10 Most Shocking Scandals the MLB wants you to forget
The MLB is not immune from the occasional scandal. Baseball is a game that goes back over a century, and there is a code of conduct. That is why, when someone breaks the code, it is heavily scrutinized within the baseball community.
Players and managers know the difference between right and wrong. Unfortunately, there have been countless cases over the years of teams and individuals trying to gain an unfair advantage. Here is a look at 10 of the most shocking scandals in the history of baseball.
#10 - George Brett and the pine tar bat
One of the most controversial moments in baseball took place on July 24, 1983. The incident involved two of baseball's greatest personalities in the Kansas City Royals' George Brett and New York Yankees manager Billy Martin.
The Royals trailed 3-4 in the top of the ninth with a man on base when Brett stepped up to the plate. In a tense affair, Brett rocketed a shot to right field. That gave the Royals a 5-4 lead, but the drama was just starting.
Martin approached the umpires and asked them to check Brett's bat. The rule involving pine tar stated that no bat could be covered in a substance more than 18 inches from the handle. The umpires called Brett out for an illegal bat, and the infielder snapped. Brett's reaction solidified this moment as one of the most memorable in the MLB. He charged the umpires and had to be held back.
The game ended with the Royals disputing the result and the league ruling in favor of the Royals. The Yankees had lawsuits filed against them when they tried to charge fans for the resumed game. The game eventually resumed 25 days after the incident, and the Royals went on the win 5-4.
#9 - Pirates' drug scandal
The Pirates' drug scandal exposed the level of cocaine use that was going on in MLB during the 1980s. Several players from the Pittsburgh Pirates and other major league teams were called upon to testify in front of a Pittsburgh grand jury in 1985. National League MVPs Keith Hernandez, Dave Parker and seven-time All-Star Tim Raines were three of the most high-profile players involved.
Eleven of the players involved were suspended, but the league made sure immunity agreements prevented players from criminal charges. The players' testimonies, though, painted a picture of how frequently cocaine was used during that era.
#8 - Albert Belle's corked bat
The corked bat scandal involving Albert Belle had it all. Corking the bat to gain an unfair advantage is nothing new in baseball. In this case, what followed was the real scandal.
In 1994, Albert Belle was a terror on the field. That season, he hit 36 home runs and 101 RBIs. The season before that, he had 38 home runs and 129 RBIs. The right-handed power hitter was absolutely crushing the ball.
July 15, 1994 was the day it all went wrong for Belle. Chicago White Sox manager Gene Lamont had Belle's bat confiscated for the umpires to inspect.
Indians relief pitcher Jason Grimsley snuck into the back room in an attempt to switch the bat. The umpires saw a shiny new bat and realized something was amiss. The FBI and police were called in, and the league demanded that the Indians hand over the original bat. Surprise, surprise, the bat was indeed corked.
#7 - Infamous MLB Player Strike of 1994
The idea of players walking out in 1994 was almost unfathomable to baseball fans everywhere. No one believed the players would strike, at least not in the middle of the season. It was the first time since 1904 that a World Series was not played. The stoppage lasted from August 12, 1994 all the way to April 2, 1995.
Once again, disputes over the salary and wage structure between the players and owners were to blame. Baseball took a big hit, and many fans turned against the league.
#6 - MLB's Biogenesis investigation
The MLB was forced to suspend some of baseball's biggest stars in 2013. As many as 20 players were implicated for using performance-enhancing drugs provided by a biogenesis clinic in Florida.
This was no small-time scandal. One of the players involved was New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez, who, at the time, was the highest-paid player in baseball. Rodriguez had previously denied using performance-enhancing drugs on live television. He eventually confessed to using PEDs during his career. Rodriguez was eventually suspended for 162 games, which was the entire 2014 season.
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun was one of the other big-name casualties of the scandal. He was banned for 65 games, and his reputation never fully recovered.
#5 - Pete Rose banned for betting
Pete Rose is considered by many to be one of the greatest hitters in the history of the MLB. That may have been what made his fall from fame that much greater. In 1989, Rose was banned from baseball for betting on games. Rose broke the cardinal rule: Players don't bet on games.
The Dowd Report, prepared by lawyer John Dowd, gave a detailed breakdown of Rose's gambling habits. MLB commissioner Bart Giamatti had no choice.
Pete Rose is still the alltime hits leader with 4,256 total hits. He also holds the record for most career singles (3,215), most games played (3,562), and most at-bats (14,053).
#4 - Owner collusion in the 80s
The scandal from the mid-eighties involved players and owners going head to head. Commissioner Peter Ueberroth was at the center of the controversy based on a meeting held between owners in March 1984. The gist of it was that owners would work together to avoid bidding wars for free agent players. This would limit players' salaries and put owners in a better negotiating position.
The strategy affected several big-name players and limited the movement around the league between 1985-1987. Eventually, a ruling in 1990 determined that owners were to pay $280 million to players. The scandal left a bad taste among players and owners alike.
#3 - Steroid Use era
MLB fans were shocked to see the number of home runs and runs shoot up across the league during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Several players were now breaking the 50, 60, and even 70-home run mark with ease. It wasn't difficult for the casual observer to notice something strange was going on.
Steroid use was rampant during the 1990s and 2000s in the MLB. The game had completely changed. Before 1998, no player had broken the single-season home run record of 61 set by Roger Maris in 1961. In 1998, both Mark McGwire (70) and Sammy Sosa (66) surpassed that number without breaking a sweat. Barry Bonds hit 73 in 2001.
George Mitchell's report in 2007 implicated a long-list of players, including Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens. The cat was out of the bag. Baseball took years to recover from the scandal and regain the trust of loyal fans.
#2 - Houston Astros' cheating scandal
The 2017 Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal is still fresh in the memory of most MLB fans. Players suspected there was some form of cheating going on but were unable to prove it. Ken Rosental and Evan Drellich of The Athletic were the first to break the story in an article released in November 2019.
The Astros employed a system that used cameras in the outfield to steal signs. The Astros staff would relay that information back to the dugout, and players would inform the batter of which pitch was coming. One way to transmit the information was to bang on trash cans.
Once the scandal was out in the open, MLB did very little to discourage this behavior. The Astros manager and field manager were suspended for the 2020 season. Meanwhile, the players were given a slap on the wrist.
#1 - Chicago Black Sox scandal
The MLB still cannot shake off the dreaded Chicago Black Sox scandal that occurred all the way back in 1919. In one of the most anticipated World Series in years, the Chicago White Sox were the clear favorites to win the title. After the White Sox went on to lose the series 5-3 to the Cincinnati Reds, rumors started to emerge of a fix.
Eight White Sox players were accused of throwing the game. The players were promised a financial sum through a gambling syndicate led by Arnold Rothstein. The scandal questioned the integrity of the game and threw the future of baseball into doubt. A new MLB commissioner was appointed, and eight players were permanently banned from baseball.
The White Sox organization has still not fully recovered from the scandal. Since 1919, they have won just one World Series in 2005.