MLB: Patches, betting taking game in ominous direction

Within the span of 48 hours, two very interesting MLB deals show that the line between sponsor dollars and the actual game of baseball is perhaps blurring more than ever before.

MLB is walking a dangerously thin line between advertising, betting, and the actual game of baseball.

On Tuesday, the San Diego Padres announced the first-ever jersey patch sponsorship for the 2023 season. Motorola will adorn the sleeve of the Padres jerseys in a move that is the first, but certainly won’t be the last for MLB teams.

The discussion of patches on MLB jerseys has been a topic of conversation for some time now, so the move by the Padres is certainly not surprising. However, the 4-inch-by-4-inch patch is certainly noticeable, something that Motorola paid handsomely to have noticed. The size was determined by MLB and will be placed on the right or left sleeve of the jersey for any team accepting sponsor dollars. All sponsored jersey deals involving the patch last for at least one year.

Interestingly, patches can not be sponsored by any companies affiliated with alcohol, media brands, or betting. More on that in a moment.

While patches are in place for next season already, there is plenty of reason to think that sponsored helmet decals could well be in place by this postseason as well. Yes, the doors to the days of jerseys and helmets that are free of any ad dollars associated with them are closing quickly.

Back to the betting, however, where Charlie Blackmon of the Colorado Rockies made news on Wednesday morning, signing the first-ever deal between an active baseball player and a sports betting brand. According to the release, Blackmon is the first “active professional athlete ambassador” hired by the betting company and will appear in upcoming social media and marketing campaigns.

There’s no question that the bearded Blackmon, with the nickname of “Chuck Nazty,” has become one of the most recognized players in MLB today. There’s also plenty of reason to understand why new betting account holders are promised “swag” for signing up now that he’s on board with the betting company. However, where does the line start to blur between the product on the field and all of the money funneling in that is surrounding the game and its players more and more as the days go along?

As my colleague Dave Hill has pointed out, MLB’s hypocrisy with the growing ways betting is a part of the game today while still attaching a black mark to the names of Pete Rose, Shoeless Joe Jackson, and Eddie Cicotte is head-shaking. Go to the park and place a wager. Look at the player who is part of a betting campaign. See the ad behind home plate involving wagering. Watch the ads on the big screen inside the stadium before the game discussing that day’s betting odds.

Is all of that different than the bets Pete Rose placed during his time in the dugout with the Cincinnati Reds? Absolutely. However, don’t say that gambling is the perceived cardinal sin that it was in those years when you’re opening up betting windows inside stadiums now.

Baseball purists scream about the ways that the game is being changed by pitch clocks, robo umps, and bigger bases, but the current MLB money grab is transfiguring baseball just as much as anything on the field.

This certainly isn’t your grandpa’s game any longer. You can bet on that.