Pitcher hit ump on purpose?

Julie, concur...

MN-Mom,

The only way to really eliminate the "personal" issue - IMO - is to erase the video.

That is about as blatantly obvious as I have ever seen.

Hopefully - the discussion that ensues here will concern sportsmanship - and not premeditated assault.

I think having this video posted on the net is a pretty strong deterrent to players considering this kind of stuff in the future. This is now a matter of public record. Having the kids' names attached to it runs the risk of labeling these kids for their entire baseball career, which probably isn't a fair sentence. That said, unless the catcher is truly extraordinary, I can't imagine him ever living this one down. His reputation with umpires will follow him everywhere, and his innings behind the plate will be difficult. He should strongly consider learning a new position.

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Spizzle...

I would disagree...some...the video is two edged...

IF it engenders a swift heavy response then it is part of the solution...

IF however, the response is meek and weak...it will be a template...YIKES!...and that is my fear...

44
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Yeah I get you 44. In this case it's swift and heavy, and broadcast nationally. That's a good thing in my book. But if bad things get twisted and (gulp) glorified then we have a huge problem. I think you'll see more and more of this kind of thing, and with the right outcome I hope. Nothing much happens in this day and age without a camera present.

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quote:

Nothing much happens in this day and age without a camera present.

Yep...Imagine the scenario if this were a few years ago...and no visual existed...It would be an entirely different argument...He said/he said...

There is certainly something to the argument that one must THINK before they act now...or your stupidity may go national...

44
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quote:

Stephens County principal David Friend said he thought the ruling was fair

quote:

.... we had several players who didn't represent school way I think they should have. Not just that pitch, but the overall behavior."

quote:

Friend said he was concerned about his players' excessive arguing with umpires and throwing helmets and gloves in the dugout and one report that a student made an obscene gesture to an official.

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.... the half inning prior to the umpire being hit, Stephens County shortstop argued with the home plate umpire and threw his helmet after becoming the ninth straight Stephens batter to strike out.

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If there is one player I feel bad about, it's our kid being judged by one pitch because he's really done so much good in the way he's represented his team and school in the classroom," Friend said. "I feel bad for his family. This has been devastating for them."

.....probably not half as devestating as it was for the umpire.

Good kids sometimes make bad mistakes.

It may have been only one pitch,...but if it was intentional, it sure represents about a dozen wrongs.

Wow.
What a shame all of this bad behavior took place.

quote:

As part of the GHSA's penalty, Gosnell and his assistants must complete a sportsmanship education program.

That's it?????

Boy,.....bet that baby slap tap on the wrist hurt.

Good grief.

Spizzle quote:

quote:

He should strongly consider learning a new position.

I agree.
Perhaps defensive lineman.

.....or geranium plant potter,..... in Alaska.

From the AJC article-
"But Stephens County coach Mark Gosnell said it was a mixup between his catcher and pitcher."

"Matt said he had a curveball, and Cody said it was a fastball," Gosnell said. "[They] have been as honest as anyone since I've known them."

In all fairness, and compared to these kids, the coach has gotten off fairly light. His name was hardly mentioned in this thread. If the parents and fans were involved too then the coach truly never had control of his program. The school pays a small fine and Gosnell, the adult who is teaching these young men, gets to go to sportsmanship class? This is something many states would require of any licensed coach anyway.
Mark Gosnell stuck up for his players when he should have been addressing the problem with them. And BTW, you can stick up for your players without making excuses for them. If he was implicit in any way with what happened he needs to go.

Public trashing was not my intent when reporting what was happening. I was simply and innocently trying to report what was happening, and the parties involved. I have no malice towards any of the characters involved in this story.

I understand WHY you edited and/or deleted as you did so as to not have this forum appear to bad mouth our youth. I respect that. I just wanted it known that I wasn't doing anything intentionally.

Back to the story...the question was asked above..."are you saying the hit batter was intentional...??" I can't say for sure. All I can say is that it was against their #1 rival and the game became heated. It just seems to me that all this seems quite suspicious when these particular kids are up against the wall.

quote:

Originally posted by MN-Mom:

But I still will ask all members to try to avoid going over that line between suspicion and anger about the incident, and public trashing of HS-aged players.[/b]

Julie

If there was no video and only accounts of the story, then there'd be some question on what happened.

This video clearly shows what these punks did and should be tossed out of the game on their ears. Maybe the next time, they kill somebody.

Since baseball's a game of failure, they could blow a gasket any time. Before they're ever allowed on the field again, they need to seek professional help.

When I saw this post yesterday I immediately emailed the links to my sons at home (pitcher and catcher.) The catcher saw the video before reading the article and had no idea what to expect. He did not hesitate on his take. I told him to go to the AJC article and he was stunned to recognize the names mentioned.

Teenage boys make stupid testerone driven mistakes all the time, but when you have a high profile name, you have to expect them to go public. It's unfortunate for them, but having the video go public may deter others in the future. Would it have gained as much attention if a top draft prospect was not involved? Does it happen way too often? Probably so. My son was asked to do the same thing in a high school game this season. The pitcher came to me after the game and said that my son was "a good kid" in a less than complimentary tone. He told me that he instructed him to duck so that he could hit the ump, but that my son would not do it. I was speechless. While the situation is unfortunate, I hope good will come from the outrage and fewer players will think it's "just part of the game."

Another account that I read alleged the father of the pitcher called the pitch from the stands with "a whistle and a hand gesture".

quote:

Originally posted by YoungGunDad:
Back to the story...the question was asked above..."are you saying the hit batter was intentional...??" I can't say for sure. All I can say is that it was against their #1 rival and the game became heated. It just seems to me that all this seems quite suspicious when these particular kids are up against the wall.

To accuse a HS kid of putting a 90 mph fb into the face of a batter, on purpose, is a pretty darn strong accusation. I would - in the strongest terms - recommend such an accusation not be made on supposition or wild guesses.

The school was fined $1,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct.

quote:

Stephens coach Mark Gosnell said Hill and pitcher Cody Martin denied plotting to hit the umpire, who was not hurt, and said the passed ball during a 13-1 loss to Cartersville was a result of a signaling mix-up.

But GHSA executive director Ralph Swearngin believed otherwise after viewing video of the play.

"I made my decision primarily by watching whether the catcher tracked the pitch with his eyes," he told the paper. "In my opinion, he did not. I think that he would have been searching for the ball if it were a matter of being crossed up."

Stephens County principal David Friend said he thought the ruling, which included placing the baseball program on "severe warning status," was fair.

"I told (Swearngin) that I thought we deserved it," Friend said. "We had the opportunity to be on a big stage, in a state championship series, and we had several players who didn't represent school way I think they should have. Not just that pitch, but the overall behavior."

http://msn.foxsports.com/other/story/8213140?MSNHPHMA

Well the Dodgers sure didn't seem to care much about this incident.

That's because they're Dodgers...and artful...and can step out of the way!

Here is the latest:
Catcher loses scholarship

the video looks very suspicious to say the least. You are losing 9-1 so throw at the umpire? Maybe that is some new strategy today?