While the Los Angeles Dodgers were a complete team and formidable force when they reached the World Series in 2017 for the first time in 29 years, what was a remarkable season ended in heartbreak as they lost to the Houston Astros in seven games.
Kenley Jansen squandered a save opportunity in Game 2, and Yu Darvish and Clayton Kershaw were each knocked around in starts at Minute Maid Park. The explanation — specifically in Darvish’s case — was he tipped pitches.
Of course, the Astros have since been investigated by Major League Baseball and found to have electronically stole signs. The organization was fined $5 million, general manager Jeff Luhnow and manager AJ Hinch were suspended through the 2020 World Series, and they were stripped of first- and second-round draft picks over the next two years.
Despite a mandate from MLB to not discuss the cheating scandal or the league’s penalties, Cody Bellinger and Alex Wood voiced their frustration on Twitter. So too has Adrian Gonzalez, who was in his final season with the Dodgers in 2017, and he called on MLB to clearly communicate with teams, via the “Petros and Money Show”:
“I really feel like MLB has to be very specific and let everybody know where that line is drawn, right? Obviously there has been some stuff they allowed. Obviously, what the Astros have been doing is definitely over the line. Banging against trash cans, I think that it’s something that when I came to the game would definitely deserve somebody to get hit. Besides that, some of the other allegations that are going on, I think MLB has to decided where that line is drawn.”
Although Gonzalez is frustrated by the Astros’ actions, he acknowledged fostering those emotions can be detrimental:
“You definitely want to play a fair game, and I think it is upsetting. But at the same time, you hear a lot of players talk about there’s things they could’ve done better to help win games. Getting upset only hurts you, but I think there is a reason to get upset. I think MLB needs to handle that properly.”
While the Dodgers enjoyed one of the franchise’s best seasons in 2017, that did not apply to Gonzalez on a personal level. He was placed on the injured list for the first time in his career and ultimately did not play during the postseason.
Granted, that’s merely become a footnote in light of the Astros’ misconduct.
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