Ump beaned

[Mackus]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3450245

Pretty classless move by these guys here. I guess its hard to 100% definitively say that they beaned him on purpose, but the catcher sure does look like he's taking a dive.

The pitcher is the brother of Dodgers 1st round pick Ethan Martin (who was playing SS in this game).

The catcher had been invited to walk on to the team at Gordon College in Georgia, but the coach there told him he wasn't allowed after watching the replays.

[TGO]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3450245

Pretty classless move by these guys here. I guess its hard to 100% definitively say that they beaned him on purpose, but the catcher sure does look like he's taking a dive.

The pitcher is the brother of Dodgers 1st round pick Ethan Martin (who was playing SS in this game).

The catcher had been invited to walk on to the team at Gordon College in Georgia, but the coach there told him he wasn't allowed after watching the replays.

No but it's easy to say with about 99.9% certainty.

Dirtbags.

[Ruzious]

The perfect storm of stupid, immature, and gutless hit that catcher.

Or, if you're a catcher that wants to get blackballed from ever playing organized baseball, that's the way to do it.

[blueberryale77]

OK, assuming they were evil enough to want to do that... why do it with a runner on second? Wouldn't it have been smarter to bean the umpire with nobody on base?

[GeorgiaBird]

This was a big story down here soon after when it happened. The kid (catcher) had been involved in a few other incidents as well, it turns out. He initially accused the umpire of saying something offensive about one of his teammates, but then backed off and insisted it was an accident.

As an aside, one of the reasons I dislike reading Rick Reilly (other than his smugness) is his total disregard for fact checking. ...

It happened on May 31 in the Georgia high school Class AAA championship game. Stephens County was losing to Cartersville 9-1 early, partly because nine straight SCHS batters had struck out. The last ring-up so hacked off superstar shortstop Ethan Martin—who had just been drafted 15th overall by the Dodgers—that he threw his helmet in protest. But that figured. Martin and his brother, Cody, who was pitching, reportedly had been complaining about balls and strikes the entire game.

So the draft took place prior ot May 31 this year?

I know it is a fine point, but reading Reilly for all these years it was no accident. It was part of his "these kids are spoiled brats" moral, facts be darned.

And just like with the Hitler incident from a few weeks ago, kudos to the fine editors/fact checkers at ESPN.

[Coker]

Yeah, those video captures sure make it look pretty intentional. And even not- Hill's excuse that he was expecting a curveball seems pretty bogus.

I've caught numerous games and even if you do get mixed up (which does happen), you still try and block the ball anyway that you can; not just duck down and wait for the next one.

On a side note, when did kids start catching on their knees? If I was the other team, I'd be running all over that guy.

[Col. Claypool]

I am not proud of it, but I was guilty of the very same thing as a 17 yr old. There was an umpire that we just knew had it in for our team (over the course of several games), and we thought it would be fun to get him back. Twenty years later, I can still hear the sound he made when the ball hit him in the mask. I realized right then what a stupid thing it was to do. Luckily, he didn't get hurt and I guess we pulled it off pretty well as no one questioned us. No one except for my father, that is. He knew exactly what we had done. I was already regretful for pulling that stunt, but pops made it even worse for me. He insisted that I confess to the umpire and deal with those consequences. He also prevented me from playing with my traveling team for the rest of the summer.

I coached that same team as an adult, and came across that umpire several times. Luckily for me, he realized it was a dumb move by an immature teen who should have known better, and never held a grudge. That was easily my worst moment playing ball, and one that to this day I am embarrassed to recount.

Hopefully those kids will realize just how stupid they were.

[Bmo24Ph]

Couple things:

Why the heck wasn't Ethan Martin pitching?

That was very good aim. Even though he's wrong for doing that, the aim on that was amazing. Where's his brother going to college?

[scOtt]

In the guy's defense... it was a breaking ball... two-seamer at the most.

Pretty good aim, really.

Still.

.

:scratchchinhmm:

Totally classless. The pitcher, the catcher, the manager! All of them and anyone else who knew.

[EddieO's21]

That was pretty intense....even with a mask, it's not without risk, thats for sure

I'd like to meet that catcher and bean a ball at his face...it probably won't feel that good