Now that’s what you call an about-face. A week ago, Major League Baseball released a statement pinning blame on L.A. Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner for going onto the field after his team clinched the World Series championship, even though he had tested positive for coronavirus.
Things got complicated when photos emerged of Turner not wearing a mask, hugging teammates and posing for a team photo sans mask.
On Friday, MLB accepted part of the blame for Turner’s actions and said it was all pretty much a “miscommunication” and Turner would not be disciplined at all.
“First, Mr. Turner’s teammates actively encouraged him to leave the isolation room and return to the field for a photograph. Many teammates felt they had already been exposed to Mr. Turner and were prepared to tolerate the additional risk,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in the statement.
So in other words, after an investigation, the league did not exonerate Turner from responsibility, but it was able to see his actions through a different context, giving them a better understanding of why he left the isolation room and returned to the field.
The statement laid out more reasons why Turner will avoid trouble. “Second, Mr. Turner believes that he received permission from at least one Dodgers employee to return to the field to participate in a photograph.
“Third, during the somewhat chaotic situation on the field, Mr. Turner was incorrectly told by an unidentified person that other players had tested positive, creating the impression in Mr. Turner’s mind that he was being singled out for isolation.”
As for Turner, he’s a true class act and credit to the game of baseball, and he took his share of the responsibility for what happened too, saying in the statement “in hindsight, I should have waited until the field was clear of others to take that photo with my wife. I sincerely apologize to everyone on the field for failing to appreciate the risks of returning to the field. I have spoken with almost every teammate, coach and staff member, and my intentions were never to make anyone uncomfortable or put anyone at further risk.”
Members of the Dodgers roster and organization who were on the field are completing the final days of their self-quarantine. Then they can start to properly celebrate the first World Series title for the Dodgers in 32 years.
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