Is Throwing a Wild Pitch Criminal Behavior?
This idea of “implied consent” — in other words, on-field athletes and personnel understand the risks of participation — is one that is generally followed in the United States. Even in Canada, where National Hockey League players have been prosecuted for violent acts on the ice, the general rule is unless a violent act is intended and totally unexpected, it isn’t criminal. (On rare occasions, the law does step in as was the case with Todd Bertuzzi in 2004 when he grabbed opposing player Steve Moore from behind and began punching him in the head.)
Baseball has had its share of tragedy on the diamond. In 1920, New York Yankees hurler Carl Mays killed Cleveland Indians shortstop Ray Chapman with an errant pitch, and in 2007, minor league first base coach Mike Coolbaugh died after a foul ball hit him in the neck. Both are horrible events, but in neither case were charges pressed.
The Czech towns of Brno and Ostrava are a long way from Yankee Stadium, and one would expect that any criminal legal decisions pertaining to baseball in Europe will have little or no echo outside the continent. But the line between regrettable actions on sports fields and criminal intent should be drawn bright. Surely, governments have better ways to focus their energies.
Josh, I write for Pajamas and live in London. What happened to Channel Five and you? We baseball fans in the UK miss you.
A fascinating article; I think the issues you raise relate to the mania in the Eurozone and UK about political correctness. In the UK a new law means that great writers like PD James can no longer visit schools without undergoing a criminal background check! People like myself cannot mentor student filmmakers or journalists unless I pay for a ‘Criminal Records Board certificate.’
The umpire is incompetent. Maybe the Czechs need to play softball instead. They certainly don’t have what it takes for hardball if they are prosecuting pitchers.
Meanwhile…back in the States…baseball has been ruined by millionaire players who charge the mound whenever a pitch gets away. It’s gotten to a point now where batters dig in the box to a point where they create a crater…and there’s nothing a pitcher can do.
This is giving my age away…but when I was a kid my little league coach told us not to dig in because the pitcher might take offense…and he had a very hard missile in his hands that could plunk us. It was just part of the game.
Even the umpires knew it was part of the game.
What a bunch of babies.
Pretty good trick to hit an umpire intentinoally with a ricochet ground bounce.
3. Not all of them charge the mound. Chase Utley got hit by over 20 pitches this year (probably more like 30), and he never once charged the mound. Then again, the Phillies don’t seem to mind taking pitches for the team.
Let me get this right: the pitcher had it in for the ump so he threw the ball at the ground and bounced it into the ump’s head. On purpose. And he’s still playing in the Czech Republic? Has anybody in the CBA actually thrown a baseball? a softball? a volleyball? Socialist idiots. Bah!
Are they crying? Are they crying?!? There’s no crying in baseball! You know why? Because there’s no crying in baseball!
Euroweenies!
“Pretty good trick to hit an umpire intentinoally with a ricochet ground bounce.”
It’s not nearly as hard as you seem to think, it happens all the time in Cricket.
The ball did not hit the ground. It hit the umpire in the head on the full.
maybe watch the game a little closer next time then or get some correct information from your source
thank you all for the understanding. i didnt see how this was deemed intentional either. and i didnt flee the country as of this circumstance i had my flights pre booked and moved 2 weeks earlier as we bombed out of finals so season was over.
Although i guess the CBA may have something a little wrong or im not sure. i got susspended for 2 years with a 4000kc fine also. this fine will not be paid as if it gets taken further i dont think a bouncing ball hiting a moving object can be seen as intentional.