Jordany Valdespin could use a cup to runneth over.
The Mets utilityman exited [Monday’s] exhibition game against the Tigers after he was hit in the genitals with a Justin Verlander 94-mph fastball, and left club officials shaking their heads by revealing he wasn’t wearing a protective cup.
“You would think if you are starting at second base, you would be smart enough to wear a cup,” manager Terry Collins fumed to The Post after the Mets’ 11-0 victory at Joker Marchant Stadium.
Valdespin, who homered leading off the game facing Verlander, was attempting a bunt in the fifth inning against the stud fireballer when he was struck, crumpling him to the ground in agony.
Asked where the pitch hit him, Valdespin replied, “in the d—k,” adding that everything is “fine” and he doesn’t expect to miss action. [...]
Verlander, a former MVP and Cy Young Award winner, said it was the first time he had drilled a batter in that spot.
“He took a hack at the first pitch and the next one — he already hit one bomb — and the next one he totally squared [toward] me,” Verlander said. “And I’m like, ‘Oh God, this isn’t going to be good.’ Right out of the hand it’s like, ‘Oh, [bleep]! That is right at his [genitals].’?”
[Emphasis added]
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1. Gonfalon Bubble Posted: March 14, 2013 at 04:23 AM (#4388102)"The ball had to be humanely destroyed"
"I didn't really notice anything so I asked the ump and he said, yeah it hit me."
"Usually those go into the outfield."
They aren't that uncomfortable if you get used to it.
Never wore one in right field. Briefly considered one after fouling a ball off the plate during a game. Coach moved me to 3B for a game when the regular 3B was sick. I hadn't anticipated the move. Taking infield practice the day before the game, I guess my movements betrayed my skittishness. Coach asked if I was wearing a cup. I said no. He pulled the rest of the infielders off the field and proceeded to spend 10 minutes hitting balls at me as hard as he could.
I guess I learned a lesson. But mostly I just wondered if he'd feel any regret if I'd hurt myself.
EDIT: I didn't wear a cup to the game, now that I think about it. So I guess I didn't learn a lesson.
Why would you carry a duck onto the field?
I was a catcher, so you'd better believe I always wore a cup.
That's just one game, I guess.
I caught in high school and always wore a cup as well. A couple of times foul balls went down and off the plate and back into my groin. Even with the cup it still hurt; I can't imagine taking a foul tip (or whatever) without a cup, I would think the pain would be unbearable.
Given that he just hit 8 HRs in 206 PAs in his 2012 rookie season, you're projecting decline?
Unfortunately he has Francouer's disease. No walks in 29 PAs this spring, .286 OBP last season.
A lot of guys in high school would say they were uncomfortable to wear (non catchers of course). About a year ago on AM 980 here in Washington DC, John Riggins was on there and he said he never wore a cup playing football, which sounded quite odd. I thought all those guys wore cups. But no, and he said he was never hurt in the balls in all his years.
McCarver said he took a fastball dead on, and it BROKE the cup in two! And the pain was incredible. I remember him telling that story years ago
I never wore a cup, but then, I was an outfielder. Not much of one, but even as a shitty outfielder it's hard to get hit in the dick.
Most don't. It sounds crazy to me, too, but athletes in general hate most safety equipment and wear as little of it as they can get away with.
But he hit like a girl, so youneverknow.
A good friend of mine had a grandfather who wore a hard hat with a winter liner in it, year round, all day long. He was a dairy farmer.
What are some good alternatives to Google Reader? I'm not tech savvy, but I do use Google Reader. I have no idea what the replacement options are.
I'll feel free later, thanks.
Today is a bad day to evaluate that as every site that has been mentioned in tech media as an alternative has been hit hard by Reader refugees. All I have tried are slow and flaky right now, I'll give them a chance to get some more servers online before I find one to migrate to.
I'm pretty sure that Beltre still refuses to wear a cup, even after his injury.
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