Pirates fans react to Tucupita Marcano's lifetime ban
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A former Pittsburgh Pirate is banned from baseball for life.
Tucupita Marcano was banned on Tuesday for violating the league's gambling policy by Major League Baseball.
Fans KDKA-TV spoke with said Major League Baseball made the right call here. They feel when players gamble on games, they could influence the outcome.
According to MLB, Marcano placed 387 baseball bets of which 231 included MLB bets.
"If you bet on baseball, you're probably going to get banned for life, so he knew the consequences," Pirates fan Brian Sweeney said.
Marcano allegedly bet more than $150,000 on baseball. Of his bets, 25 were found to be on Pirates games while he was on the roster. However, he did not appear in any games he gambled on.
"It's a shame that the players get wrapped up in that. They lose their whole career. These kids get a chance, and they should really think about it. It's too bad," Dodgers fan Randy Strouse said.
While the ban may seem harsh, fans are behind it. They feel if players wager on games, it could cause the outcomes to be questioned. Players may throw a game or fix it to hit a desired bet.
"It's too easy to affect the outcome of the game. If they are caught gambling on baseball, they should be gone," Pirates fan Curtis Smith said.
Marcano played for the Pirates for the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He was with the San Diego Padres organization this year.
In a statement the Pirates said,
"We are extremely disappointed of Tucupita's actions and are fully supportive of Major League Baseball's ruling. The Pirates, along with MLB, Players Association, and every Club, work to ensure all involved within our game are aware of the rules and policies around gambling."
Marcano lost his parlay bets involving the Pirates and reportedly is the first active player banned from the game for betting since 1924.
"You can't play around with the integrity of the game," Sweeney said.