Pat Hoberg
Patrick Hoberg
- Height 6' 1", Weight 208 lb.
- School Grand View University
- High School Urbandale High School
- Born September 11, 1986 in Des Moines, IA USA
Biographical Information[edit]
Pat Hoberg umpired his first major league game at the start of the 2014 season. He was still officially a member of the Pacific Coast League umpires' roster at the time, but has been working almost full-time in the majors since making his debut. In 2017, he was one of four umpires added to the full-time major league staff.
He attended the Jim Evans Academy of Professional Umpiring in 2009 and began his professional career in the Arizona League that season. He later worked games in the Appalachian League, Florida State League and Texas League before earning a promotion to the PCL. In a high-profile assignment, he worked the 2013 Futures Game.
As one of the few major league umpires from Iowa, he was selected to be the home plate umpire for the "Field of Dreams Game", the first major league game to be played in Iowa, on August 12, 2021. As the home plate umpire in Game 2 of the 2022 World Series, he received a perfect grade on judging balls and strikes - not missing a single call! He had been the highest rated umpire in terms of such calls during the regular season, so his performance was not really a surprise. He worked the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
He failed to work any games in 2024, and the league did not offer any explanation as to why he was missing from its roster, until the media broke a story in June that he had been disciplined for violating MLB's policy on gambling and was appealing the sanctions. While MLB stated that Hoberg had not bet on any games that he worked, it had launched an investigation during spring training that year due to alleged violations of its sports betting policies and determined that discipline was warranted. Hoberg immediately appealed, and both sides refused to comment further on the allegations. The news broke out shortly after MLB had announced a lifetime suspension of IF Tucupita Marcano for violation of its policies on gambling, albeit allegedly more serious ones. Hoberg did not return to work that season.
Further Reading[edit]
- Gabe Lacques: "MLB disciplines top-rated umpire Pat Hoberg for violating gambling policy; Hoberg appealing", USA Today, June 14, 2024. [1]
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