"But Roger Did it Too! You Never Punished Him!"

[Elster88]

Rays prospect Young suspended for toss

Link with video
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Top Tampa Bay prospect Delmon Young was suspended indefinitely by the International League on Thursday, a day after throwing a bat that hit a replacement umpire in the arm.

"The Devil Rays organization supports the decision," said Andrew Friedman, Tampa Bay's team's executive vice president of baseball operations.

The 20-year-old Young, brother of Detroit star Dmitri Young and considered one of the best players in the minors, was ejected in the first inning following a called third strike in the Durham Bulls' Triple-A game at Pawtucket, R.I.

When Young took his time leaving the batter's box, the umpire tossed him. Young then flipped his bat underhand and it sailed end over end, striking the umpire. The umpire, whose name was not released, did not appear injured and remained in the game.

"I sincerely regret my actions in the game yesterday," Young said in a statement released by the office of his agent, Arn Tellem. "Regrettably, in the heat of the competition my emotions got the better of me.

"My behavior was completely unacceptable. I want everyone to know that I recognize that it is never right to throw a bat and I certainly never intended for the bat to make contact with the umpire. Nevertheless, I owe an apology to my team, the fans and most importantly to the umpire, for the incident. I am sorry."

Regular minor league umpires are on strike this season. Fill-ins umps -- most of them with college or high school experience -- have been working in their place. Minor league teams are not releasing the names of the replacements.

"It's an unfortunate incident and there should be no place for actions like that in the game of baseball," the umpire said in a statement released by Pawtucket. "Any official should not be treated like that. He embarrassed himself and his teammates."

After the game, Durham manager John Tamargo said he hadn't spoke to Young and hadn't "gotten his side of it."

"We've had some problems with different umpires and it's tough. But I can't say any more," he said.

Young left during the game and wasn't available for comment. The outfielder was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 amateur draft and picked as the 2005 minor league player of the year by Baseball America.

"We do not tolerate this type of conduct from anyone in the Devil Rays organization," Friedman said. "We will meet with Delmon and his representatives as soon as possible to further address this unfortunate situation. It cannot and will not be repeated."

Pawtucket catcher Corky Miller said he didn't hear Young say anything to the umpire. "I heard the umpire say, 'You better get going,' " Miller said.

"It was hard to say what was going through his mind. Guys have emotions," Miller added. "But you try to learn how to control them. I'm sure as the bat left his hands he knew it was a bad decision."

Devil Rays utilityman Greg Norton, who was at the game, talked about what happened after he was brought up Thursday and arrived at Yankee Stadium.

"It wasn't violent, and I don't feel it was meant to hit him," he said.

In Double-A ball last year, Young was suspended for three games by the Southern League for bumping the chest of plate umpire Jeff Latter.

[Elster88]

The video is pretty funny to watch too.

[Elster88]

Someone help me out with a thread title.

[Guest Edgy DC]

It may be perception and not reality, but nothing says "organization guy" better than "Pawtucket catcher Corky Miller."

[Willets Point]

My favorite part is the catcher who just kind of looks at the ump for a second and then casually walks to the mound.

]Regular minor league umpires are on strike this season. Fill-ins umps -- most of them with college or high school experience -- have been working in their place. Minor league teams are not releasing the names of the replacements.

This is news to me. Anyone else know anything about this.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

Even Little Leaguers know that you can't throw bats!

[Elster88]

Willets Point wrote: My favorite part is the catcher who just kind of looks at the ump for a second and then casually walks to the mound.

For me it's the way the bat comes flying from offscreen and hits him. It's like a cartoon, and I keep imagining the "Doink!" sound effect in my head.

[Willets Point]

I guess it's a combination of the two, the act of cartoon violence followed by casual indifference.

[Guest Edgy DC]

]This is news to me. Anyone else know anything about this.

Yup, going on all year. It's been kind of disgusting. Nobody can really live on what minor league umpires make, and, just like the Major League Baseball Players Association with minor league players, the Major League umpiring union has been indifferent to joining their cause with that of their minor league conterparts.

Good for them for walking. The players should walk with them. Here's the real issue: will these replacement umps be allowed to join the big-league umps' union if they get a job up there? Will the weakened ump union send people out to photograph them if they can't get their names?

[duan]

in Delmon's favour is that the unions probably won't be demanding his head on a silver platter!!

[Centerfield]

Not for nothing, but to Roger Clemens' situation was completely different than Delmon Young's.

Delmon threw a bat, complete and whole, at an umpire and that clearly warrants punishment.

Clemens threw jagged bat shards at an opposing player and that was ok because he thought it was the ball and everyone knows in baseball you're supposed to throw the ball at baserunners.

I hope that clears up the confusion.

[Guest old original jb]

It is true now as it was true in ancient days.

Bats, we don't throw.

[duan]

having seen it he should get banned for a LONG time.

It was an appalling thing to do and i wouldn't think being told to sit out the rest of the season would be too much.

[Guest holychicken]

From everything I had read it sounded like he just flipped the bat down while still in the batters box and it kind of spun and hit him. . .I didn't realize until watching the vvideo how deliberate it was.

He deserves a long suspension for that because it is completely unacceptible.

[Zvon]

No excuse for what Young did.
Its nice to hear him say he's sorry and all, but he still should face a major suspension and fine.

Im hearing app. 3 weeks and I think it should be longer than that.
At least double that.

He may have just flung the bat backwards, but he wasnt flinging it at the ground, thats for sure.

[Frayed Knot]

"Its nice to hear him say he's sorry and all"

Or at least that his agent is since HE's the only one we heard from.


"I'm hearing app. 3 weeks and I think it should be longer than that. "

I'd like to see them start at around 50 days

[nymr83]

if steroids is 50 days (see Iriki) for a first time offender throwing a bat at an umpire, for someone already suspended for chest-bumping one last year, needs to be more than 50 games.

[Zvon]

50 games it is.
I like the way everyones reporting it as 50 games, so it seems like alot.
Its two freakin months.

Reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeediculous.

[nymr83]

it is pretty ridiculous, but like the title of the thread says, roger did it too.

What Roger did was in some ways worse, I think he had a greater intent to hit someone that Young did, I think Young just wanted to flip it near him in disgust.

On the other hand, Young's bat actualy made contact so it needs to be a bigger suspension. Also, all victims are not created equal in baseball you get more for hitting an ump than you do for hitting an opposing player, and you'd get even more than this if you intentionaly hit a fan.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

Bernie Williams flipped his batting helmet (Delmon style) toward the home plate umpire after getting called out on strikes to end the seventh inning. He was quickly ejected and got to watch the remainder of the ass kicking the Red Sox administered to the Yankees.

[duan]

I think 50 games is stunningly low, but I do accept that it's important not to hang Delmon out to dry by seriously damaging his long term career prospects.

For me, it'd be a good idea to issue a stronger sentence but 'suspend' part of it on the basis of certain conditions.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Fifty is fine.

[Guest silverdsl]

Rockin' Doc wrote: Bernie Williams flipped his batting helmet (Delmon style) toward the home plate umpire after getting called out on strikes to end the seventh inning. He was quickly ejected and got to watch the remainder of the ass kicking the Red Sox administered to the Yankees.

I don't think Bernie flipped it like Young did. He wasn't even looking behind him so he probably had no idea where the umpire was. Don't get me wrong, Bernie should know better than to throw equipment anywhere even remotely near an ump, particularly in light of the Young incident, but I don't think Bernie did quite the same thing as Young did.

[Elster88]

Fifty is fine by me too. Especially if it's a suspension without pay.