On tonight’s episode of The Majors LIVE!, Adam and Dorf discuss the Houston Astros scandal that just won’t go away and how it shapes the 2020 MLB season.
With Spring Training now in full swing (no pun), the Houstons Astros story just simply won’t go away, thanks in large part to commissioner Rob Manfred.
In a 45 minute interview with ESPN, Manfred asserted that public shame was punishment enough for the Astros players, referred to the World Series trophy as being just a “piece of metal”, and said that taking a title away from the Astros was a “seems like a futile act.”
The player and media backlash was fervent.
Justin Turner of the Dodgers laid into the commissioner saying:
“I don’t know if the commissioner has ever won anything in his life. Maybe he hasn’t. But the reason every guy’s in this room, the reason every guy is working out all offseason … is specifically for that trophy, which, by the way, is called the Commissioner’s Trophy.
“So 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.”
Meanwhile, other player comments included:
- Mike Trout: “They cheated … I don’t agree with the punishments, the players not getting anything … Guys’ careers have been affected … I lost respect for some of those guys.”
- Kris Bryant: “I know everybody around the league is really upset [because] it’s a disgrace to the game. … I personally think it’s worse than steroids. I really do.”
- Kenley Jansen: “Everybody in the world is laughing [at how MLB has handled this]. … What are you gonna teach kids out there? You’re not gonna teach anything.”
So how does all of this shape the MLB season on and off the field?
- In light of this, as well as the bullshit surrounding the minor league system (cutting it drastically), allegations surrounding juiced balls, the lack of respect for winning, and the growing economic system that essentially encourages losing, can Rob Manfred come out this season as anything but a major villain and detriment to the game of baseball?
- How can Rob Manfred completely overlook player suspensions for the Astros despite a number of players getting suspended — and continue to get suspended — over banned substances?
- Do the Astros need to do more in terms of righting their huge wrongs?
- How does the scandal affect player association with the Astros in terms of free agency and trades?
- What steps does the MLB need to undertake to potentially protect Astros players against retribution from other MLB players?
👉 Also on the show this week
⚡️ Quick Hits from the Sports World
- What’s next for veteran NFL QBs like Tom Brady and Phillip Rivers?
- The XFL is actually pretty awesome…
- The UEFA goes anti-MLB on Manchester City.
- Myles Garrett is back in the NFL.
🤔 The LIVE Question
Is Tua worth a top-10 pick?
💩 Bitches and Badasses
Like always, who is the biggest bitch and badass from this past week in sports?
All that plus more tonight!