Dodgers: Calls for Astros 2017 World Series Title to be Vacated Getting Louder
As we get further away from MLB’s official punishment of the Houston Astros in their cheating indictment becoming final, the chatter about whether or not the punishment was enough continues to be heard. In fact, over the weekend, it hit a fever pitch as MLB commissioner Rob Manfred sat down for a one-on-one with ESPN about a variety of topics surrounding the cheating scandal.
The loudest noise heard after that interview involved Manfred’s decision to not vacate the Astros’ 2017 World Series title, and how MLB came to that decision. It should be noted that the commissioner and his cronies did consider vacating or adding an asterisk to the championship, but chose not to go down that road.
Manfred defends MLB punishment of Astros https://t.co/MS0LhXZy8L
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) February 16, 2020
Here’s what Manfred told ESPN’s Karl Ravich.
The idea of an asterisk or asking for a piece of metal back seems like a futile act. 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.
This can be broken down in so many ways — and the internet did quite spectacularly — but something underlying that sticks out in Manfred’s willingness to de-value the trophy that literally every single player dedicates his life each day to win. On Sunday we learned that the Commissioner’s Trophy is just a piece of metal.
https://twitter.com/joonlee/status/1229239262341685248
Cool Rob.
LA Times scribe Bill Plaschke wasn’t thrilled either.
Manfred says he didn't strip Astros of title because "the idea of…asking for a piece of metal back seems like a futile idea." Really? The WS championship is just a piece of metal? The corporate commish still doesn't have a clue https://t.co/w1xSB5obwr
— Bill Plaschke (@BillPlaschke) February 16, 2020
While Astro shortstop Carlos Correa has come out and defended Houston’s accomplishment as earned fair and square, other players from around the league aren’t singing the same tune.
Of course, the “Carlos Correa: Astros Crisis Management Officer” saga was cemented after Cody Bellinger came out and slammed the poorly executed apology press conference hosted by the organization. Along the way, Bellinger also slammed Jose Altuve, alluding to the buzzer system being in full-effect last season. Correa clapped back at Bellinger’s comments as the drama continued.
On Sunday, former Dodger Yu Darvish was pretty straight forward in saying the Astros really just need to shut up right now, as he defended Bellinger in the Correa squabble.
More and more people connected to the game continue to voice their opinions on vacating the title, and Manfred is essentially dismissing them… Because he made his decision. And because the Astros players have to look at themselves in the mirror and deal with it…
Manfred said they thought about stripping the Astros of their World Series title but decided not to because there was zero precedent and he wanted the public to judge the facts.
Hey pal, all of the fans and the players want the title stripped. Now what?
— Eric Hubbs (@BarstoolHubbs) February 16, 2020
Manfred's insistence that the public shame is the real punishment here is an absolute joke. You are the commissioner. It's your job to punish the players. None of the current Astros players feel any remorse.
— Eric Hubbs (@BarstoolHubbs) February 16, 2020
At a certain point you wonder if Manfred really doesn’t have a clue, or simply doesn’t care. But it’s nice to know that the Astros can keep the meaningless piece of metal they acquired illegitimately in 2017.
NEXT: Kenley Jansen Calls Sign-Stealing Worse Than Steroids
sounds like time for fans who spent time and money to attend the 2017 WS need to seek compensation sue to the actions of Houston team and players. As players, managers, front office were all aware it should be open to civil liability for the fraud/collusion? Even TV advertisers and sponsors could seek damages due to association with the WS & Houston team. Whatever impotent actions Manfred implemented in no way absolve the team, individual players/managers/execs, league and maybe even player’s association will still be accountable for defrauding customers.
Hit ’em in their bank account…Manfred is just an MLB mouthpiece. What are the requirements placed on the commissioner by the MLB’s antitrust exemption? I’m curious if he met the minimum requirements with his actions?
Manfred is the biggest threat to the integrity of the game of baseball. He should be fired. The next commissioner should make the vacating of the 2017 title his first official action. Manfred’s defense of his non-actions parallels the non-apologizies of the Astro players. Every time these guys say something they just insert their own feet farther into their own mouths. Suspend or fire all of them. Make a clean break from cheating and incompetent leadership.
The 29 MLB teams owners need to Fire Rob Manfred the commissioner ASAP he is clearly incompetent of doing his job, What a Joke this guy is he thinks the trophy is just a piece of metal.
Rob Manfred has disgraced and shame the sport of MLB he needs to go he did enough harmed and embarrassment to this great sport that we all loved.
A piece of metal This sniveling coward is ignoring the cheating that cost the Los Angeles Dodgers the World Series. Why do the owners keep him in this position. He needs to be fired – NOW. New commissioner needs to vacate 2017 title. And he needs to stop f-ing with the great game of baseball which he clearly hates.
Carlos Correa and all the Astros cheated.. now we are to believe that don’t lie???? Carlos.. think again!!!!!
Millions of fans and voices are asking for the 2017 World Series title to be taken away and he’s purposely ignoring that fact. Commissioner Manfred is NOT doing his job, ignoring the pleas of millions of baseball fans around the country. What a travesty this is and a total embarrassment to the game, the honest players and fans. Disgusting!
Dodgers Nation why didn’t you post my post? No foul language was used.
I have the same thing happen when I state what really are some facts involved here.
Hmmm … Take the trophy away? Marge Schott and Donald Sterling were forced to sell their teams because of their despicable comments made public. Why does Crane get to keep his when his team’s actions stained and disgraced the game? If Manfred wants this to stop he – and the other owners – should force Crane to sell.
This clown referred to his own sports championship as just a piece of metal. He just doesn’t get it that it’s not the trophy it’s what it represents
What an idiot. A “piece of metal”?? I guess being a “commissioner” is just like being a clerk ( no offense to those who are clerks but you get what I mean). Teams that play the Astros should just boycott 1 game. Pitchers that throw at an Astro gets suspended but the Astro players who cheated suffer no penalties. Way to set a precedent Manfred. The more you talk the more you sound like the astros and their owner
Let’s start a national movement on social media to get the trophy we deserve! Any ideas out there?
Jim, most would just settle for the 2017 WS to be null and void of any winner, and no Dodger player or nobody in management want a fake trophy.
Paul I agree I don’t want a championship that we didn’t get to experience. I’m for there being no winner in 2017
True that, Paul.
Folks, no Dodger player wants that 2017 trophy, but what the rest of MLB wants is simply to vacate the Astro’s WS title and declare that WS null and void of ANY winner. Now as far as retaliation goes , if Manfred suspends ANY pitcher for throwing at or missing the strike zone on inside of plate the Players Association would and should file a grievance in that case. What makes it worse is as Jim says above here…Astro players suffer no penalties but the opposing pitcher and others gets suspended is just down right unacceptable in my book. Bottom line here is that this is or at least can get very ugly because the rest of MLB is quite angry at the Astro s and the Commissioner And this ugly scenario could very well begin when the St games start.
Two things here, IMHO:
1) people need to stop saying take the WS title from the Astros and give it to the Dodgers. That is stupid in it’s sheer ignorance. No LA player or management type would want it that way. And besides, no one can definitively say that the Dodgers would have won if not for the cheating…that’s simply wishing from the heart. And,
2) how long do we need to keep seeing articles about this? Nothing new is reported, and we’ve seen pretty much every Dodgers players’ comments and feelings about this except for a handfull of guys not on the 40 man roster (yes, that’s an exaggeration). Let it rest unless some new developments happen. Stop using these stories to fill up the DN webpage everyday.
And yes, the cheating disgusts me. But until there is something new to report, like the vacating of the 2017 WS championship, players rings and money are returned, Crane is forced to sell the team, etc., then let’s see stories about what’s happening at spring training.
The problem is that Manfred’s blanket immunity for players, and his refusal to vacate the 2017 title (and BTW Altuve’s MVP should also be vacated) have left no sense of closure to this ordeal. Without legitimate closure this whole thing will continue to be in the news. Millions of people see that justice has not been served, and the game of baseball has been badly tarnished. Manfred could have put most of this to rest by penalizing players and vacating the 2017 title. He refused to do so. We now have an ongoing call for someone to do the right thing and provide the needed closure. And it will continue to be in the news, until there is closure. Manfred’s not going to do the right thing. His firing thus becomes the essential first step to achieve closure.
I agree that there is nothing to say that the Dodgers would have won the World Series ” but for” the Astros cheating. (Although I, “wishing from the heart”, know that 2017 was our year.) However, we can say that “but for” the Astros cheating, we don’t know that the Astros would have even made it to the playoffs (to ultimately “win” the World Series from the Dodgers.) From my perspective, this is about restoring the integrity of baseball by vacating a 2017 World Series Championship that was acquired through blatant on-going fraud. Manfred did not do nearly enough. But I strongly believe that the court of public opinion matters. Perhaps, by keeping the Astros cheating in the forefront, there will be pressure for more action by the “powers that be”, as well as Astros players. Dusty Baker told his players to “put their big boy pants on.” Therefore, the Astros answer to ongoing public shaming should be to relinquish their rings and the money they unjustly received.
Houston season ticket holders are suing the Astros for deceptive practices. Little Leagues are removing teams named Astros from their leagues. More and more players are speaking out against the lack of penalty. This has tainted the players and the organization forever. Someone said they (The Astros) are hoping the Red Sox are found to be guilty to take the spotlight away from them. How low will they go!?!?
Dodger fans that bought tickets to the 2017 World Series need to sue. Hit them in the packet book and they will make the wrongs right in a hurry!
In college sports, championships have been vacated. In Soccer, teams have been severely punished. Mr. Manafred, you have given the equivalent of a time out to a two year old. Shame on you.
Steroids were done by individuals, Astros cheated as a team. That’s why their title needs to be removed and left blank, as a stain to the game, as a reminder. Then Manfred must resign as a bigger stain.
There should be a more transparent investigation –perhaps by the LA and Houston DAs along with a non-biased 3rd party investigator, or a criminal investigation. Clearly, with the removal of two guilty of cheating managers is not sufficient punishment. No players on the cheating teams have been punished. Until such punishment is meted out this scandal will remain a scandal.
if it’s just a worthless piece of metal than why do the Astros seem to feel that they have covet it so badly that they have to cheat for it. The Dodgers deserved that for being TRUE winners not sore losers who need.to cheat to get approval. Manfred doesn’t seem to care, find a comissioer that is fair & REALLY cares about what is real & fair sportsmanship. Enogh said you cheaters!