The RedsYou are angry with PadresSlugger Luke VoitFor his collision at home base that left Cincinnati catcher Tyler StephensonOn Tuesday night, in San Diego, a concussion occurred.
“The way his hands touched him, it was as dirty as f Reds outfielder Tommy PhamReporters, he said. It’s not what I like. It’s not my style. [Voit’s]Hit the hands [Stephenson]It was dirtiest in the eyes.
“If Luke wants it settled, I get down really good. Anything — Muay Thai, anything. I’ve got a [gym]I am looking for an owner who will allow me to use their facility.”
Stephenson was trying to score first when Voit collided into him. Jurickson Profar‘s first-inning double. Voit was sliding into his slide when he raised his arms to bring them down on Stephenson’s head.
Stephenson held on to the ball for the out, but was eventually thrown to the ground. Stephenson was able to get to the dugout and returned to the game but not again.
Reds manager David Bell stated that there was no problem with the slide. “But it’s a horrible feeling when one your players gets hit in their head and they lie there. It’s frightening for me.”
Voit, weighing in at 255 lbs, said he was trying not to be like Stephenson but that his elbow had “kind of smoked his heads a bit.”
Voit explained that Voit was not trying to take him out. Voit stated, “I guess my elbow just kinda smoked his head.” We hope he’s okay, and no hard feelings. It’s baseball. I was not trying to make it dirty. I am just trying to make it playable.
The Reds challenged Voit’s call, but the umpires ruled Voit was free to slide.
Bell said, “It didn’t end up hurting because we didn’t need the challenge.” It could have been illegal, I thought. Voit didn’t do it deliberately, but that doesn’t make it illegal.
Bob Melvin, Padres manager, said that the ball “takes him right into Luke.” “There’s nowhere else to go. I believe Luke was protecting himself by raising his hands. They got it right, I believe.
Stephenson’s team, however, didn’t agree with the managers.
“Looking at the replay, it’s not too happy about that slide,” Reds shortstop Kyle Farmer said. “It’s not often that you see runners slide down and grab people’s heads and smash them to the ground. You usually reach for the bag. He might have been trying to reach for the bag. Tyler thought it was a wrestling move and he snapped it down after looking at the replay.
“I have caught before, and it can be scary, especially when Voit is coming down.” I have never seen someone’s hand go to the head of a catcher on a slide.
Stephenson was placed into the concussion protocol immediately after the game. This will keep him out for at least seven more days. Bell said Stephenson was “doing fine”, but that the team was still concerned about the 25-year-old catcher.
Pham is a former Padre, and was a teammate of Voit’s with the St. Louis CardinalsVoit offered to “settle” his situation at a local gym.
Pham stated, “I don’t like it all.” They can say anything they want. They know that I get down. I know where to find it, and I know the owner of the gym who will allow me to use his if I need to settle any issue. The play was very dirty.
Reds have lost eight games in succession. The Padres and Reds will end their three-game series at San Diego on Wednesday. Next week, they will meet again in Cincinnati for a three game series.