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Lake County Sentinel
The coward Rob Manfred strikes again 
Opinion by Tim Shirer 

Rob Manfred in his time as Major League Baseball Commissioner has solidly cemented his place as one of the worst commissioners in American professional sports history. Now once again he has proved that he is also a coward when he failed to suspend any of the Miami Marlins players who broke COVID-19 protocol and went out on the town on their trip to Atlanta. NO SUSPENSION for these guys who put an entire league at risk because they are typical selfish pro athletes who were more concerned with having a night of fun than doing the right thing.

Manfred time and time again has failed the sport of baseball and its fans. First his attempts to speed up the game have been useless and have destroyed a century plus of tradition with pathetic rules like a reliever must pitch to at least three hitters or starting a runner on second base in extra innings. And for those of you who think the base runner rule is only for this shortened season you are fooling yourselves.

Manfred has taken advantage of the COVID-19 situation to drain the life out of Minor League baseball, which will never be the same as it was prior to 2020. His elimination of teams is full of greed and heartlessness. He has stripped cities that depend on these minor league clubs for their economic stability through jobs and tax revenue. Not to mention all the fans, which include the younger generation who will never get to experience the purity of minor league baseball. Millions of young baseball fans will never experience the joy of an MILB player taking a picture with them, playing catch with them prior to the game, signing an autograph for them.

The man is a heartless human being only being concerned about the financial end of the game and not caring at all about the fans who bring in that money.

We all know how he failed to adequately punish the Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox. No suspensions of Astros players was one of the worst acts of a commissioner in the history of sports until today (August 1, 2020). Today, Manfred once again showed what sniveling coward he is by not suspended or even fining any of the Marlins players who in reality have put thousands of people in danger of illness and even death with their actions on that trip to Atlanta.

Not only should Marlins players be suspended, but Marlins Field Manager Don Mattingly, and Chief Executive Officer & General Manager Derek Jeter should also be suspended for not being able to control their players. Of course, the lifelong Yankee fan Manfred would never suspend former Yankees Mattingly and Jeter or players on their team. Afterall Manfred was the commissioner when the Yankees basically plucked Giancarlo Stanton from the Marlins roster for virtually nothing in return.

I remember on Opening Day in 2015 when Manfred took the reins as commissioner replacing Bud Selig, I was so happy because I thought Selig was terrible. I guess this is a case of be careful what you wish for. I know I am not alone in the thinking that I wish that Bud Selig were commissioner now.

Rob Manfred you are a coward, please stop destroying the game I and millions of Americans love.
tshirer@lakecountysentinel.com or follow us on Twitter @SportsSentinel or @LCSentinelcom Check out our IndiansNation fan Page
​POSTED 08/01/2020 21:31