And the Pussification of America Continues - Maine High School Baseball Coach Fired After Other Team Does Suicide Squeeze Up 8-1 And Next Batter Promptly Gets Beaned

HERMON, Maine – The Hermon High School baseball team hosted Washington Academy of East Machias in its final game of the regular season Tuesday without its original head coach.Junior varsity coach Justin Perry was appointed last Friday morning as the Hawks’ interim varsity coach for the remainder of the season, replacing first-year coach Aaron Brideau, according to Hermon athletic administrator Paul Soucy. The move is believed to be related to the circumstances involving a batter being hit by a pitch during the fifth inning of the Hawks’ 11-1, five-inning loss at Foxcroft Academy in Dover-Foxcroft on May 16. Foxcroft took a 7-1 lead into the bottom of the fifth and needed to score four runs to end the game early under the 10-run rule. Foxcroft had a run in and a runner on third base with one out when Brooks Law laid down a successful suicide-squeeze bunt single that drove home a run to make it 9-1. Caleb Richard then came up to hit, and during his at-bat Law stole both second and third bases before Richard was hit in the left elbow by a 3-2 pitch — the pitch right after Law reached third via Foxcroft’s 16th stolen base of the game.

“It did seem suspicious because they were clearly getting very frustrated and it felt like the pitcher really reared back and put something extra on that pitch,” said Foxcroft coach Mark Chevalier. “I said so to the umpire and he kind of agreed but we both said that we know there’s no way to prove intent so there was nothing we could do about it.” “While we were upset about the beaning when it happened and were disappointed to hear some of the details that have since come to light, we feel that justice has been served and are not going to hold a grudge against a bunch of kids who are just trying to go out and win baseball games,” said Chevalier. “We’ve had several hard-fought games with Hermon over the past few years, and I always felt that there was a mutual respect between our program and theirs. We’ve never had an incident with them, or with anyone else for that matter. Our kids play the game hard, and they play it the right way. People who understand baseball can see that.” Hermon officials reportedly became aware of the hit-batter incident last Thursday, a week after it occurred, and turned to Perry on an interim basis the next day.

Let me say this loud and clear. Nobody in the history of baseball has ever deserved to get hit by a pitch more than this kid did. And generally I’m not a believer in all those unwritten rules in baseball. Like hitting somebody because you’re offended their HR trot was too slow or because they watched a HR for too long is garbage. You don’t like it? Get him out.

But a suicide squeeze when you are already up 8-1 while trying to 10 run rule somebody? And then stealing 2nd and 3rd on the next 2 pitches? Well I’d fucking bean whoever was up too. So the winning coach has some nerve complaining about it. Acting like he didn’t bring this on himself.  He’s lucky the kid didn’t get it in the earhole.  Granted I don’t think anybody should have gotten in trouble here, but by far the worst sportsmanship was on the winning team’s side. He left the other team no choice.