Delmon Gets 50

[edabbs44]

Not enough in my opinion...

Tampa Bay prospect Delmon Young was suspended for 50 games without pay by the International League on Tuesday for throwing a bat that hit a replacement umpire in the chest. The suspension is retroactive to April 27, the day after Young tossed his bat in a Triple-A game while playing for Durham. The outfielder has agreed to perform at least 50 hours of community service, and can play again on June 19.

[cumberlandreds]

Not nearly enough. Should have been the rest of the season with permanent probation with the understanding if something similar ever happened again it would be a lifetime ban.

[TeamBoone]

I agree, but then again... I can understand why he did it... emotions take over sometimes. And some of those umpires... man they can be infuriating!

Just think if that ball Lo Ducca spiked had hit the ump's foot!

[Reds4Life]

Should have been the rest of the season, minimum. On top of that, it's retroactive, so he'll be playing again in around a month.

Unreal.

:thumbdown

[adampad]

50 games sounds about right to me.

[NJReds]

He's lucky, it should've been much longer.

Didn't Pete Rose get 30 days for pushing an ump? Young threw a bat and hit the ump...50 days?

[jmbraun773]

I can't believe that all he got was 50 days :thumbdown

That ump could have been seriously hurt...should have been atleast the rest of this season.

[flyer85]

He should consider himself fortunate. Hopefully this incident and punishment might actually modify his behavior. He will be on a short leash and will never get the benefit of the doubt in the future.

[TOBTTReds]

I felt 50 was right when it happened. This was one mindless act, hey atleast he didn't beat the ump with his bat.;) I think 50 is a good suspension.

[TOBTTReds]

That ump could have been seriously hurt...should have been atleast the rest of this season.

:rolleyes:

Would have chipped a tooth had that hit him in the face.

[Krusty]

Fifty games should teach him a lesson. Let's not crucify the kid here. You hold him accountable for his actions and you want him to realize in the longhaul the mistake he made.

[registerthis]

:rolleyes:

Would have chipped a tooth had that hit him in the face.

Did you see the ferocity with which the bat was thrown? This wasn't some mindless toss, the bat was hurled towards the umpire. he most certainly could have been seriously injured.

At any rate, it's certainly not a situation worth mocking.

[captainmorgan07]

50 ggames sounds right o me alsowhole season is to long to punish the kid he'll learn his lesson

[ED44]

A full season without pay may have made him think twice before doing it again.

[TeamSelig]

Full season without pay? I'm pretty sure minor leaguers don't get paid all that well. Not really sure on that though.

[IslandRed]

A full season without pay may have made him think twice before doing it again.

50 games is long enough to teach the lesson, if he's capable of learning it. But I'd have been cool with a longer suspension.

[Blimpie]

:rolleyes:

Would have chipped a tooth had that hit him in the face.You obviously have not seen the video...

[johngalt]

Question - If the Devil Rays really wanted to keep Delmon playing, couldn't they demote him to Double-A and let him play there?

This is moot since they released a statement saying they agreed, but since the suspension is from the International League, it seems to me that they would have a way around it if they really disagreed with a suspension a player receives.

Anybody have any idea of something similar happening before?

[ED44]

Full season without pay? I'm pretty sure minor leaguers don't get paid all that well. Not really sure on that though.

I'm not positive on his salary either (although being a first rounder, I'm sure he was given a decent deal). Considering 'big bro' has been at the major league level and earned some decent cash, I'm really not sure it would matter anyway. Nonetheless, I think 50 games isn't enough.

[edabbs44]

The commish said that if he felt there was definitive proof that he threw it at the umpire (instead of possibly tossing the bat and accidentially hitting the ump) then he would have gotten the rest of the season.

So basically what he was saying is that there were no eyewitnesses there who could give him a version of the story that was outside of the camera. If his name wasn't "Delmon Young" he would have gotten a year, easy.

[Benny-Distefano]

He should consider himself fortunate. Hopefully this incident and punishment might actually modify his behavior. He will be on a short leash and will never get the benefit of the doubt in the future.


Anyone remember that scene in the first Naked Gun movie where he is the umpire and he calls strikes before the ball even touches the catchers mitt?

Delmon should get used to that sort of thing... :D

[westofyou]

Considering 'big bro' has been at the major league level and earned some decent cash, I'm really not sure it would matter anyway. Nonetheless, I think 50 games isn't enough.Big Brother got 30 days for going into the stands in AA.

Carl Everett got 10 a few years ago when he had his "incident"

I think 90 would have been a good number, that's 1/2 a season.

[KronoRed]

Full season without pay? I'm pretty sure minor leaguers don't get paid all that well. Not really sure on that though.
That would be a shame for him wouldn't it?
;)

[Caseyfan21]

I think he should have gotten more. To say that he got a reduced suspension because he wasn't throwing it at an ump is ridiculous. I bet if the ump had gotten nailed in the face and been out for awhile he would have gotten the whole season. He's lucky that the ump only got hit in the shoulder. This is something that should have a zero tolerance IMO.

[edabbs44]

I think he should have gotten more. To say that he got a reduced suspension because he wasn't throwing it at an ump is ridiculous. I bet if the ump had gotten nailed in the face and been out for awhile he would have gotten the whole season. He's lucky that the ump only got hit in the shoulder. This is something that should have a zero tolerance IMO.

Here's what the IL Pres said

IL president Randy Mobley said that he could not determine, with absolute certainty, that Young had intended to hit the umpire when he threw the bat. "If I had, I would have suspended him for the entire season," Mobley said. "He explained to me that it was his intent to throw his bat and throw his helmet back toward to the plate to show his disgust with the call, as we've seen in other situations, and there was a miscalculation." Young will also perform at least 50 hours of community service.

[K-GAR]

Question - If the Devil Rays really wanted to keep Delmon playing, couldn't they demote him to Double-A and let him play there?

This is moot since they released a statement saying they agreed, but since the suspension is from the International League, it seems to me that they would have a way around it if they really disagreed with a suspension a player receives.

Anybody have any idea of something similar happening before?

yes they could, the suspension wouldn't follow him, I would hope the d-rays won't do that though, imagine if they called him up and he made it to the show because of this.

[gilpdawg]

Question - If the Devil Rays really wanted to keep Delmon playing, couldn't they demote him to Double-A and let him play there?

This is moot since they released a statement saying they agreed, but since the suspension is from the International League, it seems to me that they would have a way around it if they really disagreed with a suspension a player receives.

Anybody have any idea of something similar happening before?
Remember an Orioles minor-leaguer named Luis Mercedes in the early 90s, who got a cup of coffee in the bigs? He got into a major fight on the field, and IIRC, he threw his batting helmet into a dude's face, and shattered it, and broke one of the guy's teeth. The minor league suspended him for the remainder of the season, but it was late in August already, and the O's were planning on bringing him up on September 1, but they respected the suspension and waited until the minor league season was over before they brought him up.

[redsmetz]

I felt 50 was right when it happened. This was one mindless act, hey atleast he didn't beat the ump with his bat.;) I think 50 is a good suspension.

I concur with your sentiment. I don't think a hammer is always needed, and this is a good long time for a minor leaguer. Some other comments made me wonder what Juan Marichal got for hitting Johnny Roseboro with his bat in 1967. I looked it up on Wikipedia: Nine Days.

[redsmetz]

Here's what the IL Pres said

IL president Randy Mobley said that he could not determine, with absolute certainty, that Young had intended to hit the umpire when he threw the bat. "If I had, I would have suspended him for the entire season," Mobley said. "He explained to me that it was his intent to throw his bat and throw his helmet back toward to the plate to show his disgust with the call, as we've seen in other situations, and there was a miscalculation." Young will also perform at least 50 hours of community service.

I'm glad to see the Community Service aspect too. I suspect that Dmetri sat him down and had a good long talk with him telling him to not short circuit his career. I recall Dmetri talking about something akin to this in his own career which was a wake up call.

[westofyou]

I concur with your sentiment. I don't think a hammer is always needed, and this is a good long time for a minor leaguer. Some other comments made me wonder what Juan Marichal got for hitting Johnny Roseboro with his bat in 1967. I looked it up on Wikipedia: Nine Days.
That's true, but there are distinctions here.

Players vs Players
Players vs Officials
Players vs Fans

All should probably be looked at from those angles at the start IMO.

[cincinnati chili]

Full season without pay? I'm pretty sure minor leaguers don't get paid all that well. Not really sure on that though.

I'm going to GUESS that this will cost him around $125,000. However, it could be a LOT MORE if depending on how they calculate "this year's" salary.

He has a major league contract. If you deduct his signing bonus, it comes out to approximately $400K per year. He'll lose nearly a third of that (50/162).

Contract info from rotowire:

Signed a five-year major league contract (for the 2004-2008 seasons) with the Devil Rays, September 2003. The contract includes a $3.7-million signing bonus, $25,000 of which will be paid in November 2003. The rest will be paid in installments, starting with $225,000 in January. He'll receive $1.5 million in January 2005, $1.5 million in January 2006 and $450,000 in July 2006. Including his built-in annual salaries, the contract is worth a minimum of $5.8 million, and could be as much as $6.25 million, depending on how soon he makes it to the majors.

[TOBTTReds]

Did you see the ferocity with which the bat was thrown? This wasn't some mindless toss, the bat was hurled towards the umpire. he most certainly could have been seriously injured.

At any rate, it's certainly not a situation worth mocking.

I certainly don't think im mocking the situation. And for justification, I've been hit in the face by a thrown bat (full swing) from about 10 feet away. Some bloody gums and lips, and that was it. Sure it could have been worse. I guess I'm taking the term "serious" injury to be much worse than a broken nose, bc that might have been the most serious injury possible on that.

And Blimpie, I did see the video numerous times, I think I actually posted it here when I first saw it.

[Johnny Footstool]

I certainly don't think im mocking the situation. And for justification, I've been hit in the face by a thrown bat (full swing) from about 10 feet away. Some bloody gums and lips, and that was it. Sure it could have been worse. I guess I'm taking the term "serious" injury to be much worse than a broken nose, bc that might have been the most serious injury possible on that.

And Blimpie, I did see the video numerous times, I think I actually posted it here when I first saw it.

I agree. No concussion or broken jaw. It would have been similar to a punch and a lot less serious than a thrown fastball.

[Chip R]

I would guess if the Devil Rays tried to send him down to AA, that league would honor that suspension.

[Big Klu]

Big Brother got 30 days for going into the stands in AA.

Carl Everett got 10 a few years ago when he had his "incident"

I think 90 would have been a good number, that's 1/2 a season.

I thought when I first heard about it that 50 games would be the absolute minimum. If he got 50, then he should consider himself lucky.

I thought that he would get 100 games, though.

[IslandRed]

Anyone remember that scene in the first Naked Gun movie where he is the umpire and he calls strikes before the ball even touches the catchers mitt?

Delmon should get used to that sort of thing... :D

I wondered about that myself... I don't think the major-league umpires are covered by the same union as the minor-leaguers, or what the working relationship is between the two unions. But, what I'm getting at, is that it was a "scab" ump involved in the incident. How will that play into how umpires treat Young down the road? I don't expect any umpire to condone what Young did, for precedent's sake if nothing else, but I wonder if some of the striking umps didn't really mind watching a replacement lose a game of "catch the bat."

[Team Clark]

So basically what he was saying is that there were no eyewitnesses there who could give him a version of the story that was outside of the camera. If his name wasn't "Delmon Young" he would have gotten a year, easy.

I agree. With Gomes' emergence Delmon needs to think real hard about how "valuable" he really is.

[BoydsOfSummer]

Alomar spits on an umpire and gets a slap on the wrist. Young flings a bat and hits one and gets a slap on the wrist. What's next, meeting the umpire under the stands to settle it like men did in the early century game.

Wonder what a guy would get if he broke the bat off and then jammed it in an umpires heart- vampire style.

[Team Clark]

Alomar spits on an umpire and gets a slap on the wrist. Young flings a bat and hits one and gets a slap on the wrist. What's next, meeting the umpire under the stands to settle it like men did in the early century game.

Wonder what a guy would get if he broke the bat off and then jammed it in an umpires heart- vampire style.

The long forgotten part about the Alomar incident is that Hirschbeck racially slurred Alomar calling him a "dirty spic" THEN Alomar spit on him. I still have on VHS the reports from ESPN (Keith Olberman) that confirmed that report. I also have a close friend who was on that Blue Jays team who heard it from about 75 feet away. They swept that under the rug otherwise the sitaution would have been 10x worse than it already was.

[Redeye fly]

That's true, but there are distinctions here.

Players vs Players
Players vs Officials
Players vs Fans

All should probably be looked at from those angles at the start IMO.

That's a good point, and obviously we're looking at different eras,although I'm not sure how much that has to do with it. I understand catchers are pretty well armored too. But anytime one player uses a weapon, so to speak, with some pretty sinister intentions on another player, even in the heat of things, that's got to be considered as well. I'm not really a big hockey fan at all, but I know there have been a couple of pretty significant penalties handed down over the past years for player player incidents.

[edabbs44]

Anyone remember that scene in the first Naked Gun movie where he is the umpire and he calls strikes before the ball even touches the catchers mitt?

Delmon should get used to that sort of thing... :D

You know, in the playoff series (Orioles vs Yankees) after the spitting incident, Alomar actually got that treatment. I was amazed that the umps were calling some of those pitches strikes. Then I remembered what happened.

[registerthis]

I certainly don't think im mocking the situation. And for justification, I've been hit in the face by a thrown bat (full swing) from about 10 feet away. Some bloody gums and lips, and that was it. Sure it could have been worse. I guess I'm taking the term "serious" injury to be much worse than a broken nose, bc that might have been the most serious injury possible on that.

I believe a concussion was certainly possible, given the velocity of the bat when it was hurled at him. And an attack on an umpire merits the most serious of penalties, I would argue. This isn't throwing at a player of an opposing team, or kickign some dirt on his shoes to disrespect him--this was an intent to injure, regardless of what he may have stated in his apology.

And I apologize if you weren't mocking, perhaps it was the :rolleyes: that threw me off.

[TeamBoone]

This isn't throwing at a player of an opposing team, or kickign some dirt on his shoes to disrespect him--this was an intent to injure, regardless of what he may have stated in his apology.

You honestly don't think hurling a 90 mph ball at an opposing player's head isn't an intent to injure?