Paper revisits former college player who was intentionally beaned while on deck

[Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!]

Nice update on former college player who was intentionally beaned, while standing less than 25 feet away in the on-deck circle, by a 92 mph heater.
The pitcher thought the guy was trying to time his pitches.
http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2009/04/28/usports/doc49f652c55f53c953706317.txt

There is a related story on Christenson, who declines to be interviewed.

 

[write then drink]

wow

was this guy ever brought up on charges or anything? I don't remember hearing about this. what a cowardly act

interesting story ... seemed like there's a lot more there? ... can just hear the guy telling his boss he's doing this piece on Molina 10 years later and the guy saying, "Yeah, great stuff. We have room for 14 inches."

oh well

 

[slappy4428]

Nice update on former college player who was intentionally beaned, while standing less than 25 feet away in the on-deck circle, by a 92 mph heater.
The pitcher thought the guy was trying to time his pitches.
http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2009/04/28/usports/doc49f652c55f53c953706317.txt

There is a related story on Christenson, who declines to be interviewed.

Good for Molina, but Christenson's a coward.

 

[Armchair_QB]

I still can't believe Christensen didn't get his ass kicked right there on the field after it happened.

 

[Steak Snabler]

I still can't believe Christensen didn't get his ass kicked right there on the field after it happened.

If I remember correctly, Wichita State coach Gene Stephenson, one of the legendary figures in college baseball, actually backed Christensen after the incident.

Christensen ended up being a first-round pick by the Cubs, but blew out his arm before he reached the majors, so I guess you could say he got his. There were many at the time that advocated Christensen giving part of his signing bonus to Molina, but I'm not sure the two ever spoke.

 

[Starman]

http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2009/04/28/usports/doc49f6546f85d95916560877.txt

Of course you don't want to talk, you chicken**** *****.

Did you bean anybody in AA when they were riding your pus-armed **** out of the yard?

And I'd like an extra order of fries with that, too. Make it quick.

 

[DemoChristian]

I remember that story. Christensen is one of the biggest cowards I've ever heard of.

 

[Oggiedoggie]

What makes baseball players such arrogant buttheads?

I mean even more than typical athletes we cover. Is it the direct confrontation with the pitcher and the confidence that it takes? The tradition of taunting the batter and pitcher? The insulation and isolation of the clubhouse and dugout? The whole fierceness of the pecking order from high school or vacant lot, all the way up to the Bigs?

I don't live the game. I just cover it the same way I do other events.

It just seems to me that, even in high school, baseball players are a different animal. And many of them aren't very easy to deal with.

Sadly, I'm willing to bet that Christensen finds a way to justify this assault even today. Perhaps he might even blame the backlash for his sucky professional career.

 

[Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!]

I still can't believe Christensen didn't get his ass kicked right there on the field after it happened.

If I remember correctly, Wichita State coach Gene Stephenson, one of the legendary figures in college baseball, actually backed Christensen after the incident.

Christensen ended up being a first-round pick by the Cubs, but blew out his arm before he reached the majors, so I guess you could say he got his. There were many at the time that advocated Christensen giving part of his signing bonus to Molina, but I'm not sure the two ever spoke.

According to Molina, the two never spoke.

 

[RickStain]

A few things I recall from the story:

1) Christensen tried to apologize personally, but Molina (understandably) wasn't interested.

2) Molina wasn't 25 feet from Christensen, he was 25 feet away from the plate.

3) Christensen claimed he wasn't trying to hit Molina, just buzz him, and that the whole pitching staff was ordered by the coaches to do that if someone was timing them in the on-deck circle

4) None of that changes the fact that Christensen should never have been allowed to play organized baseball again and I was really disappointed the Cubs drafted him. It was an unfortunate accident, but he showed incredibly poor judgment and mere lack of intent doesn't absolve you of guilt when there's that level of negligence.

 

[Steak Snabler]

Here's an old BA story from 2002 about the incident. There was a lawsuit that was settled, so it appears Molina got some money:

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/news/020205christensen.html

And there's also this, as RickStain mentioned:

At the time, Wichita State pitching coach Brent Kemnitz was quoted as saying that he taught his pitchers to brush back hitters in that situation.

As for the article(s) that spawned this thread, it never really makes clear why the incident ruined Molina's potential coaching career. Was it because of the psychological trauma or because his vision was damaged?

Anyway, you would think one of his old college coaches would hire him as a GA or something if he really wanted to be a college or pro coach.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

That could have been an interesting story.

 

[Starman]

A few things I recall from the story:

1) Christensen tried to apologize personally, but Molina (understandably) wasn't interested.

2) Molina wasn't 25 feet from Christensen, he was 25 feet away from the plate.

3) Christensen claimed he wasn't trying to hit Molina, just buzz him, and that the whole pitching staff was ordered by the coaches to do that if someone was timing them in the on-deck circle

4) None of that changes the fact that Christensen should never have been allowed to play organized baseball again and I was really disappointed the Cubs drafted him. It was an unfortunate accident, but he showed incredibly poor judgment and mere lack of intent doesn't absolve you of guilt when there's that level of negligence.

If the coaching staff was ordering pitchers to throw at guys in the on-deck circle, the entire coaching staff should have been thrown out of baseball.

Where were the umpires in all this? I deduce from that tidbit that the pitchers had indeed "buzzed" guys in the on-deck circle previous to that incident. Any umpire worth half a **** should have instantaneously ejected any pitcher who throws anywhere near a guy in the on-deck circle. If it happens again, forfeit the game.

In college baseball, the umpires are supposed to instantly eject pitchers if they believe they intentionally throw at a batter; a batter in the batter's box at least knows a pitch is coming. A guy in the on-deck circle has no inkling a pitch may be coming at him; you might as well let pitchers throw at the back of guys' heads sitting in the dugout.

 

[ArnoldBabar]

That could have been an interesting story.

Yeah, it was really not well-executed.

And what a damn shame Christensen's career never panned out. I hope most of his signing money went to Molina.

 

[sportschick]

Here's an old BA story from 2002 about the incident. There was a lawsuit that was settled, so it appears Molina got some money:

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/news/020205christensen.html

And there's also this, as RickStain mentioned:

At the time, Wichita State pitching coach Brent Kemnitz was quoted as saying that he taught his pitchers to brush back hitters in that situation.

As for the article(s) that spawned this thread, it never really makes clear why the incident ruined Molina's potential coaching career. Was it because of the psychological trauma or because his vision was damaged?

Anyway, you would think one of his old college coaches would hire him as a GA or something if he really wanted to be a college or pro coach.

IIRC, his vision went from 20-20 to like 20-200 (or some other really high number).

 

[slappy4428]

What makes baseball players such arrogant buttheads?

Million-dollar arms and 10-cent heads..

 

[ArnoldBabar]

But I have a Blaupunkt!

 

[friend of a friend]

**** the Shockers and **** Gene Stephenson. [/sycamoresfanboi]

 

[Steak Snabler]

What makes baseball players such arrogant buttheads?

Million-dollar arms and 10-cent heads..

That, and being treated like gods since they first put on a pair of stirrup socks. If you haven't spent much time around youth/travel-league baseball, you'd be shocked at how much of an entitlement culture it is.

 

[hondo]

Re: Paper revisits former college player who was intentionally beaned while on d

Nice update on former college player who was intentionally beaned, while standing less than 25 feet away in the on-deck circle, by a 92 mph heater.
The pitcher thought the guy was trying to time his pitches.
http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2009/04/28/usports/doc49f652c55f53c953706317.txt

There is a related story on Christenson, who declines to be interviewed.

Good for Molina, but Christenson's a coward.

I never did buy the excuse of "timing his pitches." Every hitter on deck that I ever saw did that when a relief pitcher came in. It's in the same sad, pitiful category as Roger Clemens throwing at guys because a base-runner tipped the batter off. If you pick up the guy's signs legally (not with a periscope in the clubhouse), it's the catcher's fault for being lazy.
Did Christensen serve any jail time? And if not, why?