Embarrassing details emerge about Gold Glove outfielder’s scooter accident
· Yahoo Sports
Outfielder Harrison Bader won’t play for the San Francisco Giants again this season — and perhaps ever — after suffering an injury in a scooter accident.
The former Gold Glove Award winner was hospitalized after injuring his foot early Sunday morning when his scooter collided with a San Francisco Fire Department vehicle, according to John Shea of the San Francisco Standard.
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The 32-year-old was already on the injured list with left plantar fasciitis. He signed a two-year, $20.5 million contract in January to be the Giants’ everyday center fielder, but has hit .170 with a .198 on-base percentage in 30 games this season.
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The details of the injury are embarrassing for both the player and the team that signed him.
“Witnesses tell me Bader was seen drinking at bars in San Francisco hours before the accident, in different neighborhoods,” KPIX’s Matt Lively reported July 30. “He was leaving Balboa Cafe when he was injured on the scooter around 2 a.m.”
This isn’t the first time Bader was injured on a scooter. In 2014, while playing at the University of Florida, Bader was injured in a scooter accident and subsequently suspended from the team.
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Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reported Thursday that Bader could have given the Giants reason to void his contract.
“Under Major League Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement, section 5(b), players are barred from taking part in high-risk activities, such as skydiving, skiing, auto racing, or motorcycle racing, without the written consent of the team,” she notes. “The CBA also noted that a player’s participation in other sports “may impair or destroy his ability and skill as a baseball player.
“If a player is found to be in violation of the contract clauses, his club can try to void his contract or dock his pay.”
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Bader hit free agency after posting a career-best 118 OPS+ over 146 games for the Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies last year.
The 2021 National League Gold Glove Award winner faces a long road to recovery — physically and reputationally, if not contractually.
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