7 Most Shocking Baseball Controversies, Including Gambling and Cheating Scandals
7 Most Shocking Baseball Controversies, Including Gambling and Cheating Scandals
Nasha SmithSat, March 28, 2026 at 11:00 AM UTC
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Cincinnati Red manager Pete Rose ; Jose Altuve #27 of the Houston Astros on October 29, 2017 in Houston, TexasCredit: Bettmann/Getty ; Christian Petersen/Getty
In baseball, the drama doesn’t always end with the final out.
The sport is billed as America’s pastime, and Major League Baseball is one of the country’s most storied institutions, built on tradition, iconic ballparks and generations of stars.
Baseball has seen legends like Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson, as well as modern superstars such as Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge, produce thrilling moments.
But alongside its history and nostalgia, the game has also faced a series of controversies that have tested its credibility and forced the league to evolve. The stain of the steroid era is well known to most fans, and the debate over whether Pete Rose deserves a spot in Cooperstown continues.
Here are seven of the most shocking baseball controversies in the league's history.
01 of 07
Ty Cobb Confronts a Heckler (1912)
Ty Cobb of the Detroit Tigers, circa 1913Credit: Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty
On May 15, 1912, Detroit Tigers center fielder Ty Cobb played against the New York Highlanders (who later became the New York Yankees) in their hometown. During the four-game series, the Tigers’ star was heckled by New York fan Claude Lucker.
Throughout the match, the two exchanged insults. At one point, Cobb didn't return to the dugout to avoid Lucker, who was sitting near third base.
However, in the fourth inning, as Cobb prepared to bat, the comments began again, and this time, he raced into the stands, knocking Lucker over and repeatedly kicking him, according to The New York Times. Lucker, who lost eight fingers in an industrial accident, was unable to defend himself.
Other Detroit Tigers players prevented fans from intervening, and the police and an umpire eventually pulled Cobb away. Cobb was suspended indefinitely by American League president, Ban Johnson. In response, his Tigers teammates threatened to strike in protest, saying, “If the players cannot have protection, we must protect ourselves.”
After an attempt to play with replacement players, Cobb encouraged his teammates to return to action. He was fined $50, suspended for 10 days and back on the field less than two weeks after the incident.
02 of 07
The Chicago Black Sox Scandal (1919)
The Chicago White Sox team in Chicago, Illinois, circa 1919Credit: TPLP/Getty
Heading into the 1919 World Series, the Chicago White Sox were favored to win the championship against the Cincinnati Reds. However, rumors of a fix began to circulate, and suspicions grew when the Sox eventually lost the series amid several questionable plays.
A dark cloud loomed over the White Sox players into the 1920 season until pitcher Eddie Cicotte admitted to his involvement in the scheme, per The Athletic.
According to The New York Times, a grand jury indicted eight of the White Sox players, including Cicotte, Oscar “Happy” Felsch, Arnold “Chick” Gandil, “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, Fred McMullin, Charles “Swede” Risberg, George “Buck” Weaver and Claude “Lefty” Williams.
After a highly publicized trial in 1921, all eight players were acquitted, but they still faced consequences. Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, acting as the first Commissioner of Baseball, placed the players on an ineligible list, effectively banning them from organized professional baseball for life.
03 of 07
Pete Rose Bets on the Reds (1989)
Cincinnati Reds manager Pete Rose holds an impromptu press conference on March 22, 1989Credit: getty
In 1989, former Cincinnati Reds star-turned-manager Pete Rose came under scrutiny when he was accused of placing bets on baseball games, including against his team, per The New York Times.
Newly appointed commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti (father of actor Paul Giamatti) opened an investigation into Rose. According to The New York Times, lawyer John Dowd found credible evidence from testimony, phone records and betting sheets.
Despite his unwavering denials, Rose signed an agreement with Giamatti in August 1989, making him permanently ineligible from baseball.
Years later, in his 2004 book, My Prison Without Bars, Rose admitted that he did, in fact, bet on baseball and the Reds.
“I knew that I broke the letter of the law. But I didn't think that I broke the ‘spirit’ of the law, which was designed to prevent corruption," he wrote. "During the times I gambled as a manager, I never took an unfair advantage. I never bet more or less based on injuries or inside information."
Rose continued, "I never allowed my wagers to influence my baseball decisions. So in my mind, I wasn't corrupt. Granted, it was a thin distinction but it was one that I believed at the time.”
Rose was reinstated by MLB in May 2025, months after his death on Sept. 30 2024. The decision makes the all time hits leader eligible to be elected to the Hall of Fame.
04 of 07
George Steinbrenner Gets Banned (1990)
George Steinbrenner and Dave Winfield on September 6, 1989 in New York CityCredit: getty
Late New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner was one of the most colorful characters in the sport, known for some dubious actions, even involving his own player Dave Winfield.
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The drama started in 1981, when Steinbrenner signed outfielder Winfield to a 10-year, $23 million contract, per The New York Times. But the contract was higher than anticipated, creating friction between the two and devolving into a years-long feud.
Steinbrenner attempted to trade Winfield, and they sued each other over funding for the outfielder’s Winfield Foundation. Their relationship imploded when the Yankees’ owner had two people, including a former IRS criminal investigator, dig up information on Winfield and his foundation, according to the outlet.
The situation resulted in a lifetime ban for Steinbrenner, which was lifted after two years, per the publication.
05 of 07
The Modern Steroids Era (2000s–2013)
Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs and Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals on September 7, 1998 in St. Louis, MissouriCredit: Sporting News via Getty
MLB was still trying to recover from the fallout of the 1994-95 strike, which led to the cancellation of the World Series and a sharp decline in public trust, when Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa finally gave fans something to cheer about again.
The St. Louis Cardinals first baseman and Chicago Cubs right fielder engaged in a thrilling slugfest to break Roger Maris’ long-standing single-season home run record. The nightly battle captivated the nation and helped revive the sport’s popularity.
In 2001, San Francisco Giants star left fielder eclipsed Barry Bonds both McGwire and Sosa with 73 home runs. Those accomplishments later came under scrutiny as allegations of steroid use surfaced.
Two years later, Bonds was linked to the BALCO investigation, per ESPN, which exposed a California-based lab accused of supplying banned substances to elite athletes.
MLB commissioned an independent investigation into steroid use in 2006 and the Mitchell Report was officially released the following year, according to Andscape. It named players alleged to have used performance-enhancing drugs, including Bonds, Roger Clemens and multiple other All-Stars, MVPs and Cy Young Award winners.
McGwire later admitted to The New York Times in 2010 that he used steroids during his career, while Sosa has denied the allegations.
The controversy reemerged in 2013 with the Biogenesis scandal, which exposed a South Florida clinic supplying banned substances to players, per ESPN. The most notable player mentioned was superstar shortstop-turned-third baseman Alex Rodriguez.
ARod was initially suspended for 211 games for using testosterone and HGH and attempting to hide it. The suspension was later cut to 162 games by MLB, marking the longest suspension ever given for drug use in the league.
06 of 07
The Houston Astros Cheating Scandal (2017–2018)
The Houston Astros with the Commissioner's Trophy at Game 7 of the World Series on November 1, 2017 in Los Angeles, CaliforniaCredit: Alex Trautwig/MLB via Getty
The Houston Astros beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2017 to win their first World Series in seven games. However, in 2019, allegations surfaced in The Athletic that the team had used cameras to steal opponents’ signs.
Reports stated that the Astros tasked scouts with watching the catchers’ signals and relaying the decoded signs to players by banging trash cans to signal the upcoming pitch.
An MLB investigation confirmed that the sign-stealing scheme was carried out through the 2017 regular season and postseason, and part of 2018, according to The New York Times.
Bench coach Alex Cora and player Carlos Beltrán, who by then had been hired as managers by the Boston Red Sox and New York Mets, respectively, were both terminated. (Cora was later rehired by the Red Sox.)
Manager A. J. Hinch was not involved, but he and general manager Jeff Luhnow were suspended for one year by MLB and subsequently fired by Astros owner Jim Crane.
07 of 07
Shohei Ohtani and His Interpreter's Financial Scandal (2024)
Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers with his interpreter Ippei Mizuhara on February 27, 2024 in Glendale, ArizonaCredit: Christian Petersen/Getty
Los Angeles Dodgers’ superstar two-way player, Ohtani, found himself at the center of controversy in 2024.
That March, as the MLB season was set to begin, news broke that Ohtani’s longtime interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, siphoned millions of dollars from the multiple-time MVP’s account to gamble.
Initially, Ohtani's camp and Mizuhara explained to ESPN that the Japanese star transferred $4.5 million to clear Mizuhara’s gambling debt. Mizuhara also denied that Ohtani participated in gambling activities.
But within 24 hours, Ohtani claimed he was the victim of theft and would turn the matter over to the authorities.
“To summarize how I'm feeling right now, I'm beyond shocked. It's really hard to verbalize how I'm feeling at this point,” Ohtani said through his interim translator Will Ireton, per CBS Sports. “The season's going to start and I'm going to obviously let my lawyers handle matters from here out. I am completely assisting in all investigations taking place right now.”
In February 2025, Mizuhara pleaded guilty to bank fraud and tax fraud and was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for illegally transferring nearly $17 million from Ohtani’s bank account. He was also ordered to pay restitution to Ohtani and the IRS. Ohtani has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
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Source: “AOL Sports”
