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You may have noticed in the last six months that I’m not a huge fan of Rob Manfred. However, I have not been alone in those feelings. Not even close. The Major League Baseball commissioner has made so many terrible decisions during that time that he’s made almost everyone wonder how he continues to have his job as baseball boss.
Well, his decision Wednesday to suspend Dodgers pitcher Joe Kelly for eight staggering games for not hitting any hitter now solidifies his status as the worst sports commissioner, which, as I said earlier, says something because Roger Goodell continues to call shooting for the NFL.
Before the world stopped due to the coronavirus, Manfred chose not to punish any of the Houston Astros for their role in the cheating scandal that helped them win the 2017 World Series. That was a complete slap in the face of all the players and fans of the other teams that didn’t cheat, especially those of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who lost to the Astros in seven games.
Defending his decision not to strip the franchise of its title, Manfred called the World Series trophy a “piece of metal” and saw no reason to retrieve it. That sure didn’t sit well with the players, hearing the MLB boss belittle what they fight so hard for each year and have worked their entire lives just for a chance to lift that trophy.
Baseball’s path back to games during a pandemic was also messy, with Manfred and the owners doing their best to paint players in the bad light of being greedy and unwilling to sacrifice enough to play again. the game during The World Pandemic. It was ugly and unpleasant and left a sour taste in many people’s mouths.
Baseball, of course, has returned and is playing, but the safety of the players is still very much in doubt, which falls into the hands of Manfred. The Miami Marlins are currently not playing after a COVID-19 outbreak hit the team last weekend in Philadelphia. Manfred should have suspended the game last Sunday after four players were removed due to positive testing, but instead he sat on his hands and simply let the game be one, which was a stupid and dangerous decision. Manfred later joined the MLB Network to explain MLB’s COVID-19 protocols and surely felt that the commissioner had no idea what he was doing.
Then, a few days later, the Kelly / Astros moment happened in Houston, with the Dodgers reliever shooting three Houston players in one inning. Kelly didn’t hit any player, but she sure tried … and she almost started a fight teasing the Astros as she left the field.
So Kelly got an eight-game ban that she rightly protests. That suspension is the equivalent of a 22-game ban in a regular 162-game season, which is absolutely ridiculous.
The decision was made instantly by all fans who don’t support Houston, as it seemed extremely harsh and completely baffling. If Manfred had any support left from any game fanatic, that support is gone, and with good reason.
Houston cheats to win a World Series and no player is punished. A Dodgers pitcher nearly hit three Astros players and gets eight games in a 60-game season. That right there is the cherry on top of a file of terrible decisions by a man who is obviously only flying blindly right now.
Baseball deserves much better leadership than it is getting now. Players deserve to have much better than a man who has clearly taken more than he can handle. And fans deserve to have someone who does the shooting and who actually still likes the game of baseball.
Because Rob Manfred, as they say, is not.
Wednesday’s biggest winner: Joe Kelly.
Dodgers fans have not been very happy with Kelly since the team brought him on board last year. But all of that changed in that half inning Tuesday night and he’s now a Dodgers legend who also won the hearts of all non-Astros fans. His teammates are talking about making T-shirts with Kelly’s mean face, he was the one who spoke about the world of sports on Wednesday, and now everyone supports and criticizes MLB for the suspension of eight games. What a wild moment to be Joe Kelly.
Quick Hits: Listen to season 2 of ‘The Sneak’ … Belichick won’t crumble … Doncic was almost hit by the camera … Oilers’ heartbreaking tribute to Colby Cave.
– Wednesday was the debut of the second season of our serialized podcast on real crimes, The Sneak, which you should listen to if you like true crime stories because this one is wild.
– Patriots DB Patrick Chung successfully closed any conversation about Bill Belichick trying to tank this season.
– A robotic camera came very close to sticking Luka Doncic’s head out during a game in the NBA bubble. Yikes
– The Edmonton Oilers paid tribute to the late Colby Cave, who died in April at the age of 25, with a heartbreaking video tribute.
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