Not sure if anyone was watching last night but the ugly looking injury of Tim Hudson was about as brutally visible as any "in game" injury you will see, with Eric Young Jr's stride, breaking Hudson's ankle on impact.
But with all of this talk of cheaters and selfish players, Eric Young Jr's immediate reaction and visible emotion to the injury kind of tells you a little bit about him and the respect that some players like Tim Hudson, have in baseball. We can lose sight of the good guys in the game, when the AROD and Ryan Braun type, engulf the media with their selfishness and dishonesty.
Sure, there are injuries every day in this game and the guy causing the injury often times apologizes to the injured player. But, there was something about this injury, in particular, that stood out. Not just that I am a Mets fan, but the fact that 95% of these guys are just trying the best they can, within the rules, and are really decent men, on and off the field.
I am not trying to glorify the injury or say that Eric Young Jr is a saint. If you haven't seen the play, watch it, and see the immediate reaction by Eric Young Jr and after Hudson is put on the stretcher, Eric Young's apology, visibly in tears, to follow.
Young stated after the game, after being asked what he said to Hudson, Young had just apologized and hoped Hudson had known it was not intentional. Hudson's response to Young was, "Eric, Keep your head up. Keep playing the game the hard way, the right way." While Dan Uggla's quote says it all... When asked about Eric Young, Uggla said "I love that guy."
There is still decency in the game, even though there are still a few cheaters and scumbags left. Tim Hudson and Eric Young Jr give us fans hope.