When will they learn? All too often when professional athletes are angry with themselves for letting their teams down, they let them down even more by injuring themselves in frustration. The latest victim (culprit?) is Red Sox outfielder Ryan Sweeney, who is reportedly expected to miss eight weeks after breaking his pinkie on Monday night by punching a door in the dugout.
After Tigers second baseman Omar Infante made a diving catch to rob him of a hit in the bottom of the eighth — capping off an 0-for-4 night — Sweeney took his frustrations out on a door.
“I just came down, walked down the stairs, and kind of punched the door a little bit,” Sweeney after the game according to the Boston Globe. “I’ve done (it) before, but maybe not to this extent. I’ve never broken my hand before, so I don’t know what that feels like. I know it hurts a little bit right now.”
It sounds like he punched the door more than just “a little bit.” The Red Sox have battled injuries all season as they continue to float around the .500-mark, so the last thing they need is players knocking themselves out for an extended period of time because they can’t control their temper. Sweeney says he feels “terrible” and like he let the team down, and that’s exactly what he has done to an already thin roster.
Earlier this season, Hanley Ramirez had to miss time after punching a cooling fan in the dugout in frustration. After seeing some injuries like this gruesome one that Amar’e Stoudemire suffered during the playoffs, you would think guys would use extra caution. I guess there are times when adrenaline just can’t be controlled.
