Why is Rob Manfred still the commissioner of the MLB? From the way he has altered the game to the way he handles the Houston Astros cheating scandal, he is simply ruining the game of baseball. Let’s take a deeper look at the misconduct of the commissioner himself.
Manfred, who was elected as commissioner in 2015, has implemented a lot of rule change proposals to help trim the baseball game. He has limited the number of mound visits to six times per game, either between the catcher and pitcher, or coach and pitcher. After six, the pitcher and catcher will receive fines. There are many reasons that mound changes are needed in the game: sign changes, replacements, calming the pitcher down, and many more. If you think this is bad, just keep reading.
The three-batter minimum is just another example of a rule made by a man with limited baseball experience. “Repeated pitching changes obviously take a lot of time,” Manfred said. “They affect the pace of the game. That’s one rationale. I think the idea of relievers having to go longer is appealing in terms of promoting the role of the starting pitcher, encouraging pitchers to pitch a little longer at the beginning of the game. You talk about player marketing. Historically, some of our biggest stars are starting pitchers, and you want to make sure those big stars are out there long enough that they are marketed, recognizable, all those good words.”
So, let’s try to not use a relief pitcher because they might not be as well-known as the starter? Who are is Mariano Rivera or Aroldis Chapman or Craig Kimbrel … or even Kenley Jansen?
Another recent rule change proposal sparked up a heated conversation with Reds pitcher Trevor Bauer. In a seven-minute video uploaded by Bauer, he talks about these rules that will change the scope of the MLB.
“Your proposal is absurd for too many reasons to type on twitter and proves you have absolutely no clue about baseball. You’re a joke,” Bauer tweeted out on Sunday night. Under a plan being considered by MLB, the playoffs would be expanded to nearly half the 30 teams, growing from 10 to 14 with higher-seeded teams allowed to choose opponents. The top seeds in each league would get byes, creating extended layoffs between games.
Lastly, the Houston Astros were 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. When the investigation finally concluded, even more allegations had come forward to the lack of effort commissioner. 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. Why would you suspend star players when you can just punish their bosses?
Manfred also said any pitchers that throw at the Astros (which will surely be a lot) will be punished very strictly for doing so. Don’t you dare throw at those protected cheaters, you honest pitchers.
His final quote is what ticked off MLB fans across the world, citing that the only reason he didn’t revoke the 2017 World Series title is that asking for a piece of metal is a “futile act.”
“The idea of an asterisk or asking for a piece of metal back seems like a futile act,” he said. “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.”
Really? The “piece of metal” that every single athlete who has ever played the game of baseball has dreamed of holding over their head shouldn’t be something that teams are craving to acquire simply because it is just a piece of metal?
The list of examples showing his complete and utter carelessness for his job and the failures to attract the younger generations to MLB parks across North America has not only been astounding to watch but an embarrassment to the entire league.
He has proven that he simply cannot get the job done, and thus it is time to move on from Rob Manfred, plain and simple.
One Response
Great content! Super high-quality! Keep it up! 🙂