Baltimore Orioles Betting Scandal Led to Firing of Scout
A Baltimore Orioles betting scandal has emerged nearly a year after an NBA referee Tim Donaghy was alleged to have engage in "game fixing" to fuel his own gambling habit.
Alan Marr, whose position was just under that of amateur scouting director Joe Jordan, had been with the Orioles since 2004. He was fired late last month as a result of his alleged affiliation with an illegal gambling operation, several baseball sources told the Baltimore Sun.
Major League Baseball officials spoke with the Orioles about Marr's alleged involvement in the ring, and the club decided to fire him, two baseball sources told The Sun last night. The Orioles acted after seeking legal advice on how to proceed, one of the sources said.
Orioles owner Peter Angelos declined to comment last night, referring inquiries to president Andy MacPhail. "I can confirm for you he is no longer in our employ," MacPhail said.
The Sun first reported Marr's termination on July 5, and on Friday SI.com, citing anonymous sources, reported that Marr's name had surfaced from Major League Baseball's investigative unit in conjunction with a federal probe into illegal gambling.
Unlike Donaghy, Marr was not likely in a position where he could influence the outcome of games. Donaghy was alleged to have placed tens of thousands of dollars in bets on games during the 2005-06 NBA season and 2006-07 NBA season and had been approached by lower level mob associates to work on a gambling scheme.
A series of gambling scandals have also plagued other professional sports worldwide including tennis and soccer in recent months.
It was not immediately known the extent of Marr's gambling habit.
As for the Oriole Suns, they were listed with 100 to 1 odds of winning the 2008 World Series at the online gambling website BetOnline.com. Ain't gonna happen.
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Dan Shapiro, Gambling911.com
Originally published July 12, 2008 10:57 am EST
