My Baseball Player is Out for the Season.

[bertha katzenengel]

:cry: Wretched, bitter news!

Many of you know that a member of the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, a local minor league baseball team, is staying with us during the season.* We've adopted Derrick and have fallen in love with him. He calls us his Host Moms, and the love is mutual.

He got very angry after losing the game on Wednesday. He went into the clubhouse and acted like a mad kid: he threw something, then kicked a locker door shut. Only problem was there was a bag on the other side of the locker door, and the door didn't move, and that's how he broke his foot.

He'll continue to stay with us until he knows his prognosis, whether he'll need surgery, etc. We'll drive him around; if he needs surgery Mrs. V. will be the one to take him, wait, and bring him home; etc. We've told him he is welcome to stay as long as he needs, and is welcome to come back at any time until he's able to work and get on his feet.

God.... poor kid. I feel so bad for him. These guys go to the far corners of the country and play for peanuts for the love of the game. To be out for the season is a painful, embittering thing.

* These players are pros but they make very little money, and many of them rely on the kindness of community members for a place to stay during the season.

[bertha katzenengel]

1. Not even Oeditpus Rex? c'mon, KW!

:kick: for baseball fans

[Oeditpus Rex]

6. Sorry, Bertha

This is the first I've seen of this. I've been listening to the archived audio of last night's Peoria-Dayton game, which featured 17 guys thrown out, a pitcher in jail and a fan in hospital.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x7955605

Your guy joins the ranks of ballplayers who've taken themselves out of the game. Alvin Dark and Fred Hutchinson would be proud.

I don't mean that to sound cold, but ballplayers gotta learn to get a grip, because There's Gonna Be Days Like That. One year in Salinas, the manager (or maybe it was the trainer; they're usually smarter) hung a makeshift punching bag in the Spurs' clubhouse with a sign: "Take it out on this."

Still, I feel bad for him. From what you've told us, he seems like a pretty nice guy. Did he blow a save?

[bertha katzenengel]

8. Yeah, I know.

He knows it too, now.

Blown save, got the loss. He's a ground-ball guy, and he's got the shortstop from hell behind him. :(

[Oeditpus Rex]

16. Yeah, you've mentioned the shortstop

Man, and after they tied it in the top of the ninth.



I just voted for him for club first-half MVP on their web site. :)

[KitchenWitch]

2. I just saw ths.

That is sad.

I hope he is able to get on his feet. Will he be able to play next year?

[bertha katzenengel]

9. He plans to - if the care he gets is good enough.

The team's not paying for it because he wasn't injured on the field. That's messed up. :grr:

[KitchenWitch]

14. Oh man, that is el stinko!

x(

[Oeditpus Rex]

17. Life in the unaffiliated minors

That's bogus. They've got an investment in the guy, and he's got good numbers — good ERA, anyway. You'd think they'd want to take care of him, even if what he did was stupid. It ain't like it's the first time it's ever happened.

Did he do it in the clubhouse, or...? :shrug:



Never mind; it just came to me: Since he's out for the year, he's no longer of use to them, so they have no reason to pick up the tab. :eyes:

[BOSSHOG]

3. Thats very nice of you to provide housing

Minor League Baseball is the greatest. And those kids must be under some intense pressure knowing that every play is being studied which may make or break their careers.

[bertha katzenengel]

10. He's a great guy.

He won't ever get called to the Show, but he loves to play. I think he'll always be in pro baseball in some capacity.

[madinmaryland]

4. That's too bad. Will he be back next year??

[bertha katzenengel]

11. He sure wants to be!

He wants to settle in this area and stay w/ the Blue Crabs, either playing or as pitching coach.

[madinmaryland]

15. My wife broke a bone in her foot last november, and it was

at least six months until she could walk normally again. Hopefully he will heal quicker and be back in shape for next season!

[bigwillq]

5. That's awful.

:(

:hug:

[bertha katzenengel]

12. hey, Will

:hug:

[ceile]

7. Oh, that sucks! n/t

[bertha katzenengel]

13. Yeah. OW.