Tipping Point: Twins Release 2024 Draft Pick for Pitch Tipping

[ryan189]

the pitcher should punch him in the mouth no excuse for this.affecting the pitchers career could of been released you never know if you don't want to play fake a injury or something.hope he never sees the field again like the Yankees kid who stole from the locker room some lines you just don't cross

[jimbo92107]

If you don't want to play, take yourself out of the game. Don't sabotage Ross Dunn, a young pitcher struggling to make it in baseball. What Derek Bender did was pretty close to unforgivable. Time for him to consider doing something else for a living. I don't even care if he's got talent. Good riddance. 

[Jeff K]

6 hours ago, Doctor Wu said:

A sudden sad ending to a potentially promising career. But I have no sympathy for scumbag cheaters --- and doing it to your own team of all crazy things --- so good riddance! I hope he never gets a job in professional baseball again. 

I agree, but not wholeheartedly.  How many of us (definitely myself) did STUPID things when we were 21?  I do agree the Twins had to release him; and the first video that was part of this article demonstrated the guy appears to be a butthead.  I would like to believe that he can grow up and be a decent individual.  

[Shs_2]

Sounds like collusion to me

Why on earth would he do that on his own accord ?

 

[Rosterman]

At one point, it was an art if you could convince a batter a pitch was coming, and it really wasn't.

[ashbury]

2 hours ago, IndianaTwin said:

As a person who deals with depression, there have been times in my life when I have wanted to make (and have made) decisions that seem(ed) quite desperate (even dangerous) at the time. My later self sometimes looks back at them as irrational.

I have no reason to know the dynamics in this young man's life. I hesitate in even typing this, because messages like this lead to speculation. I'm saying it only to recognize that there is almost always more to a story than is seen on the surface.

I will refrain from making judgments on the young man, and I wish him well in the next steps of his life. 

That is really the gist of my meaning when I said I'd like to know his side of the story.  Not his rationalization, per se, since there can be no excuse, but what in the world motivated him to go in that direction?

Your own self-portrayal resonated.  I've never been diagnosed, but a couple of times in my life I've "shot a torpedo through my own hull" to get out of something with an air of finality that didn't make logical sense but seemed necessary at the time.  I didn't do it in a way that took anyone else's ship down, of course; that is what makes Bender's action beyond the pale.  Young people can make foolish decisions that will haunt them forever.

Several have wondered why Bender didn't take his concerns to his coaches or manager and ask for some time off.  While I believe the Twins to be reasonably forward-thinking in their approaches, it still wouldn't surprise me if Bender did actually try to ask for some kind of respite, and got told that it wouldn't be a good look to end his first pro season with that kind of mark on his record.  It's a fine line for any supervisor to toe in any line of work, and I would not expect the Twins to go public with that kind of detail of what did or didn't get discussed behind closed doors.

It's a sad situation and outcome, and I advocate compassion even if the crime itself is unforgivable in baseball terms.  If Bender wants a baseball career it will probably have to be as a first-baseman, and then the bat has to be like a first-baseman's.  Whatever odds he had when he got drafted (already low, as with anyone who's not a first-rounder) just got worse.

[jkcarew]

This may be the act of an emotionally and/or mentally ill person in danger…someone who desperately needs help.

It may be the act of a psychopathic, selfish, —-hole.

Time will tell. But, we’ll probably never know. And you release him either way.

 

[cmoss84]

Unfortunately, this stuff does happen from time to time...and it is gross.

My first year of coaching varsity HS in SoCal, we had 4-5 D-1 prospects on our team. We ended up 4th in the nation in homeruns. But the coach before us was terrible and let all of the players have "me-first" mentalities.

 Our catcher, who was a sophomore, was jealous of the attention other players were getting, and his dad was an idiot. I was the pitching coach and called every pitch. In the middle of the season, we went through a 2-week stretch where everything I called was getting hit hard. I told my HC I have no idea what I am doing...tried everything, and for him to call pitches instead. A few days later, he showed up at my house telling me he had received multiple phone calls from players/parents saying our catcher was telling all batters what pitches were coming. 

He was kicked off the team, but the district allowed him to play for another team. A year later, he pitched against us and a full-on brawl ensued. People need to take this stuff more seriously-it can alter the college/career paths of many individuals. 

[Steve Lein]

I actually couldn't care less about his side of the story. If you didn't want to play anymore, let someone else who does and don't screw over the rest of your teammates. He's lucky there's not a story about the team having an internal brawl over this, at least not yet...

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

4 hours ago, AKTwinsFan said:

Yet signed correa after the Astros debacle.

Oofda.

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

If the Astros' players were relaying their own signs to their opponents so they could hurry with their off-season vacations, I suspect most of that roster would be unemployed right now - regardless of how good they are - Correa included. This is apples and oranges.

[Shaitan]

6 hours ago, LewFordLives said:

Who does he think he is; Crash Davis?

I was picturing Jake Taylor.

[Shaitan]

He certainly got his wish.

[Sssuperdave]

Man, this is a rough situation.   

I wholeheartedly believe in 2nd chances, and recognize areas in my life where I have been given 3rd, 4th, and 5th chances.  That said, the thing I really struggle with in this situation is the thousands of talented young men who never even get first chances to play pro baseball. 

 

Obviously we will never know the whole story.  If Bender was in the midst of a mental health crisis, hopefully he will get the help he needs and can work his way back.  But if it is more a matter of him lacking the emotional intelligence to handle adversity better than this - and this is an incredibly low bar I am talking about - then his roster spot should being given to someone else.

 

[Jocko87]

6 hours ago, Aggies7 said:

Oh sure it’s fine when Crash Davis does it, but now it’s a problem 

That was coaching, sir.  Coaching matters!!!!

Just as a thought exercise, say Vazquez went to hi-A for a longer rehab.  Charlee Soto thinks he's a hot shot (making this up, mind you) as the first round flamethrower.  Thinks he knows better than Vazquez about everything and will not listen.  How does Vazquez grab his attention in an era where shoving folks in lockers is frowned upon?  You need me as much as I need you, kid.

I would be willing to bet something like this has happened has happened before, but with a vet/prospect dynamic.  It that instance, the Vazquez would certainly tell the manager what happened and why he did it, maybe before he did it.  The manager might even ask him to do it. 

This ain't that, though.  It's why he got ratted out by the other team.  Someone asked about the umpires and while we haven't heard yet I'll bet they were involved.  In pro ball they probably wouldn't do anything during the game but the plate ump probably signed the final nail in the coffin when he talked to Falvey. I've had countless non-baseball behavior events I've corrected on the field and then explain what happened to a confused coach.  Many kids benched after the explanations.

[chpettit19]

One of the more bizarre stories I can remember ever hearing about a baseball player's on field conduct.

Wanted to end his team's season because he was worn out physically or mentally? Had a personal problem with that specific pitcher so wanted to tank their performance? Had money on the game and wanted to help his odds?

If he wants to continue his career we'll likely get some sort of comment from him, but it'll be hard to know how much of it is believable. Just a wild story. If he's a person in crisis I very much hope he gets the help he needs and looks to find a path back to the life he was attempting build. If he was just a jerk who hurt his teammates out of his own selfishness I hope he has some good people in his life to help him improve as a person and he has a good backup plan for his life from here on out cuz baseball likely is not the answer anymore.

[Vanimal46]

2 hours ago, Steve Lein said:

I actually couldn't care less about his side of the story. If you didn't want to play anymore, let someone else who does and don't screw over the rest of your teammates. He's lucky there's not a story about the team having an internal brawl over this, at least not yet...

Yeah that’s where I stand too. There’s nothing he can say that will make this situation better. If worst case he had a mental breakdown, there are a dozen other choices he could have made without screwing over his teammates. He made an unforgivable selfish decision that goes against everything teamwork and competition stands for. 

[USAFChief]

4 hours ago, Shs_2 said:

Sounds like collusion to me

Why on earth would he do that on his own accord ?

 

Who would he have been colluding with?

[USNMCPO]

I keep seeing folks here calling him a kid. He is 21. He is an adult. What were you all doing at 21? I was doing a lot and most guys that I know were also. To quote a great movie line; "It's a terrible thing to have to grow all the way up at 21". He deserves no pity nor any respect. Yes, he will have to live with this the rest of his life. Tough s__t! You get what you earn. I hope his Dad took him out to the woodshed when he got home, but then his Dad may have taught him to be this way in the first place.

[Jocko87]

1 hour ago, Vanimal46 said:

Yeah that’s where I stand too. There’s nothing he can say that will make this situation better. If worst case he had a mental breakdown, there are a dozen other choices he could have made without screwing over his teammates. He made an unforgivable selfish decision that goes against everything teamwork and competition stands for. 

The swift and final decision kinda tells me it's not a woe is my mental health thing.  I'd like to believe if there was a drug/alcohol/mental health thing he would be quietly in rehab.  I think we can all agree that the Twins organization has shown they are going to lean to the side of extra chances and support.

I've fired quite a lot of people over the years. I can count on one hand how many were cut and dried one week done. Every chance we have, we try to get someone to straighten up.  Frankly, it's cheaper to fix employees that find new ones.

He'd have a very small chance get a job with me. I do believe in second chances and I know I don't have all the details, but I think I have the most important detail.

The Minnesota Twins do not make these decisions lightly.

[David HK]

13 hours ago, FlyingFinn said:

If your that worn out that you want the season to end, tell the team. With 4 games left, another catcher can probably be found from the FCL club that is done playing. I think there are even some catchers in Fort Myers who are just working on things in camp (could be wrong on that). Kudos to the opposing manager.

And to the oppo players who brought it to their attention.

Crash Davis re-run he is not.  Man, if I were that starter who got raked... 

[kydoty]

Tipping culture is just getting out of hand these days.

[Schmoeman5]

On 9/13/2024 at 5:34 AM, Doctor Wu said:

A sudden sad ending to a potentially promising career. But I have no sympathy for scumbag cheaters --- and doing it to your own team of all crazy things --- so good riddance! I hope he never gets a job in professional baseball again. 

But it's ok for Correa. Because he's a Twin now. No penalties for any of the players. The good old double standard.