
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • Delaware
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Louisiana
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Mississippi
    • New Jersey
    • New Mexico
    • New York
    • Ohio
    • Oregon
    • Pennsylvania
    • Tennessee
    • Virginia
    • West Virginia
    • Wyoming
  • Pending States
    • California
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Missouri
    • North Carolina
  • Canada
    • Ontario
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta
  • Sportsbook Apps
    • FanDuel
    • BetMGM
    • Caesars
    • PointsBet
    • BetRivers
  • Tools
    • Sportsbook Bonuses Explained
    • Sports Betting Revenue Tracker
    • Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Partnership Tracker
    • Expected Value
    • Sports Scores And Odds Apps
    • Sports Betting Twitter
  • News