[Passan] News: The Minnesota Twins released catcher Derek Bender, their sixth-round pick this year, after he tipped minor league opponents the pitch that was coming during at-bats of a game with playoff implications, sources told me and
@kileymcd
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September 13, 2024
[Passan] News: The Minnesota Twins released catcher Derek Bender, their sixth-round pick this year, after he tipped minor league opponents the pitch that was coming during at-bats of a game with playoff implications, sources told me and @kileymcd .
35 comments
Bro what the fuck is he doing lmao that’s wild
Talk about one of the dumbest ways to self-sabotage with absolutely no benefit
What an idiot.
Literally why would he do this
> Bender had told teammates he wanted the season to be over, according to sources.
He Rendon’ed his team
Like just doing it for the lols?
Unless it’s gambling based this is bizzare
Hey, it worked for Kevin Costner.
This guy could tip the entire White Sox offense what pitch was coming and they’d still get shutout
Inducted into the Hall 2024
Drafted by the Twins in 2024
WELCOME BACK EVIL JOE MAUER
Are we sure it wasn’t Evil Bender that did this? What’s the goatee situation?
The only way this makes sense if he secretly hates baseball and wanted to give himself a black mark so nobody could pressure him to going pro ever again.
Why play baseball if you hate baseball
He’s one of those kids from South Park
One of the weirdest sport stories in recent memory
Generationally weak xdawg
This one’s a real mind Bender.
> …Bender signed for $297,500, slightly below the $320,800 slot for that selection. He will keep the entirety of his bonus, sources said.
I’ve seen worse white collar crime.
Dude was just paying tribute to Spacejam
One day he’s going to be looking at the photo of him and his college team on the wall of his cubicle at the car dealership and think “man that was a pretty dumb move to throw it all away like that” and then go sell some schmuck a Honda Fit
what the fuck lmao what a baby.
that’s so stupid… I feel like sabotaging the season is literally more effort than just playing through it lackadaisically?
What was the incentive for this?
Edit: Ok I read the article and the opposing team didn’t even ask for this lmao. Totally unprompted. Just so strange
Brought to you by DraftKings
“This son of a bitch is shaking me off”
So how did anyone find out? Did the other team tell on him? Umpire overhear it?
Probably for the best, because no way his teammates will trust him or want him around anymore.
He might have been trying to end the season so he could go home, but they wanted to play and win. It mattered to them.
Edit: article says for the last two games of the season, he was made to stay in the bullpen instead of being in the dugout. The team also blew a lead in the division. Good chance he had been doing it for a while.
Genuinely, is this guy OK? Like is he going through something? This is not normal behavior lmao
Bender the Offender!
As someone who has met Bender, he is an oddball. Doesn’t seem like bad dude just out there. This honestly doesnt suprise me at all and wouldn’t suprise me if there was zero gambling implications. He’s just that crazy of a guy.
If I’m his teammate, *especially* a pitcher, I want to beat this dude’s ass. They’re trying to make the big leagues and he’s telling hitters what’s coming? What a dick.
I think one massive thing that’s getting lost here is just because legal gambling exists it doesn’t mean people don’t be illegally anymore. Pot is legal in NJ and people still buy it in playgrounds and alley ways the old fashioned way.
Derek Bender’s professional season
19 games played
12 for 60
1 for his last 24
played 8 games at catcher and 11 at first base
opposing runners went 20 for 24 stealing off of him in 8 games
released from team for telling the other team what pitches were coming because he “wanted the season to be over”
AROD allegedly did this in TEX during blowouts, allegedly so he could get the same treatment when he was up to inflate his stats.
But from what I heard, (edit: Bender) just wanted to lose so he could go home.
Loser.
“Oh. I see. When Greinke just tells them it’s cute. But, when I do it, now it’s all ‘oh, you’re out, bro, bye’ Double standards!”
— Derek Bender, probably.
Oh, but when Crash Davis does it…
Maybe not as much of a bag fumble as I first thought. Seemed like he dominated college, got humbled in the minors, maybe realized the massive skill gap in A ball at age 21. His career sounded like career minor leaguer.
35 comments
Bro what the fuck is he doing lmao that’s wild
Talk about one of the dumbest ways to self-sabotage with absolutely no benefit
What an idiot.
Literally why would he do this
> Bender had told teammates he wanted the season to be over, according to sources.
He Rendon’ed his team
Like just doing it for the lols?
Unless it’s gambling based this is bizzare
Hey, it worked for Kevin Costner.
This guy could tip the entire White Sox offense what pitch was coming and they’d still get shutout
Inducted into the Hall 2024
Drafted by the Twins in 2024
WELCOME BACK EVIL JOE MAUER
Are we sure it wasn’t Evil Bender that did this? What’s the goatee situation?
The only way this makes sense if he secretly hates baseball and wanted to give himself a black mark so nobody could pressure him to going pro ever again.
Why play baseball if you hate baseball
He’s one of those kids from South Park
One of the weirdest sport stories in recent memory
Generationally weak xdawg
This one’s a real mind Bender.
> …Bender signed for $297,500, slightly below the $320,800 slot for that selection. He will keep the entirety of his bonus, sources said.
I’ve seen worse white collar crime.
Dude was just paying tribute to Spacejam
One day he’s going to be looking at the photo of him and his college team on the wall of his cubicle at the car dealership and think “man that was a pretty dumb move to throw it all away like that” and then go sell some schmuck a Honda Fit
what the fuck lmao what a baby.
that’s so stupid… I feel like sabotaging the season is literally more effort than just playing through it lackadaisically?
What was the incentive for this?
Edit: Ok I read the article and the opposing team didn’t even ask for this lmao. Totally unprompted. Just so strange
Brought to you by DraftKings
“This son of a bitch is shaking me off”
So how did anyone find out? Did the other team tell on him? Umpire overhear it?
Probably for the best, because no way his teammates will trust him or want him around anymore.
He might have been trying to end the season so he could go home, but they wanted to play and win. It mattered to them.
Edit: article says for the last two games of the season, he was made to stay in the bullpen instead of being in the dugout. The team also blew a lead in the division. Good chance he had been doing it for a while.
Genuinely, is this guy OK? Like is he going through something? This is not normal behavior lmao
Bender the Offender!
As someone who has met Bender, he is an oddball. Doesn’t seem like bad dude just out there. This honestly doesnt suprise me at all and wouldn’t suprise me if there was zero gambling implications. He’s just that crazy of a guy.
If I’m his teammate, *especially* a pitcher, I want to beat this dude’s ass. They’re trying to make the big leagues and he’s telling hitters what’s coming? What a dick.
I think one massive thing that’s getting lost here is just because legal gambling exists it doesn’t mean people don’t be illegally anymore. Pot is legal in NJ and people still buy it in playgrounds and alley ways the old fashioned way.
Derek Bender’s professional season
19 games played
12 for 60
1 for his last 24
played 8 games at catcher and 11 at first base
opposing runners went 20 for 24 stealing off of him in 8 games
released from team for telling the other team what pitches were coming because he “wanted the season to be over”
AROD allegedly did this in TEX during blowouts, allegedly so he could get the same treatment when he was up to inflate his stats.
But from what I heard, (edit: Bender) just wanted to lose so he could go home.
Loser.
“Oh. I see. When Greinke just tells them it’s cute. But, when I do it, now it’s all ‘oh, you’re out, bro, bye’ Double standards!”
— Derek Bender, probably.
Oh, but when Crash Davis does it…
Maybe not as much of a bag fumble as I first thought. Seemed like he dominated college, got humbled in the minors, maybe realized the massive skill gap in A ball at age 21. His career sounded like career minor leaguer.
Take your $300k and go home I guess.