As the MLB announced this week, Padres infielder, Tucupita Marcano was banned for life after being found to have bet on his own team. Then four other players were handed one-year suspensions, and among those was Oakland A's relief pitcher Michael Kelly.
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When looking at the culprits, Marcano placed 387 baseball bets to total more than $150,000, and he was the first active MLB player to be banned since New York Giants player Jimmy O'Connell (1923-24). Pete Rose, who is the all-time MLB hits leader (4,256), also agreed to a lifetime ban after his playing career was already over in 1989.
(1923) Jimmy O'Connell
On the other hand, Kelly was a lot more frugal with his gambling, as he reportedly had bet on nine MLB games (October 5-17, 2021) for a total of $99.22 (net winnings of $28.30). Considering this, Kelly didn't seem to get his full money's worth, as now he has to give up his yearly salary of $740,000 since being suspended.
Michael Kelly Really Got A 1 Year Suspension For A $30 Win #Relentless https://t.co/ipRI8085K7 pic.twitter.com/llUUwETjoC
— Astros Muse (@MuseAstros) June 4, 2024
Kelly at the time of placing the bets was a Minor League player for the Houston Astros Triple-A affiliate, Sugar Land Space Cowboys. That is to say, three of the nine games he bet on included the Astros. In view of the specifics of his rinky-dink wagers, they consisted of betting on who won or lost, over/under on runs scored, and pitcher strikeout totals.
Kelly will have to wait another year before taking the mound again. In 28 game appearances this season, the 31-year-old had a 3-2 record with a 2.59 ERA and 1.18 WHIP.
