Commissioner Rob Manfred, Bud Selig to be deposed in injury lawsuit

A judge ruled Thursday that baseball commissioner Rob Manfred, his predecessor, Bud Selig, and his top deputy, Dan Halem, are to be deposed by April 3 in a lawsuit over injuries a fan suffered three years ago when he was hit in the head by a foul ball at Wrigley Field.

The negligence suit against Major League Baseball alleges that MLB failed to take proper action to protect fans after conducting a 2015 review of safety in the stands regarding foul balls and thrown and broken bats.

Manfred, who succeeded Selig in 2015, has never officially mandated safety netting guidelines, but he did recommend extensions of the netting to the near ends of the dugouts by 2016. All 30 teams had extended netting to the far ends of the dugouts by 2018.

The plaintiff, Jay Loos, now 62, lost the sight in his left eye and suffered multiple facial fractures.

Fifty years from now, there’s a decent chance that the contents of these depositions may be of great interest to the social historian.

Rob Manfred has a history of botching investigations

Back in 2012-13, long before the Houston Astros became known for banging garbage cans and avoiding significant punishment, Rob Manfred was in charge of a different, high-profile, baseball scandal.

That one centered on Biogenesis, a South Florida “health clinic” that turned out to be supplying performance enhancing drugs to star players, most notably Alex Rodriguez.

Manfred was just Major League Baseball’s Chief Operating Officer back then, not the lofty Commissioner job he currently holds.

The investigation, however, was every bit the train wreck of this Astros one, except it stemmed from MLB’s overaggressive techniques and a drive for “justice” that stand in stark contrast to the low-key, small-sanction controversy of today.

Wait a minute- I thought the Peter Principle was suppose to hit in at the first level incompetence was shown…..

Feinstein: In the Astros scandal, Rob Manfred has taken a bad situation and made it worse (WaPo)

Some will argue that stripping the Astros of their title does little. But they’re wrong, it would have a great deal of meaning. Taking away the trophy means the team can’t display it in perpetuity and forces it to take down all banners that proclaim “World Champions.” Remove the Astros’ name from the record book, leaving a blank for the 2017 World Series winner, as there is for 1994, when the World Series was called off after the owners forced the players to strike by violating the rules of collective bargaining.

Rob Manfred offers little insight, shows contempt for reporters in press conference

Commissioner Rob Manfred spoke at a press conference, addressing the Astros cheating scandal and other topics on Sunday evening. It did not go well.

To start, the press conference was not broadcast officially on MLB’s own TV channel (it aired the 1988 movie Bull Durham instead), nor could any mention to it or link to the live stream be found anywhere on MLB.com. When the actual questions began, Manfred’s answers were circuitous or simply illogical given other comments he has made in the past. On more than one occasion, he showed contempt for reporters for doing their jobs — and, some might argue, doing his job — holding players and front office personnel accountable.

Last month, Jared Diamond of the Wall Street Journal broke a story about the Astros’ “dark arts” and “Codebreaker” operation, based on a letter Manfred sent to then-GM Jeff Luhnow. Diamond was among the reporters present for Manfred’s press conference on Sunday. Per The Athletic’s Lindsey Adler, Manfred addressed Diamond, saying, “You know, congratulations. You got a private letter that, you know, I sent to a club official. Nice reporting on your part.” MLB’s response to the depth of the Astros’ cheating ways was lacking and, without Diamond’s reporting, we would have known how deeply lacking that response was. It is understandable that Manfred would be salty about it, since it exposed him as doing his job poorly, but it was an immature, unrestrained response from someone in charge of the entire league.

Onto the actual topic at hand, Manfred said he felt like the punishment doled out to the Astros was enough. Per Chris Cotillo, Manfred said Astros players “have been hurt by this” and will forever be questioned about their achievements in 2017 and ’18. Some players disagree. Former pitcher Phil Hughes even suggested the players have a work stoppage over this issue.

So, what does Manfred have to do at this point before the owners decide it isn’t worth it to keep him around?

Five Losers of MLB’s Offseason

Pitchers and catchers officially begin their preseason workouts this week, ending an eventful offseason where many teams improved their rosters heading into 2020.

For all the winners of the winters, though, there are the offseason losers. These are the clubs that failed to make the necessary roster upgrades, the free agents who miscalculated their values and the aging players in the twilight of their careers whose services are no longer desired. Below are the five biggest losers this winter.

So, any losers who you’d like to add to the list?

It’s time to remove MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred from office

After a contested election, commissioner Rob Manfred was given a five-year term starting Jan. 2015. That was extended for five more years through 2024 after the 2018 season. But MLB’s owners may want to rethink that vote.

The gains Manfred has made appear to be more than offset by continued attrition of attendance, unnecessary labor strife and now, the long-term reduction or even outright dissolution of the backbone of baseball in small towns and cities all around America that MLB won’t touch: the minor leagues.

Reds’ Bauer barbs MLB commissioner ‘trying to ruin baseball’

Outspoken Reds pitcher Trevor Bauer is barbing Rob Manfred, tweeting the MLB commissioner “is trying to ruin baseball at all levels.”

Bauer sent a series of tweets during the weekend, starting with a jab about Major League Baseball’s threat to cut ties with minor league affiliates.

Bauer followed up with: “At least Rob Manfred is trying to ruin baseball at all levels and isn’t discriminating. Something to be said for consistency, I guess.”

MLB had no immediate comment to Bauer’s remarks.

So, how much of a drag-out brawl can these two have?