Editorials

Clayton Kershaw Believes MLB Was Bullied; Rob Manfred Disagrees

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The Los Angeles Dodgers have been one of the most talked about teams this postseason not for their play on the diamond, but because of one single play made by second baseman Chase Utley.



In the seventh inning of Game 2 of the National League Division Series, Utley made an aggressive slide towards second base as he tried to break up a double play opportunity. In the process he collided with New York Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada and it resulted in a fractured fibula for Tejada.

After assessing the video, the Major League Baseball office decided that the 13-year-veteran would be suspended for Games 3 and 4 for the controversial play. Utley then appealed the decision and was made available until his appeal is heard. His suspension has raised many questions around the league as to whether it was justified or harsh.

According to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register Dodgers’ ace Clayton Kershaw gave his take:

I feel like MLB got maybe a little bit bullied into suspending him. Never happened before. I’ve seen slides a lot worse.”

Meanwhile, Manfred didn’t believe MLB was bullied and doesn’t want to compare Utley’s slide to past slides:

I think it’s important to realize no two on-field incidents are exactly the same,” Manfred said. “To say there was another slide at second base that kind of looked the same to a layman and that was the same as the incident we had the other night, I just think it’s hard to jump to that conclusion. Each is unique.”

In latest Dodger News, regardless of any differing opinions, the suspension still stands and will until Utley’s appeal is heard on Oct. 19. Whatever is decided may end up having a significant impact on the future of baseball.

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9 Comments

  1. @MLB caved to New York media and fans. I have always known that they hate anything West Coast and this proves it.

    1. You are so right! The media for baseball, is also east coast bias! And any former player, who complained openly about this slide, is nothing but a hypocrite! Pedro Martinez needs to shut his hypocritical mouth! He always thinks he is the mouth for any player, from the Dominian Republic! He not only hit many batters, intentionallly, he also threw a elderly man down, in a fight! You never heard one remark from Pedro, about Kang and the Pirates, and I don’t understand why Pedro and Ron Darling were able to get in Torrie’s ear, and make him change his mind! I think all Dodger fans, need to text TBS, and tell them, that they won’t be watching any of there games next year, if they are going to continue, to employ Ron Darling, and his unprofessional manner, in the way, he calls games! This TBS crew are the biggest homers, that I have ever heard!

  2. So what are you saying, Rob? That you don’t need precedence anymore because no two things are exactly the same? Don’t change the game commish, we like it as it as!

  3. Yes, MLB was pressured, influenced, bullied, whatever you want to say, into handing that suspension out. Here is Kershaw, one of the most respected players IN the game, saying “I’ve seen slides a lot worse” and that these plays have never been suspension worthy before and here is Manfred saying to a layman it may look similar. Clayton is there, on the field, watching and playing the game, not a “layman” sitting on his couch. I know Manfred isn’t directly responding to Kershaw’s quote, but for Clayton to even say such a thing you know it has happened time and again without suspension. I do believe that there should be no suspension. The hard slide was late and more of a roll, but come on people, this happens almost every game that a DP is trying to be broken up (especially in playoff scenarios). Tejada did not help himself when he stopped right in the path to try and pivot and turn to throw (knowing someone was coming in to try and break it up). It happened, its unfortunate that the leg got broken, but suspension worthy when we haven’t seen suspensions for these before, come on.

    1. It is so terrible and a decision that was totally bias! To see everyone ga ga about the Cubs, and to know that one of there players slid away from the base, into the Pirates shortstop, and badly injured there shortstop, and nothing was done, just makes me so mad! Now everyone in the media can talk about the Dodgers like they really feel about the Dodgers, because they have Utleys slide, to get away with it! The Dodgers have always had the east coast bias used and reported aganist them, and the way this slide has been portrayed and punished shows this complete bias! The Dodgers are the quote bad team, and now the Cubbies are the darlings of baseball, even though a week before the Cubs met the Pirates in the wild card game, this Cub player, slid into the Pirate shortstop and badly injured him. Kang the Pirate shortstop not only broke his leg, he had a very bad knee injury too, and unlike Tejada, who will be ok in 6 weeks, Kang will miss one entire season! I’m sorry, every time I think about this, it makes me sick, and I have no respect for Ron Darling, Torrie and this new commissioner of baseball! And for Pedro Martinez, he never said a thing, about Kang, and about the Cubby player, Coghland,who slid into Kang and injured him! Actually Kang said that he knew that Coghland didn’t mean to injure him, and he knew that that, is just part of baseball! Everyone wants the Cubbies and are predicting that the Cubs will win it all, but I think that assuming this, is only jinxing them! I hope we win tonite, and face the Cubs, and I hope these two slides will be brought up and I hope the bad Dodgers eliminate the Good guy Cubs!

  4. Did you notice Manferd called Kershaw a lay person? He said he wasn’t interested in a layman’s observation! They did it, because they could! They did nothing after the Cubs player, Coghland, slid into Kang, the Pirates shortstop, and severly injured him, a week before these two teams, met in the wild card game, and this was because it was the Cubs, and Madden! They don’t Punish Coghland because he was on the Cubs, and because they love Madden in baseball. Kang not only had his leg broken, he had a sever knee injury, and will miss an entire year, unlke Tejada, who will be fine in 6 weeks! I’m am sick of all of this east coast bias, and all of the people, they consider to be one of the boys. This happen because it was NY, and because it was a Dodger! The Dodgers should go to court anyways, and make these guys squirm! They wouldnt stand a chance, in a court that is not run like a kangaroo court! This was so unfair, and not the only questionable slide, in the post season! In 2012 Matt Holiday , slid into Scutero, way beyond the base, and nothing was done, because it was the Cardinals! The problem in Baseball, the power is run by people who live in NY, and came or played in St. Louis! Joe Madden is part of this boys club, and I am sure the Pitates feel taken advantage of, and will tell you, that they would have been a better club, with Kang in the line up! I hate Torrie now, as well as this new guy that is running baseball now! They wouldn’t win any case with this bias decision! I hope Utley doesn’t stop and gets the players union to take care of these two dictators!

    1. Thats what I thought too, but reading again, I think the article just linked the two quotes and I dont think Manfred was referring to Kershaw directly. Eitherway, it was a stupid comment.

      1. Mark this commissioner doesn’t care about, what us laymen fans think, he better think again! It is us fans, who pay all of these players, and the managent of baseball’s salaries! And to not take notice, to the La Dodger fans, is also a big mistake! The Dodgers probably have more fans, then all of the teams, in baseball! Theyhave fans, from there time in Brooklyn, and where they are today, and these fans, are unwavering in there loyality! Also there is more teams in baseball in Calif. And there is more baseball, played in Calif.! There must be a change, in the power base, of baseball! NY has more people in the power base, of baseball, and that is why this decision went against the Dodgers! And Joe Madden is considered one of the boys, and nothing was done, because of this! You would think that Mattingly would have got into Torrie’s ear, about this, but It took Mattingly the next day, to stand behind Utley! I hope Utley does it let Torrie get away with this, and makes a point and an example of Torrie, and the commissioner of baseball, just like these two, made sure, that Utley was an example, and not every other player, that did these type of slides!

  5. This Met’s infielder deserves what he got if he thinks he can jump high in the air above 2nd base and do a ballet spin without paying any attention whatsoever to what is happening on the field even though he knows the baserunner is going to try to break up the double-play. Since replay showed Utley never touched the bag either I’m glad they mistakenly called him safe to make up for this B.S. suspension.

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