Delmon
My take on Delmon Young.
After watching the video of Delmon Young throwing the bat at the umpire, this is what I would do if I was dictator of baseball.
- Immediate suspension for 90 games.
- Mandatory enrollment in anger management courses.
- Send him to low A-ball to "get back in shape" after his suspension. He won't taste the majors until 2007.
- Have him do some community service work at a hospital emergency room.
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44 comments
Comments
In reality....
by delmonfan on Apr 28, 2006 1:18 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
some perspective for Delmon?
i would suggest Delmon spend his suspension umpiring little league games.
long-time lurker first-time poster...
I love this site. thank you for all your hard work here John.
by zimm on Apr 28, 2006 1:34 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Anger management programs
by achiappanza on Apr 28, 2006 4:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
i would say...
in my experience, i've found that with people who have profound behavorial problems, you'll be more likely to predict their behavior not by presuming they'll follow a common sense or logical path, but rather to make a list of the worst or least constructive outcomes possible and then assume that the outcome will be some sort of toxic combination of all of them.
the optimist in all of us hopes that Delmon would go to anger management classes and say to himself "you know, i have a big problem here and if i don't do something about it, it's going to affect my development as a player, my reputation, and ultimately, my career. i need to do something about it."
i just don't see that happening. i think if he were ordered to attend these classes, he will not be receptive to it, and will get nothing more than a bigger chip on his shoulder.
if Delmon is delt with by a light suspension and cliche treatment like counciling, my Prospect Crystal Ball will be this: the baseball Stephan Marbury. all the talent in the world, but numbers and a career that mean nothing.
by zimm on Apr 28, 2006 5:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
My call
no counseling (I agree with Zimm)
He spends his suspension giving speeches and doing Little League service work so he can remember what it was like to enjoy the game.
BA's article yesterday put it best. Upton and Young are both in the same situation. Upton has a much bigger reason to gripe about not being in the majors yet has kept his cool and done everything the team has asked of him. Young has played 73 games in AAA and hasn't hit for much authority and has shown extremely little plate discipline. He is playing like he belongs in the majors instead of earning his way to the major leagues.
I just hope he doesn't turn into yet another wasted first round pick by the Rays.
by UCFKnights on Apr 28, 2006 1:52 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Length of suspension
I see a 45-game suspension from the league, and a requirement from the Rays for some form of behavior modification -- counseling or community service.
Then I think somebody needs to sit him down and tell him in no uncertain terms that his actions have cost him substantially. First of all, he won't see the majors in 2006, which will cost him service time. Second, his total earnings will be the result of image and performance. Incidents like this will keep him from getting endorsement deals down the road. Finally, when his peak earnings time comes, teams are not going to want to invest in a head case. He either gets his act together, or he loses millions of dollars.
by 3Com Park on Apr 28, 2006 1:55 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
too light
by taggartd on Apr 28, 2006 2:00 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Suggestion
by bravesfan13 on Apr 28, 2006 2:10 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Different Take
I agree it was wrong and that he shouldn't of done it, but it isn't clear that he even meant to hit the guy.
I'd give him between 10 and 20 games.
by Nolan on Apr 28, 2006 2:33 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
reasonable minds can disagree
I disagree. While I doubt he zinged it at the ump, the bat did come flying in fairly fast. Much faster than a flip.
Of course, I think the season is a stiff penalty, and even 90 games is a lot. I would come in around 30-45 games... but thats just me...
by dbimberg on Apr 28, 2006 2:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Throwing a bat vs shoving
by rojosoto on Apr 28, 2006 4:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
yes
Charlie
by cool hand Charlie on Apr 29, 2006 10:04 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hilarious!
It's similar to Ricky Williams going to play football in Canada while he's suspended from the NFL.
by coreyt on Apr 28, 2006 2:56 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Suspension
by Buddy on Apr 28, 2006 3:17 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Out of
by ScottAZ on Apr 28, 2006 3:17 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Who knows?
Keep in mind that he wasn't yet The Babe at this point; he was just a young fireballer with one superlative season under his belt.
by woodstein52 on Apr 28, 2006 3:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
isn't this
by jpahk on Apr 29, 2006 4:34 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yup
He was a great pitcher, but he did get 26 (according to his Baseball Library page) consecutive outs, which isn't often done.
Also, according to Shore's Baseball Library page, Ruth received a 10-game suspension for the infraction. Don't think that's on Ruth's page, oddly.
by woodstein52 on May 1, 2006 12:20 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ahem . . .
by woodstein52 on May 1, 2006 12:22 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Different times
by SmokeyJoeWood on Apr 28, 2006 6:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
People still . . .
by woodstein52 on Apr 28, 2006 10:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
punishment
I think a season suspension is in order; this worse than steroids (for which there is a 50 game first-time suspension) because: 1) he could have caused grave harm to another; 2) the whole world can see it; 3) it's not the sort of offense one can evade with a masking agent, HgH, or the like; 4) what better time to set a precedent than with an initial offeanse of the sort.
Oh yeah, any ban/suspension should apply to all of baseball -- minors, majors, indies.
by conig166 on Apr 28, 2006 3:18 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
It strikes me . . .
by woodstein52 on Apr 28, 2006 3:30 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
... just sort of flipped it
Who are you trying to kid- the bat came in parallel to the ground from more than 10 feet away. It takes a significant degree of velocity to maintain a flat trajectory.
The ONLY reason the umpire wasn't hurt was because the bat struck the padding. If teh bat (same velocity) was 6 inches hire and struck the ump's face Delmon would probably be facing criminal charges now.
Now, I am curious about 2 things- 1: What did the umpire say (not that it woudl justify the bat throwing incident)
by Johnny Ruin on Apr 28, 2006 4:35 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Looked harder than a flip
My first thought, and one that I'm sticking to, is 100 games.
by stello12 on Apr 28, 2006 5:47 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
My take
It is hard to tell from the video, but I think it could be a flip, as described, albeit a hard flip. By flip, I think that the person means that the bat was thrown with wrist action and underhand, rather than a windup of the arm of any sort. That could still be (and was) a pretty powerful throw, given how strong someone like Delmon is.
Throwing a bat at a person merits a pretty big suspension regardless, but I doubt it was something that could have really harmed the ump, given all the padding that he was wearing.
I'd say a month suspension and a hefty fine along with anger management courses would probably be a fitting punishment.
I could see a case for a two month suspension, but no more. Bertuzzi only got a year, and so did another hockey player who hit a guy with a full windup of his stick.
All that said, what the heck was that ump thinking calling a ball several inches outside a strike? It's not like Tom Glavine was pitching or anything!
BTW, is there a video that actually shows him "flip" the bat? The description given a couple of posts above implies that there is video which actually shows him throwing the bat.
by BaseballBrain on Apr 28, 2006 6:02 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Bertuzzi and Hockey
by CrimsonLiederhosen on Apr 28, 2006 7:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Baseball/Hockey
by BaseballBrain on May 1, 2006 1:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I haven't seen
Judging by the rotation of the bat and how it struck the ump, it looks like he had the bat down by his side. When he turned, he didn't throw the bat overhand, but rather he raised his arm from his side and let the bat go while his arm was traveling upward, which is why I think people that saw it are classifying it as a "flip." Either way, it had a good amount of velocity and that doesn't take away form the severity of what he did.
Give 'em 20 years in the electric chair!!!
As far as the couseling, I think he needs to go. Doesn't matter if he wants to be there or not. By sending him, you are doing your part to do what you can to help him rectify his behavior. That's all you can ask, if he doesn't take the opportunity to let that help him, it's his fault, you did your part trying to get him help. If nothing else, you are exposing him to ways to manage his emotions. It may not work right away, it may never work. It may work right away, it may sink a in a year from now. Either way, he needs some counseling.
by slurve on Apr 28, 2006 6:26 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
This:
is friggin' hilarious.
by woodstein52 on Apr 28, 2006 10:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Oh, I see how it is
Okay, I see how you guys think.
LOL
by The Scout on Apr 28, 2006 6:52 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Upon further review
- 55-game suspension
- Community service, working Little League games
- $250,000 fine
- Booted back to Single-A
- Doesn't get called up to the bigs at all this season
- Not invited to D-Rays spring training in 2007
- Dmitri Young smacks his li'l brudder around a bit
by drjayphd on Apr 28, 2006 7:59 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Are you kidding me?
Why not chemically castrate him or make him be the umpire's butler for a year while you're at it?
by cunningt on Apr 28, 2006 8:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
A couple of possible distinctions
But beyond that, there are two things that make this incident different than that one, as far as I can tell:
- Intent. Delmon Young threw a bat -- or flipped it, or whatever you want to say, but it was going fast -- at somebody with the clear intention of hitting the guy. Roger Clemens kind of tossed a bat in the general direction of somebody. Young's throw came in torso-high and could well have struck the ump in the face. Clemens' throw bounced along at about ankle height. Don't mistake me for a Yankee fan or a Roger Clemens apologist, but these two instances don't seem to be on the same level to me. Clemens' was weird; Young's was dangerous.
- Target. Clemens tossed a bat at another player. Young tossed a bat at an umpire. This dichotomy might seem a little arbitrary, but it's a well-established, unspoken, rule of baseball that you can take a couple of whacks at a fellow player (not without consequences, but it happens), an assault on the ump is unacceptable, just short of going into the stands after a fan, which is one of the cardinal sins of baseball. There is some reason for this: Umpires, unlike ballplayers, are not profession athletes, so, while they may provoke ire, they are not as able to physically defend themselves through brute strength, at least in theory. Another is that umpires are the impartial arbiters of the game; by definition they don't have a side (or at least shouldn't, and, as far as I can tell, almost never do in the professional game), meaning they cannot have done anything purposeful to affront you.
by woodstein52 on Apr 28, 2006 11:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Moeny
by CrimsonLiederhosen on Apr 29, 2006 9:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Sorry . . .
Ultimately, I hope that Delmon Young screws his head on and becomes a great baseball player -- with no caveats. It's in my interest as a baseball fan that there be great ballplayers, and great ones who don't violate the norms of society, cos that's how my sport attracts fans and stays vital into the future. In this respect, getting Delmon Young's attention now is a very good idea.
That said, I do have a soft spot in my heart for ballplayers with obvious personality disorders, because I think they're funny. I think Gary Sheffield, in New York, working for George Steinbrenner, is one of the best things to have happened in the last fifteen years or so. I have fond memories of the Jeff Kent-Barry Bonds feuds of 2002, because that clash of two of the biggest jerks in all of baseball was endlessly entertaining -- like reality TV for people who hate reality TV.
So maybe I am rooting for a bitter, paranoid Delmon Young, to add a little spice to baseball for the next twenty years.
by woodstein52 on Apr 28, 2006 11:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Youth
by jaguar2490 on Apr 28, 2006 9:32 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Run the gauntlet
by kings33 on Apr 28, 2006 11:09 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Where is the Video?
Also, I always thought it was funny to hear fans of other teams lobbying for suspensions. What do D-Rays fans think? Are there any D-Rays fans?
I think a suspension might go something like this:
25-40 games, no major league call-up in 2006, no invitation to spring training in 2007, Delmon can't get to AAA until 2007.
He gets the message that way, and it doesn't hurt his development too much.
by Stealfirstbase on Apr 28, 2006 11:16 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Here:
Video's at the top.
by woodstein52 on Apr 28, 2006 11:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Some Perspective
by Blink 183 on Apr 28, 2006 11:26 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Izzy Alcantara
by Anibal the Cannibal on Apr 29, 2006 6:38 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
And a Carl Everett note . . .
by woodstein52 on May 1, 2006 12:27 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs









