Turner believes Rob Manfred's trophy comment shows he is out of touch with the players in today's gameGETTY IMAGES
MLB players "were seething" yesterday over Commissioner Rob Manfred on Sunday referring to the sport’s championship trophy as "merely a 'piece of metal,' saying that comment reflected a disconnect between baseball’s boss and those who produce the product on the field," according to Howard Fendrich of the AP. Nationals P Sean Doolittle yesterday said, "It bothered me, man. I hated it. It made him sound really out of touch. That’s the holy grail of our sport. That’s what we show up for in the beginning of February, thinking about and working toward.” He added, "I just can’t believe how out of touch that is. You’re the commissioner of our game. ... Please don’t say that, even off-hand, even tongue-in-cheek" (AP, 2/17). Dodgers 3B Justin Turner said, "For him to devalue it the way he did yesterday just tells me how out of touch he is with the players in this game. At this point the only thing devaluing that trophy is that it says ‘Commissioner’ on it" (L.A. TIMES, 2/18).
MISSING THE BEAT: CBSSPORTS.com's Mike Axisa wrote he was "stunned to hear Manfred refer to the World Series trophy in such a way." MLB is a $10B-a-year enterprise "centered around winning that 'piece of metal,'" and players "work their entire lives to hoist it." Meanwhile, fans "dedicate countless hours (and countless dollars) to watching their favorite team pursue that piece of metal." Baseball has a "significant credibility problem right now," and "devaluing the World Series trophy like Manfred did Sunday will only further erode that credibility" (CBSSPORTS.com, 2/17). In Austin, Cedric Golden writes it is "laughable" that Manfred "could so easily diminish the most hallowed trophy in all of baseball outside of a bust in Cooperstown" (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 2/18).
POOR TIMING: ESPN.com's Jeff Passan wrote the "blowback against Manfred was immediate." Manfred's comments, coming at a "moment when everything he says will be dissected, when his motivations and intentions are in question, when his sport is in peril, gave a tanker truck of fuel to those who already think ill of him because he wants to change the game's playoff structure and contract a quarter of the minor leagues." All of these things, whether "fair or not," are "inextricably tied together, because Manfred is supposed to be the sport's shepherd and his positions on those ancillary issues inform the public's opinion of him." A strong commissioner can "guide a sport through a crisis," while a weak commissioner can "exacerbate it" (ESPN.com, 2/17).
BREAKING THE SILENCE: MLB Network's Adnan Virk said it is "noteworthy" that players are "speaking from the heart" about Manfred and the scandal. Virk: “Gone are the days of faceless players and interchangeable quotes. No longer are we bemoaning generic comments and dull super stars. … For a sport in which the players aren’t always household names, their voices have gone from cries and whispers to a deafening din” (“High Heat,” MLB Network, 2/17). ESPN's Pablo Torre: "As much as this cheating scandal was player-driven, so too is the backlash" (“High Noon,” ESPN, 2/17). MLB Net's Brian Kenny: "I’m glad they’re speaking out. Speak your mind. You’re angry, be angry. I just never heard this with steroids, and that went on for 20 years. … There they held the line. There was a code. I’m fascinated by the difference here" (“MLB Now,” MLB Network, 2/17).
