Days after Cubs manager Craig Counsell alluded to the rule that designates Shohei Ohtani as a “two-way player,” who doesn’t count against the 13-pitcher roster limit (14 in September), his team came face to face with Ohtani and the Dodgers.
“I was answering a different question,” Counsell said Friday, before the first game of the weekend series. “But what sometimes happens is, when you answer a question, whatever is more interesting about your answer is the part that gets printed.”
With the Cubs’ bullpen hit hard by injury, he was originally asked about the lack of flexibility in the roster makeup.
“I’ve never understood it, either,” Counsell told reporters Monday. “It’s an offensive rule, essentially. It’s a rule to help offense more than anything, if you ask me. And then there’s one team that’s allowed to carry basically one of both, and that he gets special consideration, — which is probably the most bizarre rule … for one team.”
His comments took on a life of their own, with a focus on the portion relating to Ohtani.
“Not surprised,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “That’s kind of what happens these days when you say certain things. And I don’t think he meant it really maliciously. I mean, they’re going through it on the pitching side.
“But again, this is a rule that’s applicable to Shohei. It’s not a Dodger rule, right? I mean, this was implemented when he was with the Angels. But not surprising, because he’s a very important player, so it gets a lot of attention.”
Counsell said something similar, while standing firm in his evaluation of the rule.
“Look, this is not a Dodger thing, it’s not an Ohtani thing,” Counsell said. “It is a bad rule.”
The post Cubs manager Craig Counsell doubles down, calls Shohei Ohtani exemption ‘a bad rule’ appeared first on Los Angeles Times.
