The Dodgers need to walk away... No, they need to run.
Yesterday morning the Dodger faithful were in cloud-nine as news spread that the team had made a trade for fireball reliever Aroldis Chapman. We would soon have one of the more potent bullpen staffs in the game, and a veritable answer to our late inning worries.
Then news spread like wildfire later that afternoon. Word on the street was that the trade is on hold and soon we all found out why. Via Tim Brown and Jeff Passan at Yahoo Sports: "Police report: Aroldis Chapman allegedly fired gunshots, 'choked' girlfriend in domestic incident."
Then news spread like wildfire later that afternoon. Word on the street was that the trade is on hold and soon we all found out why. Via Tim Brown and Jeff Passan at Yahoo Sports: "Police report: Aroldis Chapman allegedly fired gunshots, 'choked' girlfriend in domestic incident."
SON-OF-A...!
Yeah, this is bad. In fact it's so bad it portends to potential problems in the future. The kind of problems the Dodgers clubhouse does not need.
I would assert that character matters.
Teammates don't have to like each other... They don't have to hang out... They don't have to sing kumbaya while holding hands in the clubhouse.
What they do need, though, it to respect each other. And this alleged incident immediately puts Chapman on the defensive.
Worse yet, don't force fans to have to root for this guy. It's an unfair juxtaposition to put us through.
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Strangely, this incident seems like deja vu. I say that because the LA Kings had something similar happen (kinda) to one of their players last year. Kings star defenseman Slava Voynov was involved in a domestic altercation that resulted in his immediate suspension from the team, the league, his incarceration for 90 days and eventual exile to mother Russia. In that incident, as is the case in California, the police arrested and held Voynov regardless of any personal testimony charging violence by the victim.
Obviously, the two incidents are strikingly different. In Voynov's case there was blood, bruising and obvious physical violence. In Chapman's situation that apparently was not the case. Still, as a fan the situation is the same.
You see, for months I fretted about whether I could root for the Kings should Voynov be allowed to remain with the team, and was ever thankful that I never had to deal with that since he never again put on a Kings uniform.
If the Chapman trade is allowed to proceed you suddenly put me back in that situation. Can I root for the team knowing this guy is on it? I dunno.
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