As MLB commissioner Rob Manfred draws more and more criticism for how he’s handled the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban says he’s glad he’s not tied to major league baseball.
As MLB commissioner Rob Manfred draws more and more criticism for how he’s handled the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban says he’s glad he’s not tied to major league baseball.
Manfred offered Astros players immunity during the investigation process, let the Astros keep their World Series title and seemingly had more sympathy for the cheating Astros players than the players who were cheated. Manfred’s comments to ESPN about the decision to let the Astros keep their title didn’t help matters either.
In that sit-down interview with Karl Ravech, Manfred called the World Series title just a “piece of metal.” MLB players didn’t take kindly to Manfred minimizing a championship to a literal trophy, and on Monday, the Dodgers’ Justin Turner took a major shot at Manfred.
Speaking to The Athletic, Turner was especially upset that Manfred considered the game’s ultimate prize — something players work their entire careers for — as simply a piece of metal. Turner went at Manfred in his response:
“The only thing devaluing it right now is the fact that it says ‘Commissioner’ on it. It’s just unbelievable. Is he that out of touch with our game, that those are his comments? … Does he not know what we put into these seasons? Does he not know how much work we dedicate to winning that piece of metal? Does he not know what it means to fan bases and cities? Does he not know what it means to little kids in that city, trying to inspire those kids to want to be baseball players?
“Clearly, he doesn’t. He talks about it. He says, ‘Oh, yeah, we want to get the youth involved! We want to inspire the youth!’ But now you’re essentially condoning these guys for cheating. And saying, ‘There’s no precedent’? There’s no precedent because no one’s ever done it before. He just set a soft precedent for how to handle this situation.”
Yeah, don’t make Justin Turner angry. What a burn.
Manfred’s entire handling of the situation has been an abject failure, but unless the owners step in to make a change, baseball will be stuck with his embarrassing leadership for the foreseeable future.
Rob Manfred thinks the World Series trophy is just a “piece of metal.”
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That’s not exactly a hot take, because many people hit me up on social media after to let me know they agreed and that they loved me (not all of that is true).
And then on Sunday #FireManfred trended on Twitter for many, many hours. I wish I could say that was because of my post from a few days ago but I can’t take credit for that. Nope, all that credit goes to Mr. Manfred for being so utterly terrible at his job.
Manfred also said any pitchers that throw at the Astros (which will be a lot, I assume) will be punished very strictly for doing so. Don’t you dare throw at those protected cheaters, you honest pitchers!
But here was the kicker, the ol’ spit in the face of all the fans out there who love baseball. Manfred called the World Series trophy just a “piece of metal” and MLB didn’t need to get it back from the Astros for their tainted 2017 World Series title.
“The idea of an asterisk or asking for a piece of metal back seems like a futile act. People will always know that something was different about the 2017 season, and whether we made that decision right or wrong, we undertook a thorough investigation, and had the intestinal fortitude to share the results of that investigation, even when those results were not very pretty.”
I mean, ew, right?
Not cool, Mr. Commissoner!
You think taking back a trophy that a team proudly displays is futile? You don’t think there could be some embarrassing way you could go to Houston and strip them of their trophy? I mean, this could be turned in to a fun (I know fun isn’t a word often used in MLB headquarters) and therapeutic way to handle the situation. Embarrass the heck out of the Astros by taking their trophy! Broadcast the removal of said trophy! Have some fun with it! Send an embarrassing message to the rest of the league!
But instead you call the idea of taking back the trophy futile? This trophy that teams fight all season for? This trophy that players kiss after they battle their whole lives to try to win? This trophy that is proudly paraded through a city after a World Series win?
And instead of going after that “piece of metal” you’ll punish players who take things into their own hands because you’re afraid to do anything?
That’s weak and all fans should be grossed out by you.
#FireManfred feels like it’s gonna be around a while.
As it should be.
Sunday’s biggest winner: Dr. Dre’s tribute to Kobe Bryant.
(AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Dr. Dre released a really touching tribute video to Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gigi before Sunday’s All-Star Game and, man, is it absolutely beautiful. You need to go watch this right now.
The same could be said for most stages of the scandal: the investigation, the punishment, the apologies. The cheating itself, however, seemed to be quite successful. But Manfred struggled to get conclusive evidence on some of the suggested methods of sign-stealing. For example, Manfred reiterated that there was no evidence that Astros players were using a buzzer under their jerseys to aid in their sign-stealing scheme.
As the interview came to a close, Manfred said he would “work with the Astros to help them put this behind them.”
To a degree, he’s trying to show he’s taking an interest in moving on from this scandal. And why wouldn’t he? His office’s handling of the situation has been, to steal his words, not successful. But his comments also come off as disingenuous, as if he’s trying to put the scandal behind the Astros in an effort to cover up the scale of the cheating, because that magnitude makes Manfred look awfully bad.
MLB fans on Twitter did not seem reassured by Manfred’s comments on Sunday. To the contrary.
Rob Manfred on ESPN just said he will send a memorandum to all teams discouraging retaliation against the Astros. He cited that throwing at Astros hitters is inappropriate, and increased punishments will be in play.
As opposed to ZERO punishment for the players who cheated.
Rob Manfred to ESPN about the buzzers: "The piece that no one appreciates is that we found no evidence — not a single witness — who could corroborate that there were buzzers being used during the 2019 season or that they were doing anything during the 2019 season."
Rob Manfred was unimpressive in today's ESPN interview. He said he'd "work with the Astros to help them put this behind them." Why do the Astros get help from the commissioner? Why should this be put behind them?
The last question in the interview says everything. In today's world of judgment by public opinion, @MLB will be punished for their handling of the cheating. Spin it anyway you want Manfred. You had a chance to be a leader and you chose not to. Too bad. https://t.co/ubrQJRb41T
Manfred will survive this. The Astros will, too. And no one will be happy — not even the Astros, who apparently don’t feel a great deal of remorse for their actions.
How is Rob Manfred still the commissioner of Major League Baseball?
How hasn’t someone stormed into his office on Park Avenue in New York City and dragged him down to the front door and booted him out onto the sidewalk?
How is he still allowed to bring down the great game of baseball like this in broad daylight?
Because that’s exactly what he’s doing.
First. we had the cowardly Houston Astros get busted for cheating well after they won a World Series title because of it. Manfred suspended the team’s manager and general manager – two guys who really didn’t have much to do with it – over the scandal. They were then quickly fired by the Astros.
Manfred, of course, did not punish any of the players who helped power the elaborate sign-stealing setup, a scheme that damaged the reputation of the league and cost many opposing players some career-defining moments. I mean, why would you suspend star players when you can just punish their bosses?
Total gutless move by Manfred there.
Then a few days ago ESPN released details of possible new playoff formats that would have 14(!) teams make the postseason and could include teams picking who they want to play in the playoffs, which is just bananas.
Then on Wednesday the league made a new rule official that is “designed” to speed up the game but will instead just like hurt the game – the three-batter minimum rule. That means a starting pitcher or relief pitcher must face a minimum of three batters or until the offensive team is put out, which is ridiculous.
Manfred, who took over as commissioner in 2015, has long slid under the radar among the other commissioners of the big four sports, partly because he has helped make baseball less popular over the years. But now the focus is starting to zero in on him and the heat is being turned up.
Manfred is now the man in charge of baseball and right now he’s doing a terrible job at it. The faster MLB can move on from this guy the better, because right now is a pretty darn rough time for the sport and Manfred doesn’t seem like the guy who can turn things around.
Which is a shame because the game deserves better.
Wednesday’s biggest winner: Jameis Winston.
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
The QB is apparently doing everything necessary to make himself and even more attractive option when free agency begins because he went out and got LASIK eye surgery to correct his vision. This led to many obvious jokes from fans, but still, good for Winston. And good for all these funny jokes.
Quick hits: Inside Nike’s SNKRS app… Jimmie Johnson feeling like a unicorn… TNT’s disrespectful All-Star tweet… And more!
– My pal and colleague, Mike Sykes, wrote about the battles he and other sneakerheads have faced on Nike’s SNKRS app and it’s a really good read, even if you aren’t a sneakerhead.
Pete Rose is asking MLB commissioner Rob Manfred for another chance.
Pete Rose is asking MLB commissioner Rob Manfred for another chance.
USA Today Sports is reporting that Rose and his representation sent a 19-page letter to Manfred on Wednesday, asking for his name to be removed from MLB’s ineligible list. He was banned for life from baseball in 1989 for betting on games while managing the Cincinnati Reds.
Rose’s argument points to the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal and Manfred’s hesitance to punish active players for their participation in a scheme that almost certainly changed the outcome of games.
Here’s an excerpt of the letter sent to Manfred from Rose’s representation:
“However, in recent years, intentional and covert acts by current and past owners, managers, coaches, and players altered the outcomes of numerous games, including the World Series, and illegally enhanced both team and player performance. It has never been suggested, let alone established, that any of Mr. Rose’s actions influenced the outcome of any game or the performance of any player. Yet for the thirty-first year and counting, he continues to suffer a punishment vastly disproportionate to those who have done just that.”
Rose petitioned Manfred to be reinstated in 2015 but was denied. If Rose were to be reinstated, he would be eligible for consideration for the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced that Houston general manager Jeff Luhnow and manager AJ Hinch were each suspended without pay for the 2020 season.
Major League Baseball came down hard on the Astros for sign-stealing during the team’s 2017 World Series season. Then, owner Jim Crane further dropped the hammer.
Monday, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced that Houston general manager Jeff Luhnow and manager AJ Hinch were each suspended without pay for the 2020 season. Crane announced later that he has dismissed both men from their positions with his ball club. Joe Espada has been named the interim manager in Houston for 2020.
MLB’s punishment includes the Astros having to forfeit their first- and second-round draft picks in both the 2020 and 2021 drafts and MLB also fined the team $5 million, which is the maximum fine allowed.
Additionally, former Assistant GM Brandon Taubman, who was dismissed by the Astros following insensitive commentary targeted at female reporters, has been suspended one year. Taubman is not currently working for a team and is not eligible to do so during that time. His suspension is effective immediately.
MLB investigated the club after a report by The Athletic detailed the way it used a camera positioned in the outfield to detect signs. Players in a room with a monitor showing the video would relay signs to batters by banging on a trash can.
The results of the investigation reveal that the efforts were primarily player-driven, but that former bench coach and current Red Sox manager Alex Cora was involved in the setup. The investigation followed a detailed report by The Athletic on the cheating. MLB is currently still investigating the red sox after a similar report by the same outlet.
Discipline for Cora is reportedly coming and, “will be harsh,” according to ESPN.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced that Houston general manager Jeff Luhnow and manager AJ Hinch were each suspended without pay for the 2020 season.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced that Houston general manager Jeff Luhnow and manager AJ Hinch were each suspended without pay for the 2020 season.
