The Ninth Inning Gamble

Sometimes the game needs to save its players from themselves.

Author

john boxley
November 11, 2025

In partnership with

The Short Hop

🧢 Short Hop

The Ninth Inning Gamble

Over the weekend, news broke that Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz had been indicted in a sports-betting scheme — accused of tipping off bettors by manipulating pitches. They’re now facing federal charges for fraud, conspiracy, and bribery.

If convicted, they are facing up to 65 years in prison.

It’s safe to say Clase and Ortiz have thrown their last pitches in Major League Baseball.

At first glance, it’s easy to roll your eyes — How stupid can you be?
You’ve got the dream job, the money, the fame… and you throw it all away?

But the more you think about it, the less simple it gets.

For many, gambling isn’t just a bad decision — it’s an addiction. Every bit as destructive as drugs or alcohol. Clase wasn’t some fringe guy scraping by; he was one of the game’s elite closers, making $5 million this season with a huge payday ahead.

He and Ortiz were reportedly paid $12,000 each from the pitch-rigging scheme. Twelve grand.

We saw something similar in the NBA recently — Terry Rozier allegedly received $100,000 for providing inside info in a betting ring. Rozier was making $25 million a year. Crazy, right?

Addiction doesn’t care about ERA, contracts, or logic. It’s the quiet monster that whispers, just one more bet.

Clase didn’t just gamble on baseball — he gambled on his life. And like most who bet on the game, he lost more than money.

Meanwhile, as all this unfolded, MLB and its sportsbook partners have announced a new rule: a $200 limit on micro-bets (individual pitches) and a ban on including them in parlays — an attempt to curb pitch-fixing schemes before they spread.

Guys don’t torch million-dollar careers for pocket change because they’re dumb — they do it because they’re hooked. The bet’s not about money anymore; it’s about the hit.

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John Boxley
High N Tight

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