Things have gone from bad to worse for Rob Manfred, who has been harshly criticized for not punishing the Astros for their sign-stealing scandal. He punished the organization, sure, but he didn’t punish the players. Manfred also dismissed the notion of vacating the Astros’ 2017 World Series title, referring to their championship as “a piece of metal.”
The commissioner has since apologized for that remark, but for many, the damage has been done. Brandon Tierney, in fact, believes Manfred should resign.
“Can you imagine if Gary Bettman called the Stanley Cup a piece of tin?” Tierney said on Tiki & Tierney. “That’s the best trophy in sport. Can you imagine?”
Several players, including Justin Turner, have openly criticized Manfred for his comments, as well as his handling of the scandal.
“I’m at my wits’ end with this,” Tierney said. “I really am. . . . The players will never trust him again for anything. . . . Rob Manfred should step down.”
Tiki Barber has also been surprised by Manfred’s missteps.
“When something like this occurs in any sport, you have to think about what the reaction is going to be,” Barber said. “You have to. And have whatever statement you’re going to say prepared so when you get put on the spot you say the right thing. It’s almost like he handed down the punishment and then was so busy patting himself on the back that he stopped looking at what was happening in front of him, which was confusion, anger, ire, discontent – all of this other stuff. All of a sudden he can’t find his back to pat anymore. No one’s doing it for him because they realized he screwed up. He’s like, ‘It’s just a piece of tin. They’re going to be shamed. They lost respect. That’s their punishment.’ Who says that?”