"They brought some of the mob members in" - Red Sox icon Jonathan Papelbon reveals MLB's extreme anti-gambling tactics

The controversy over gambling and betting on sports is a hot topic right now, especially after Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter Ippei Mizuhara’s case was exposed. On a recent episode of Rob Bradford's "Baseball Isn't Boring" podcast, Jonathan Papelbon, the former Red Sox closer, shared some interesting information about how the MLB tackles gambling.

According to Papelbon, the MLB has adopted aggressive anti-gambling tactics. They have sometimes brought in former FBI informants with ties to the mob to warn players about the consequences of gambling.

"They brought some of the mob members in. Gambling is such a big deal. They've brought former FBI informants with the mob with gambling rings in the mob to come talk in spring training about, 'Don't get sucked into gambling. Stay clean. Don't get into that world because, once you get into it, you're done.'

"That's how serious this is, man. We're trying to keep the game clean. Once the game gets infiltrated, it's done," said Jonathan Papelbon during the podcast.

While such extreme measures can seem excessive, they show the league's determination to defend the integrity of America's pastime. MLB has long been plagued by the Black Sox Scandal of 1919, in which Chicago White Sox players were suspected of throwing the World Series in return for money from gamblers.

Another infamous case of gambling in the past was of Pete Rose. In 1989 he was given a lifetime ban for betting on games while managing the Cincinnati Reds. These incidents serve as a harsh reminder of the risks of gambling in matches.

The league has a zero-tolerance policy on gambling. It goes to great lengths to educate players and officials about the risks. Papelbon's comments indicate that the MLB is ready to use unorthodox methods to convert its point, even if it means inducing fear of harm from criminal elements.

Papelbon’s response when asked if players are approached for match-fixing

Jonathan Papelbon, the former player of the Red Sox, when asked if players are approached for match-fixing by potential better responded that it happens all the time.

"Yes, 1000 percent, especially young guys and especially guys that are in my position like a closer who can really affect a game. I could've affected every game that I played in. Literally. To the amount of we can still win, but I can let another run score, cover, be OK, nobody would ever know, to that extent.

"As a player, I don't think it happens as much as you think that they get approached, but they do. It does happen to players," said Papelbon during a podcast.

Jonathan Papelbon, who is 43 years old now, has played for the Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, and Washington Nationals for 12 seasons and has won the World Series Title once.

The MLB is in the middle of a gambling controversy just as the season has started. Only time will tell what more details regarding the Ippei Mizuhara controversy are about to come.