Giants Risky Rides: From Jeff Kent's Motorcycle Mystery To Harrison Bader's Scooter Crash

Similarities betwixt Harrison Bader and Jeff Kent are few. Sure, Bader plays for nan San Francisco Giants and Kent utilized to do so. Otherwise, small of statement links nan great-fielding, average-hitting Bader to nan formerly average-fielding, exceptional-hitting Kent.

Until, that is, nan predawn hours Sunday erstwhile Bader’s scooter collided pinch nan backmost of a occurrence engine. A instrumentality rolled complete his near foot, causing a superior wounded that required aesculapian assistance, a witnesser told SFist. Other witnesses described Bader arsenic bar-hopping passim nan evening, according to Matt Lively of KPIX.

Bader has not afloat cooperated pinch nan Giants astir nan incident, a personification briefed connected nan matter told Andrew Baggerly of nan Athletic, who speculated that Bader mightiness beryllium concerned that nan squad could activity to void nan remainder of his statement for taking portion successful “high-risk activities” that nan corporate bargaining statement forbids without nan Giants’ written consent.

Cue to Kent, who while Bader was being treated astatine a Bay Area infirmary Sunday was enjoying his induction ceremony into nan Baseball Hall of Fame successful Cooperstown, N.Y. He was honored for hitting much location runs than immoderate different 2nd baseman successful MLB history and driving successful much than 100 runs 8 times.

Conveniently forgotten was nan clip Kent collapsed a bony successful his near wrist during outpouring training successful 2002 and lied astir really it occurred, saying he fell while washing his motortruck erstwhile eyewitnesses and a 911 telephone established that he really he fell disconnected a motorcycle while “popping wheelies,” according to then-Giants wide head Brian Sabean.

Why did he show a gangly tale? Most apt to protect his $6 cardinal statement that prohibited high-risk activities specified arsenic motorcycle riding. Admitting nan truth would person allowed nan Giants to good him aliases void his deal.

The Giants near good capable unsocial because Kent was an basal cog successful their lineup, nan communicative died down and he missed only nan first 4 regular-season games. The Giants precocious to nan World Series — wherever they lost to nan Angels — and Kent deed a career-high 37 location runs.

Bader, who is successful nan first twelvemonth of of a two-year, $20.5 cardinal contract, finds himself successful a acold much precarious position than Kent. He has played only 30 games each play chiefly because of an earlier wounded to nan aforesaid ft and is batting .170.

The Giants mightiness spot an opportunity to get retired from nether nan 2nd twelvemonth of his woody by invoking nan “high-risk activities” connection from nan CBA.

Bader followed done pinch a antecedently scheduled ft and ankle master successful Indianapolis connected Monday. According to a squad wounded report, “the effect of that (collision-related) wounded changed nan quality of his evaluation.” The squad besides said he would acquisition an MRI exam to “better understand nan severity of nan injuries sustained from nan scooter accident.”

As of Friday morning, MRI results person not been released and Bader has declined to speak publicly. Manager Tony Vitello said Thursday that Bader is not expected to return this season, and that a return was improbable earlier nan collision. A week ago, however, Vitello said Bader had a chance to return successful September.

Bader, a 32-year-old 10-year veteran, would beryllium hard-pressed to explicate nan incident arsenic youthful indiscretion nan measurement he mightiness person successful 2014 erstwhile he was progressive successful a motorized scooter mishap arsenic a University of Florida sophomore. An incident study from nan Gainesville Police Department said Bader deed a curb and ran into a truck. He was unresponsive connected nan ground, smelled of intoxicant and was suspended from nan shot squad for 19 games.

The latest incident follows respective embarrassing episodes this play pinch nan Giants, who done Thursday are 47-62 and 22 games down nan first-place Dodgers successful nan National League West.

All-Star pitcher Logan Webb deleted his X relationship 3 weeks agone aft a heated speech with a KNBR integer producer, slugger Rafael Devers seemingly defied Vitello by waving disconnected a pinch-runner and 3 outfielders engaged successful a provocative hip-thrust celebration.

Perhaps astir damaging was nan fallout from 4 Giants pitchers pushing backmost against nan team’s annual Pride Night successful June, pinch 3 penning Bible verses adjacent to nan rainbow-tinted logo connected their caps and nan 4th declining to deterioration nan colorful headdress astatine all.

MLB said nan pitchers were successful usurpation of azygous protocols, triggering a civilization skirmish betwixt 1 of nan nation’s astir vibrantly divers and queer cities and politicians who asserted that nan actions were an look of belief freedom.