The Sporting News’ Jesse Spector is covering an event for AP sports editors today. The important part of it is that Rob Manfred is there taking questions, making statements and basically being the Commissioner of Baseball. You should go check out Spector’s Twitter feed as he has been transcribing Manfred’s thoughts on all manner of baseball issues of the day.
This particular issue of the day -- that of the installation of metal detectors at all ballparks -- smells like feces of the bovine variety:
Manfred on metal detectors: “In general, we have not had team or fan complaint. … (We’re) following best practices Homeland Security has.”
— Jesse Spector (@jessespector) April 23, 2015
Say what you want about Manfred, but he has certainly gotten to a Selig-level of comfort in asserting the truly unbelievable when it comes to his perception of fan sentiment. Sort of like how Selig once said there were no complaints about the lack of instant replay because no one had ever mailed him a letter about it. Where does Manfred get his information? Telegrams? And let’s not even talk about how he’s deferring to Homeland Security’s “best practices.” Homeland Security are the folks who hassle women with babies from bringing breast milk on airplanes and who have perfected the art form of security theater.
The fact of the matter there have been all manner of stories written complete with comments and tweets complaining about the metal detectors, how they are unnecessary, how they are probably ineffective and how, most of all, they create an added hassle for fans getting into the ballpark. Local news and talk radio have done fan-on-the street pieces about this. There was a scathing editorial in the Washington Post about this. Manfred has seen none of it? Or does that phrase “in general” just do more work than he leads on?
Well, let’s take him at his word then, OK? He has heard nothing. Time to let him hear it. As a fan, if you are not pleased with the metal detectors, let Rob Manfred know about it:
The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Robert D. Manfred Jr., Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
212-931-7800
212-949-5654 (fax)
I don’t have Rob Manfred’s email address, but a lot of MLB email address are firstname.lastname@mlb.com. Hey, if you’re bored, have fun!
If you’d rather just do it more quickly, you can fill out the form here for the MLB suggestion box.
Do I expect that to help anything? Not really. The metal detectors likely aren’t going anywhere. But perhaps if fans let Mr. Manfred know when they do not agree with his acts as commissioner more directly than they have been, he won’t say ridiculous things about there being no complaints and expect people to believe it.
