Is Baseball Rigged?

A lot of people think baseball is rigged. Here’s a look at some of the evidence that suggests the game might be fixed.

The Steroid Era

The Steroid Era in baseball was a time when many players were taking performance-enhancing drugs in order to gain an advantage over their opponents. Some people argue that this era was unfair because the players who were not taking steroids were at a disadvantage. However, others argue that the Steroid Era was actually good for baseball because it made the game more exciting.

The Mitchell Report

The Mitchell Report is a 2007 report compiled by former US Senator George J. Mitchell that details the use of performance-enhancing substances in Major League Baseball (MLB). In response to public pressure following the BALCO scandal in 2003, then-Commissioner of Baseball Bud Selig appointed Mitchell to investigate the allegations of steroid use in baseball. The report names 89 MLB players who were linked to the use of steroids and human growth hormone between 1988 and 2005.

The Biogenesis scandal

In 2013, a Miami New Times report alleged that Rodriguez and several other Major League Baseball (MLB) players were linked to Biogenesis of America, a now-defunct Coral Gables, Florida anti-aging clinic. The report claimed that the clinic was providing banned performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), including testosterone and human growth hormone, to professional athletes. MLB launched an investigation into the allegations, led by New York attorney Michael J. Garcia. In July 2013, MLB suspended 13 players who were connected to Biogenesis, including Rodriguez, who was given a 211-game suspension—the longest non-lifetime suspension in MLB history—that would have kept him out of Major League Baseball until the end of the 2014 season.

The Home Run Derby

The MLB Home Run Derby is an annual event that takes place during the All-Star break. It is a contest between sluggers to see who can hit the most home runs in a given period of time. The Derby has been around since 1985 and has had some great moments. However, there is a growing belief among fans that the Derby is rigged.

The controversial 1998 Home Run Derby

The 1998 Home Run Derby is one of the most controversial derbies in baseball history. Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire were both vying for the home run title, and both players were using steroids. In the end, Sosa won the derby, but many believe that McGwire would have won if he hadn’t been using steroids.

The 2017 Home Run Derby

Historically, the Home Run Derby has been one of the most popular events of Major League Baseball’s (MLB) All-Star break. The 2017 Home Run Derby was held on July 10, 2017, at Marlins Park in Miami, Florida. The derby featured eight hitters who each took ten swings in an elimination format. The event was won by 23-year-old New York Yankees rookie Aaron Judge, who hit 47 home runs, a new single-derby record.

The 2017 Home Run Derby was the first to use a clock timer instead of the traditional “outs” format. Under the new format, each hitter had five minutes to hit as many home runs as possible. If a batter hit two home runs that totaled more than 440 feet (130 m), he or she would be awarded an extra minute (known as “bonus time”). In addition, each hitter was allowed one “time out” per round that would pause the clock for up to 30 seconds.

During the first round of hitting, three players (Minnesota Twins third baseman Miguel Sanó, Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Cody Bellinger, and Judge) all achieved bonus time due to long home runs. Sanó ultimately won his matchup against Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper with 22 home runs to Harper’s 18. In the second round, Bellinger faced off against San Francisco Giants outfielder Giancarlo Stanton and lost 11–10; both players cleared 500 feet (152 m) on multiple occasions during their matchup. In the semifinals, Sanó defeated Baltimore Orioles shortstop Manny Machado 16–15; both players hit several 500-foot (152 m) homers during their matchup. In the finals, Judge defeated Sanó 23–22 in what some dubbed the best derby ever seen; both players cleared 500 feet (152 m) multiple times during their matchup.

The All-Star Game

The All-Star Game is an exhibition game played by the best players from each league. It is supposed to be a fun, competitive game for the fans to enjoy. However, there is a problem. The game has been rigged for years.

The 2002 All-Star Game

The 2002 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 73rd edition of the annual baseball game played between the All-Stars of the American League (AL) and National League (NL), the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 9, 2002 at Miller Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, home of the Milwaukee Brewers of the NL. The controlling owner of the Brewers at the time, Bud Selig, served as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Major League Baseball and thus hosted the game.

The game resulted in a controversial 7-7 tie after 11 innings when both teams ran out of substitutions. Selig declared that because both teams had used all their pitchers, they would share the win, something that had not happened in an All-Star Game since 1961; this was justified by stating that “It couldn’t happen to a nicer guy”, referring to Selig himself. Immediately after Selig made his announcement, a chorus of boos cascaded throughout Miller Park.

This decision led to widespread criticism—including accusations that Selig had rigged the results to ensure an entertaining game—and changes in MLB’s All-Star Game selection process. For many years afterwards, fans questioned whether or not players gave less than full effort during late innings of tied All-Star Games due to fear of being embarrassed by blowing a lead or being on the losing end of a blowout finish. This issue was revisitied again in 2014 when Derek Jeter’s final All-Star Game ended 3-1 after 10 innings with multiple players expressing their desire for a competitive finish.

The 2017 All-Star Game

The 2017 All-Star Game was the 88th edition of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. The game was hosted by the Miami Marlins and was played at Marlins Park on July 11, 2017. It was televised nationally by Fox. The American League beat the National League 2–1 in 10 innings. Robinson Canó of the Seattle Mariners was named the Most Valuable Player.

The decision to name Miami as the host city was announced on February 10, 2015, by Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred. This was the first time that Marlins Park hosted an All-Star Game; it opened in 2012 and is located in Little Havana, a Cuban-American neighborhood within Miami.

On June 6, balloting for the 2017 All-Star Game starters began online and continued until June 29. Outfielder Bryce Harper was the leading vote-getter with 4,930,865 votes. Shortstop Zack Cozart led all National League vote-getters with 4,089,928 ballots cast. These were first time starters for both players; it marked Cozart’s first trip to an All-Star game as he had only entered MLB play in 2011 while Harper had been to two All-Star Games previously but only as a reserve player. The next day, MLB announced that Manny Machado would replace Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant on the National League roster due to Bryant’s injured left ankle and hip.

The World Series

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Fall weather, leaves changing color, and the sweet sound of a bat hitting a ball. It can only mean one thing: baseball season is in full swing. But is baseball really as fair and balanced as we want to believe?

The 2017 World Series

The 2017 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball’s (MLB) 2017 season. The 112th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion Houston Astros and the National League (NL) champion Los Angeles Dodgers, with the Astros winning in seven games to capture their first World Series championship in franchise history. It was sponsored by hyper-casual games developer and publisher Ketchapp and officially known as the 2017 World Series presented by Ketchapp.

The series was played between October 24 and November 1, 2017. The Astros defeated the New York Yankees in the AL Championship Series (ALCS), while the Dodgers defeated the Chicago Cubs in the NL Championship Series (NLCS). This was their first meeting in a World Series since 1981, when both were in their respective leagues’ West Divisions; that year’s Fall Classic featured George Steinbrenner’s Yankees defeating Frank Robinson’s Dodgers in six games.

Astros shortstop Carlos Correa was named as the World Series Most Valuable Player (MVP) after hitting .320 with three home runs and four RBIs. Game four marked another rarity: it ended with an interference call on game-tying runner Yasiel Puig at third base, just before he could score on a chopper by Enrique Hernández; this is only one of two times interference has been called on a bases-loaded play to end a postseason game, with Bernie Carbo’s off-the-field interference during Game 6 of 1975 World Series being notable for other reasons. Additionally, this series set a new record for most home runs hit in a single postseason, passing 296 from 2002. By total number of home runs including regular season this is also now MLB’s record for most dingers hit between two teams breaking previous mark of 598 set earlier this year by Cubs vs Cardinals.

The 2018 World Series

The 2018 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball’s (MLB) 2018 season. The 114th edition of the World Series, it was played between the American League (AL) champion Boston Red Sox and the National League (NL) champion Los Angeles Dodgers, with the Red Sox winning in five games to earn their ninth title. It was the first time since 1916 that two teams from baseball’s modern era had met in a World Series that went to a Game 7.

Conclusion

In short, no. Baseball is not rigged. There are a number of theories as to why people believe that baseball is rigged, but none of them stand up to close scrutiny. The fact is that baseball is a fair game, and the outcomes of individual games are determined by the players on the field, not by any outside forces.