Kingsport Axmen's season ends after police said a recently-dismissed player threatened to kill

[Jilly_in_VA]

KINGSPORT, Tenn. — The Kingsport Axmen baseball team's season has been called off after police said a former pitcher for the team threatened to kill people shortly after he was dismissed.

According to the Kingsport Police Department, officers were asked to come to Hunter Wright Stadium in Kingsport on Monday around 12:30 p.m. to stand by while management dismissed pitcher Matthew Taylor from the team and banned him from the premises.

Police said Taylor initially left the stadium without incident. About an hour and a half later, police were called back after Taylor reportedly made threats.

Police said they discovered he had sent messages on social media threatening to kill multiple people at the Axmen game scheduled for that evening.

https://www.wbir.com/article/news/crime/kingsport-axmens-season-ends-after-police-said-a-recently-dismissed-player-threatened-to-kill-people/51-cc7ddf60-ac2e-400d-bd13-7b70f646930e
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This is a level below minor league baseball, sort of, but emblematic of how things have been going lately, and could happen at any level in any sport, it seems to me.

[oswaldactedalone]

1. Until this season

the Appalachian League was considered the lowest rung on the minor league ladder. It was considered a "short-season" instructional league with the teams having major league affiliations. Now, it's a developmental league associated with MLB but the players are not under contract with franchises. Who knew?

Beyond that, that's a very weird story. The player who pulled this stunt just kissed away any chance at a baseball career and I say good riddance. #LockHimUp

[Jilly_in_VA]

2. Agreed

Lock him up, for real! Creepy bastard.

Appy League baseball was kind of cheap fun, if you enjoyed baseball as a sport. Sort of A- League, really, but fun. When I lived in Tennessee I was a Smokies (AA) fan. Now THAT is baseball! Minor league is a lot more fun than the majors, really, what with the promotions, and the ability to get up close and personal sometimes with players before they get famous, and sometimes to see major league players when they're rehabbing. Not to mention cheap seats!

True story--before the Smokies were the Smokies, they were the Knox Sox and were a farm team of the White Sox and played at ratty old Bill Myers Stadium in the Old City. We went to a game once with our then-toddler oldest and sometime around the 4th inning it rained and everyone took shelter in the concourse...including the players. Our Sam was wriggling and squirming and wanting to get down and run around and one of the players started talking to him and playing with him. Turned out to be Oddibe McDowell, who later went up to the majors and eventually played for the Braves.