Dodgers: Magic Johnson Stresses Need for Players to Behave Unselfishly
MLB has a problem. That problem is players not adhering to their health and safety guidelines in the middle of a season during a pandemic. While the Dodgers have been good about staying out of high-risk areas, they also need to learn from examples around the league.
The Cleveland Indians would be a good example of what not to do as a club. After one pitcher was sent home for spending a night out with friends on a road trip, Mike Clevinger was later found to have joined him. Clevinger showed up to a team meeting and even traveled with the team, putting everyone at risk.
Dodgers part-owner Magic Johnson recently spoke with Bill Shaikin of the LA Times. For Johnson,t the fate of this season is in the hands of the players. If there is any sort of selfish intent, baseball is in jeopardy.
You can’t be selfish. You just can’t. That’s the word you’ve got to use. It’s not about them. You have to be unselfish, because when you’re doing the right thing, that means you are caring not only about yourself but other people – your teammates and your family. That’s for your health, your teammates’ lives, your families’ lives, everybody.
Johnson went even further, saying that players need to make sacrifices in order to make this season happen. The Dodgers will have to miss out on a lot of time with family and friends, but in his mind, it’s a necessity for MLB.
You can miss out on fun for three or four months. I’m being real, That fun will be there and it will be safe for you to go back to going out to restaurants and bars and nightclubs once we get this vaccine. But right now? Okay, I’ve got to do this for myself, for my family and for my teammates.’ That’s it. You hold yourself accountable and you hold your teammates accountable.
While the Dodgers are about to play their 18th game tonight, other teams haven’t been so lucky. The Marlins have played just 10 games while the Cardinals have played 5 games. St Louis also isn’t expected to play until at least this weekend after an outbreak.
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If you want to be unselfish, stand for the national anthem. Stop selfishly dividing the country, and promote unselfish unity.
Ok Dictator
Magic is saying exactly what I’ve been saying. These guys need to act like they want to play and follow all the rules that are put in place. Teams should start fining the players that break the rules. I also said it didn’t look like some of these guys don’t want to play, like it doesn’t matter because it’s a shortened season. They’re not putting their hearts into it. Especially the top hitters, the ones that are supposed to get hits or home runs, they can’t buy a hit it seems. And when the opportunity is there they fail, come on! Bases loaded, no outs and they can’t score? Are they getting paid to lose? Something is fishy and it stinks!