Sunday, February 10, 2013

Yes, Bryce Brentz shot himself


You literally can't make this stuff up.  Outfield prospect Bryce Brentz literally shot himself in the leg whilst cleaning his handgun in January, and cost himself a trip to big league spring training.

Luckily for Brentz, the bullet passed straight through his left leg after he forgot to empty it of ammunition before he began cleaning it. Said Brentz, “I understand it could have been worse. I’m mad at myself because I respect firearms. I have a license to carry a gun. I’m an outdoorsman and I’ve been around firearms my entire life. It was just one of those things that happened that will never happen again. I have to be more careful.”

Brentz certainly isn't the only player in the system who owns guns - many Red Sox are avid hunters, though this is the first time in my memory that one has managed to sabotage his own playing chances this way. Obviously, the team has no policy about players having or handling guns - these people are grown men, and beyond the general expectation that they follow the letter of the law, they are expected only to make responsible decisions.

Brentz made a mistake that could have been fatal, and luckily he walked away with a relatively minor injury. Though the outfielder had hoped to be invited to big league camp for spring training, GM Cherington seemed to imply that was off the table.

No comments:

Post a Comment