At a certain point, if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, you have to start accepting the fact that it is, indeed, a duck. That’s the mentality I’m shocked people continue to fight when it comes to beleaguered Chicago Cubs infielder Addison Russell.
We all know the story. Domestic abuse allegations surfaced late in 2017 and faded into the background before resurfacing with a vengeance last summer, prompting Major League Baseball to suspend Russell for 40 games under league policy.
All offseason, we heard the same company lines reiterated too many times to count, from everyone from President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein to manager Joe Maddon.