Major League Baseball has had no shortage of cheating scandals in its history. Recently the Houston Astros were involved in a signal-stealing operation that threw the integrity of their World Series victories in doubt. Now the Minnesota Twins have a controversy on their hands.
According to a report from ESPN, the Twins released minor league catcher Derek Bender on Thursday. The catcher told opposing hitters what type of pitch his pitcher was going to throw in at-bats in a game last week that eliminated his team from playoff contention.
Bender was playing for the Fort Myers Might Mussels, The Twins’ Single-A affiliate. After Bender told opposing hitters what pitches they could be expecting, the Mussels lost 6-0 to the Lakeland Flying Tigers and were eliminated from reaching the playoffs after holding a six-game lead just weeks earlier.
Bender spent the season’s last two games in the team’s bullpen instead of the dugout, where he usually spent his time when he wasn’t on the field. A catcher and first baseman who played for Coastal Carolina in college, Bender will keep his entire $297,500 signing bonus despite being released.
It’ll be interesting to see if MLB commissioner Rob Manfred steps in and issues further punishment for Bender ruining the integrity of the game.
