Dodgers' Turner: 'Out of touch' Manfred set weak precedent for cheating
Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner isn't impressed with Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred's response to the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal, and particularly his interview discussing it on Sunday.
Manfred referred to the World Series trophy as a "piece of metal" during the interview, which Turner didn't take kindly to.
"Calling the World Series trophy 'a piece of metal' - I don't know if the commissioner has won anything in his life. Maybe he hasn't," Turner said Monday, according to Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register. "But the reason every guy in this room is working out all offseason and showing up to camp early and putting in all the time and effort is specifically for that trophy, which is, by the way, called the Commissioner's Trophy. For him to devalue it, the way he did yesterday, just tells me how out of touch he is with the players in this game. At this point, the only thing devaluing that trophy is that it says 'Commissioner' on it."
Manfred also said during his interview that he stood by the decision to not punish any players upon completion of the investigation.
"He set a weak precedent," Turner added, according to Plunkett. "So now anyone who goes forward and cheats to win a World Series, they can live with themselves knowing that, 'Oh, it's OK.'"
The Astros defeated the Dodgers in the 2017 World Series when they were apparently at the height of their sign-stealing scheme. Turner agrees with former teammate Yu Darvish's belief that Houston shouldn't be recognized as the champion.
"It's pretty evident to me that it wasn't earned," Turner said, according to Plunkett. "It's not something that a banner should be hung in their stadium, a trophy should be put up wherever their trophies go. They shouldn't have a ring."
Turner's teammate Cody Bellinger has also been vocal with his criticism of the Astros, as was Los Angeles Angels superstar Mike Trout on Monday when he said he "lost respect" for his American League West rivals in the wake of the scandal.