On July 24, 1993, Vince
Coleman gets in trouble for throwing firecrackers at a group of fans outside of
a ball game.
Coleman was one of the fastest base runners the
game of baseball had ever seen, compiling multiple seasons with more than 100
stolen bases and even stealing a record 50 in a row in 1989.
After leading the league in stolen bases the
first six seasons of his career, Coleman left the St. Louis Cardinals to sign a
large deal with the New York Mets – where his productivity took a nosedive. He
did not live up to his massive three million dollar salary and failed to even
keep out of trouble.
He feuded with Jeff Torborg, scuffled with a
batting coach, claimed that Shea Stadium's aesthetics were preventing him from
being a Hall of Famer, cost Dwight Gooden a start when he accidentally wacked
him with a golf club, and was even accused of a raping woman in 1991, although
no charges were ever filed.
But his most infamous moment came after a 5-4
extra-inning loss in Los Angeles. Coleman and Bobby Bonilla were in the
passenger's seat of a car, driven by teammate Eric Davis, when they pulled up
in front of Dodgers Stadium, where a few hundred fans were exiting. Coleman, as
a practical joke, hurled a firecracker into the throng of people before they
drove away laughing. The citizens involved weren't laughing though; the
explosion injured several people, including a 33 -year old woman, an 11
year-old boy and the eyesight, cheek, and finger of two year-old Amanda Santos.
Coleman would play in three more games before the
Mets dismissed him for the rest of the season (albeit with pay). He was given
three years probation, 200 hours of community service, and an additional $2,500
in fines. It took him several days to apologize, and when he did, he offered
the following statement: "I'm a father first and an athlete second. Amanda
stood out near a gate to catch a glimpse of a ballplayer. But today, I want her
to catch a glimpse of a loving father and a helpful friend."
The next season, he was traded to the Kansas City
Royals.
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