MLBPA Puts MLB In No-Win Situation Over Prop Bets
MLBPA Puts MLB In No-Win Situation Over Prop Bets
Online harassment from prop bettors has reached a boiling point for players.Jimmy Traina|
1. If you are a sports bettor, you will want to keep your eye on a story broken by ESPN’s Jeff Passan and David Purdum on Thursday.
The Major League Baseball Players Association has reportedly proposed on player prop bets in response to the online harassment players face from gamblers who lose money.
It will be fascinating to see how MLB responds to the union’s request.
The players only want prop bets banned. Under the proposal, betting companies could still offer plays on sides and totals, so this wouldn’t affect the millions and millions of dollars that the league and teams make off of Draft Kings, FanDuel and others advertising in stadium and on television.
An MLB official told ESPN that the league would respond to the union's proposal during negotiations.
If the players are going to the league to say that the harassment they face as a result of individual prop bets has gotten out of control, it will be a terrible look if the league denies the request to ban props.
However, the betting operators make a BOATLOAD of money off of prop bets. Will MLB risk damage to its relationship with betting companies?
The MLBPA has backed MLB in a corner. Everything says MLB should grant the MLBPA’s request and sign off on ending individual prop bets. However, this would lead to a big drop in revenue for MLB’s gambling partners.
Will the almighty dollar win out or will MLB do right by its players?
2. ESPN announced Thursday that it signed versatile play-by-play voice Dave Pasch to a contract extension. In addition, Pasch’s role at ESPN will now include NFL games. The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand recently reported that Pasch was in the running to be part of the network’s secondary NFL booth. Chris Fowler had that role for the past few years.
3. I don’t know the context behind this conversation, but YES play-by-play voice Michael Kay brought up DMX during Thursday’s Yankees-Red Sox game. The awkwardness was off the charts because Kay clearly didn’t know that DMX died in 2021, but it’s not hard to figure out that a producer must’ve been screaming in his ear to give him the information.
You can hear the moment Michael Kay finds out DMX passed away 5 years ago, this was so awkward😭 pic.twitter.com/1oAhGfuJrW
— joe (@BurdenBurner) June 25, 2026
4. This post from Diamondbacks pitcher Paul Sewald reminded me of the old days of Twitter when athletes would just let things fly.
No you’re right thank you @Cardinals for not moving our game up to this afternoon when we politely asked given the whole world knew it was going to rain tonight. I actually was really hoping we could lose an off day and turn it into a 4 city road trip 👍🏻
— Paul Sewald (@ItsPaulSewald) June 26, 2026
Apparently, Arizona asked St. Louis to move up Thursday’s game because bad weather was expected during the evening. The Cardinals refused. The game got rained out. The Diamondbacks were pissed.
There were many unhappy people in the DBacks clubhouse today. They were in touch with MLB as long as two days ago, given the forecast, and the league was not amenable to moving the start time. https://t.co/83vAI3pwjh
— Jeff Jones (@jmjones) June 26, 20265. This is a fun clip of the Chargers’ Cameron Dicker explaining what a week in the life of an NFL kicker is like during the season.
6. A brand-new episode of SI Media With Jimmy Traina came out Thursday morning. This show features a conversation with The Athletic’s sports media reporter, Andrew Marchand.
Topics discussed include Pat McAfee’s expected monster deal with ESPN; massive ratings increases for sports across the board; the significance of Fox buying Roku; who CBS should pair with Andrew Catalon on the NFL this season; CBS’s hiring of Russell Wilson and Kyle Long for The NFL Today; the breakup between Dan Le Batard and Stugotz; Linda Cohn retiring from ESPN, the lack of buzz surrounding Caitlin Clark and much more.
Following Marchand, Sal Licata from SNY TV and The Sal Licata Show joins me for our weekly “Traina Thoughts” segment. This week, we discuss coming off the high of the Knicks’ postseason run, the World Cup, my horrible U.S. Open betting loss, Fanatics Fest, Larry David’s new show and the massive stir I caused on social media over a Dunkin’ Donuts post.
You can listen to the SI Media With Jimmy Traina podcast below or on Apple and Spotify.
You can also watch SI Media With Jimmy Traina on YouTube.
7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: Happy 52nd birthday to Yankees legend Derek Jeter.
Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify or Google. You can also follow Jimmy on X and Instagram.
Published 1 hour ago | Modified 1 hour agoJIMMY TRAINA
Jimmy Traina is a staff writer and podcast host for Sports Illustrated. A 20-year veteran in the industry, he’s been covering the sports media landscape for seven years and writes a daily column, Traina Thoughts. Traina has hosted the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast since 2018, a show known for interviews with some of the most important and powerful people in sports media. He also was the creator and writer of SI’s Hot Clicks feature from 2007 to '13.
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Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
