OK, at least Dave and Randy only took out a seagull and a dove, and even then by accident. This clown apparently thought it would be a good idea to keep chucking baseballs at an osprey until he clobbered it.
What on earth compelled this dude to do such a thing? And since it took him a couple of tries to actually hit the bird, why didn’t anyone notice what he was doing and tell him to knock it off?
I hope next time he pitches, a bird takes the most massive dump ever right on his face when he’s on the mound.
I can’t think of what drives a person to do such a thing. It’s just pointless, random, cruel violence. It serves no purpose at all, other than to give an indication as to the maturity/mental status of this person.
Really, how can this be defended in any way? I know people are going to say “it’s no big deal”, but damn, one would think that if Baseball as a sport had any real honor or code of conduct, they’d ban someone who showed this sort of cruel insanity.
And no matter how many times players make pseudo avant-garde commercials claiming “I’m not a role model!”, well, the sad fact is that they are, nonetheless, role models for kids, adolescents, and some adults as well.
Ball players have done much worse and not been banned - there was a KC Royal who threw a firecracker at a fan in the parking lot, and blinded him (I think???), and he wasn’t even banned from the sport for that. But it’s high time for a change, and the change has to start somewhere.
It was Vince Coleman and he was playing for the St. Louis cardinals at the time. The fan wasn’t blinded, he wasn’t even hurt. Think about it, if the fan had been blinded, Coleman would have been arrested and faced some serious jail time. As it was, he was suspended for a few games. But then Vince Coleman had a pretty nice cocaine habit at the time, so you could understand why he might be a bit high strung.:rolleyes:
Meh. The osprey probably had it coming. I mean, they don’t call it a “bird of prey” for nothing. I bet when that osprey went down, there were small rodents frickin’ cheering for that dude. I bet the rodents are right now planning him some sort of ticker tape parade, or a wood chip parade, or little bits of newspaper parade, or whatever rodents usually have lying around. And if the Simpsons is right about animal sociology, they should be making him the alpha shrew, or the Gerbil King, or something like that. Down with the osprey oppressors!
The “I’m not a role model” spot wasn’t a baseball player, but basketball great and all around loud-mouth, Charles Barkley.
Really, how does this speak badly of baseball? Just because he was a ballplayer? If he had a different occupation, would he not still be an asshole?
This is not a baseball issue. This was an indivual commiting a crime. I’m sure the proffession doesn’t like clowns like this tarnishing their image.
I thought Vince was with the Mets when he did that. As a Red Sox fan, I always feel a warm wave of schadenfreude whenever the Mets are in the news for something negative.
I also remember him being with the Mets at that time. He had to be, because no member of the greatest and most hallowed non-Steinbrenner-owned team in sports can do such evil! Also, I had named my hamster after Vince Coleman, and my hamster was a kind and gentle soul. A rodent, in fact. Who would have applauded the death of the foul osprey. Everything comes back around to that damnable osprey!
Vince Coleman was with the Mets, but after he tossed those fireworks, he never played for them again and he was traded to the Kansas City Royals (in a Kevin McReynolds for Coleman deal, that KC got the better end of) and he stole some bases in 1 1/2 years and he didn’t almost kill any fans or run into the tarp machine
It speaks badly of baseball if he’s not punished. There is such a thing as professional conduct. I assure you that if I took a baseball and beaned one of the Canada Geese that congregate outside of my office on the lawn, some people would be having a serious talk with and about me concerning What the Fuck My Problem Was, and I would face some Serious Repercussions.
Once again, I don’t see how this is defensible in any way. Fine the guy a serious fine, suspend him, can his ass, but do something. Show people that “We’re a good sport with a hundred+ year tradition of being a good sport played by good people. Assholes and cruel motherfuckers need not apply.”
I don’t think Barkley made the only claim in public or in commercial that “I’m not a role model. Don’t be like me.” (which, IIRC, was really just an advertsing ploy which made him even more of a role model…yeesh)
Just a minor nitpick but Osprey feed on fish, they are sometimes referred to as “fish hawks”.
As far as the jerk who did this is concerned I hope the States Attorney hits his ass with the book.
Other information I’ll add just for the hell of it: Osprey populations in Florida were reduced in the 70’s/80’s due to the use of DDT and other pesticides that ran off into the waters that the birds fish in. The chemicals screwed up the osprey eggs. The birds have made a great come back in the last 10 years or so. Part of the come back is because nesting platforms have been added to the tops of tall poles near water where the birds like to nest and people like to cut down all the trees to build things.
The more I think about this the more it pisses me off. I think I’ll have to start following the grapefruit league a little closer this summer. If this shitstain is still playing I think he’ll need a lot of heckling.
Yesterday MLB.com had a story from the Cubs stating that they would be disciplining Ryu shortly and making a donation to local animal welfare system. The link isn’t there today.
The Cubs management appears to be fairly pissed off about this. They protect their image pretty fiercely. There’ll certainly be a fine (how much I don’t know) and probably a suspension.
But they won’t fire him. He’s a medium-good prospect and those aren’t easy to find.
BTW, back to the minor hijack: Charles Barkley’s “I’m not a role model” ad was NOT a “don’t imitate me” aimed at the kids. It was aimed at the PARENTS. The full text was something like “I’m not a role model. That’s not my job. My job is to run wild on a basketball court. Raising your children… that’s YOUR job”.
Barkley himself has been on record as rejecting the common understanding of the ad as a denial of social responsibility by sports celebs.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Jonathan Chance *
Yesterday MLB.com had a story from the Cubs stating that they would be disciplining Ryu shortly and making a donation to local animal welfare system. The link isn’t there today.
[QUOTE]
Was he heard to shout “Haduken” as he threw the baseball?
It looks like the bird completely disintegrated!