Stupid Athlete Injuries are Laughable
Yankee starting pitcher, A.J. Burnett, had a rough go of it Friday and Saturday.
On Friday, Burnett threw a pie out of frustration and on Saturday afternoon, he threw a baby-like tantrum that caused him to leave the Yankees-Rays game just two batters into the third inning. The pitcher had lacerations on the palms of both hands caused when he slammed them in frustration against a clubhouse door.
Now, I know athletes can be passionate about winning (and losing), but there comes a time when cooler heads need to prevail — especially when you make your living with your hands.
The Yankees say Burnett, who lost to the division-leading Tampa Bay, 10-5 on Saturday, would not miss a start due to the injury, which did not require stitches.
"He's got a Band-Aid on both hands but nothing leads me to believe he won't make his next start," Joe Girardi told ESPN. "I've talked to our training staff, I've talked to our doctor and they all believe he'll be OK."
Monday is an off-day for the Yankees, which benefits Burnett, who will get an extra day's rest before his next scheduled start on Friday against the Royals. Afterward, he apologized, according to ESPN.
"I think the moral is just the fact that I let these guys down in a game where we weren't out of the game early against a good team that's right behind us in second place," Burnett said.
This is classic hot-head stuff. I understand that during the heat of battle, athletes can fly off the handle but there are times when you need to keep it under control.
The list of athletes who have suffered off-field injuries that have impacted their status with the team is as long as the list of athletes who have been injured during a game.
It's hard to keep tempers in check, but when your body is your bread winner, there are other ways to release the hounds. There have been rumors that the Red Sox, for example, would keep a punching bag in the runway to the clubhouse. That's a good idea, but what if a player snaps a finger?
Regardless, million dollar babies can be babies at times. Let's be grown-ups guys and keep your tantrums in check.
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