LeBron James doesn’t apologize for his first NBA championship with the Miami Heat in 2012. John Riggins didn’t give back his Super Bowl XVII MVP trophy in 1983 for the Washington Redskins. In 1995, New Jersey Devil Claude Lemieux hoisted the Stanley Cup the same as any other NHL champion. The Dodgers gladly slipped on their 1981 World Series rings.
What do all those champions have in common? Their teams seized the season’s biggest hardware after labor disputes shortened their regular seasons but were crowned worthy champions with no disclaimer necessary.
The circumstances are different for Major League Baseball in 2020, but will the end game still matter just the same?