Ohio bettor banned for threats against Blue Jays manager in World Series rant

An Ohio sports bettor has been placed on the state's involuntary exclusion list for allegedly threatening to assault Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider on live television. The Ohio Casino Control Commission voted on October 21 to bar Blake Morgan of Thornville from the legal gambling market. The action stems from a 14-minute phone call to Major League Baseball during last year's World Series, where Morgan allegedly accused Schneider of match-fixing and made violent threats. MLB investigators traced the call to Morgan and banned him from its stadiums and events two days later.

According to regulatory testimony, the incident began during Game 4 of the 2025 World Series when Schneider decided to pitch to Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani. Morgan, who was reportedly enraged by the decision, called MLB and accused the manager of deliberately misleading gamblers who had bet thousands of dollars on Ohtani's walk totals. "That was a gambling grab. This game is not legit," he complained during the call, suggesting Schneider and his family may have profited from the betting action. There is no evidence to support the allegations of match-fixing.

"Do I need to go to the game and on live TV and you know knock the dude’s f, in’ head off right now on live TV so everyone can see that?"

The caller also threatened to attend a subsequent World Series game to assault Schneider in front of millions of viewers. He claimed to possess the manager's home address and personal information, warning that members of the public would take matters into their own hands unless MLB intervened. Morgan initially acknowledged making the call and admitted he was angry about Schneider's comments, but insisted he had no intention of actually traveling to Toronto or Los Angeles to confront him. He later changed his story, claiming somebody visiting his home had used his phone.

Morgan requested a hearing before Ohio regulators but failed to appear in June. It remains unclear whether he faces any criminal charges. MLB security chief David Thomas told Ohio regulators that threats against players, coaches and their families have surged since states began legalizing sports betting in 2018. In September, six major sports leagues urged gambling regulators to take tougher action against abusive bettors. Ohio became the first state to introduce specific regulatory powers targeting threatening bettors in 2023. The commission's vote to place Morgan on the Sports Gaming Involuntary Exclusion List effectively shuts him out of the state's legal gambling market. The decision followed a complaint from MLB, which had already taken action against Morgan for his alleged behaviour.