Rob Manfred and the Boston Red Sox
I’m not going to pull any punches with this one Red Sox Nation. If you’ve read anything I’ve ever written in regards to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, then you know I’m not a fan of his. The last few days sure haven’t done a lick to help change that opinion either. At this point, I have zero confidence in Manfred to lead the MLB and truly feel he’s the worst of the current commissioners.
As you read that last sentence you may have second-guessed my opinion, and that’s cool. Roger Goodell is the reigning and defending World’s Worst Commissioner, but the last 72 sure have made Uncle Manfred the #1 Contender. Hell, I think he may have actually surpassed ‘Ol Rog, which I thought was never possible.
My dislike and possibly even grudge with Manfred began with the investigation into the 2018 Red Sox. It wasn’t that the league was opening an investigation into some alleged shenanigans, it was that they did so with little to no proof. When it came to their investigation into the Astros, there were multiple complaints against Houston and plenty of evidence. Not so much with Boston.
The weird thing with the whole sign-stealing debacle was that it took Manfred and the MLB three times as long to find nothing on the Red Sox than it did to uncover the CIA level espionage from the Astros. Both organizations offered up the same level of compliance with the league and yet it took far longer to “punish” the Sox.
I put that word into quotations because they only received what they did because Manfred wanted to save face and couldn’t let them walk without some discipline.
It may seem like I’m being a homer and to a degree, I’m sure that I am, but deservedly so. A report from The Athletic’s Evan Drellich kicked off months of issues for the Red Sox that ultimately led to nothing. The only real outcome was that the MLB and Rob Manfred looked like fools, and it wouldn’t be the last time.
Rob Manfred protects the Yankees to seek out Red Sox
This may be the most egregious of the recent behaviors of our fearless leader. This weekend Drellich also reported that a letter from Manfred and the MLB to the Yankees, that was previously kept sealed, would be opened. A judge ruled that the letter should be unsealed as it pertains to the lawsuit involving Draft Kings against the league.
In the initial report, the Red Sox were made the key focus and were mentioned 131 times. The Astros were a hot second with 101 mentions, but the Yankees weren’t far behind at 72. Yeah, New York may have been 3 out of 3, but they weren’t far off the rest of the pack.
The letter on which Drellich reported is in regard to what the Yankees may or may not have been doing in 2017. You know, the very season where Houston became the shadiest team in the league since the 1919 White Sox.
In that very season, both the Red Sox and Yankees were also dinged for some sign-stealing chicanery. Boston got busted using Apple Watches to relay signs during games. The whispers around the Yankees is that they had multiple cameras in the outfield to actively steal signs and relay them to the dugout as the game progressed. Also known as, something incredibly similar to what the Astros did but in a different delivery.
So why are Manfred and the Yankees so desperate to keep this letter sealed from the public? Why was it ok to tarnish the name of one of the oldest franchises in history, but not another? I don’t know what year Uncle Manfred thinks it is but we aren’t out here trying to cover up the late-90s Bronx Bombers.
The current crop hasn’t won a dang thing and the organization hasn’t won a championship in ten years. So, please tell me why it’s so imperative that we don’t allow this mystery letter to see the light of day.
Rob Manfred is nailing the coffin shut on 2020
We all know about the contentious negotiations currently going on between the owners and players, or should I say, lack of negotiations. Over the weekend, MLBPA leading man Tony Clark made it clear to the owners that they needed to give a starting date or the players were done talking. Considering the fact that the players were giving up far more than the owners ever were in these talks, it was nice to see them stand their ground.
The thing is, this could have all been avoided. Manfred has the authority and full power to name the length and terms of the season, but he hasn’t. Why rock the boat and upset the owners? At the beginning of the MLB Draft, he guaranteed a season in 2020, earlier today he said he wasn’t confident. So which one is it?
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From the outside looking in it really feels like he’s waiting until enough sand falls through the hour-glass so that the players can’t file a grievance. If he were to make the call tomorrow for a 50-game season, then the players can fire back that there’s more than enough time for more games than that. By waiting out the clock he covers his backside on the player side and also makes the owners happy by limiting the dollar value of the prorated salaries.
To summarize things, it sure seems like he’s willing to sacrifice as much of the 2020 season as possible to keep the owners happy. By keeping them happy he keeps himself in the Commissioner’s chair without any issue from the league. Problem is, he’s also pissing off the fans and very well would put a massive dent in the fanbase of the MLB. With a massive new TV deal with Turner Sports coming down the pike, who cares about the fans? At least that’s what it feels like.
As we all know, none of us have a say in who is the MLB Commissioner, so we’re likely stuck with Rob Manfred. The first half of 2020 has proven that he cannot competently perform his duties and should be removed from the role. Considering how well other commissioners are running their leagues, it’s beyond depressing to see what he’s doing to the game we all love. I’d hate for anyone to lose their job, but there has to be someone out there that could do a far better job than what we’re getting right now.