Former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Dave Stewart said he has informed team officials that he won’t attend the upcoming celebration of the 40-year anniversary of the team’s 1981 World Series championship over the franchise’s handling of Trevor Bauer in the wake of a sexual assault claim.
Stewart, 64, told USA Today that he was horrified by the pictures from the temporary restraining order that displayed the woman with two black eyes, a swollen jaw, a bloody lip and scratches on her face.
The woman, 27, was granted the temporary order and said the alleged assaults occurred April 21 and May 16 at Bauer’s home in Pasadena, Calif. A hearing is set for July 23 and Pasadena police are investigating.
Bauer, who has denied the allegations, was placed on seven-day administrative leave by Major League Baseball on Friday. The situation became public knowledge last Tuesday and the team revealed Thursday that it intended to let Bauer pitch on Sunday against the Washington Nationals.
“The organization isn’t what it was when we came through,” Stewart, a rookie reliever on the 1981 team, told USA Today. “The Dodgers organization that I grew up in under the O’Malley family would never stand for that. The Dodgers should have stepped up in that situation, and they didn’t. You’ve got to have character standards.
“I told them, ‘I can’t show up for that.'”
Stewart told USA Today that after he informed the franchise he wouldn’t be showing up for the July 25 ceremony, he received an e-mail that read: “The team and the Players Associations support the player until he’s guilty.”
Stewart told USA Today that he responded in all caps: “HE BROKE THE UNWRITTEN RULE ON HOW YOU SHOULD TREAT WOMEN!”
The 30-year-old Bauer is in the first season on a three-year, $102 million deal with the Dodgers. He is being paid while on administrative leave.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said prior to Monday’s game against the Miami Marlins that he doesn’t expect Bauer to immediately be back with the team when the seven-day administrative leave ends.
Stewart said this is one of those situations when a franchise has to ignore the financial implications and simply do the right thing.
“I know they owe him a lot of money, but the right thing is to distance yourself from that guy,” Stewart said. “I don’t want him in my clubhouse. If you’re a teammate, you can’t support him. And if you’re a teammate supporting him, what are you standing for?
“If it wasn’t for his contract, he’d be gone. But even with the money they owe him, you can’t allow him to perform for you and act like nothing happened. You just can’t.”
Stewart was traded from the Dodgers to the Texas Rangers during the 1983 season and later became one of the top starting pitchers in the majors with the Oakland Athletics.
He posted 20 or more victories in four straight seasons (1987-90) and racked up 41 complete games during that span. He finished in the top four of American League Cy Young voting in all four seasons.
Stewart finished with a 168-129 record and 3.95 ERA in 16 seasons with five teams.
–Field Level Media
