A 19-year-old pitcher who is a prospect in the minor leagues of the MLB has run into drug-related problems in the past. He’s been given a 50-game suspension and accused of drug use. However, new accusations make it appear things could be even more dire for the young ballplayer.
All of this is possible due to social media. The man allegedly posted incriminating videos on Snapchat, and then a fan took them and put them out on Twitter. Reports claim he’s using both marijuana and cocaine in those videos.
Four videos have been made public. In one, he is holding a rolled-up dollar bill and it looks like he’s snorting to inhale a white substance, which the fan alleges is cocaine. He wrote “Party time lets go” as the caption for that video, and he’s wearing a team-brand t-shirt. He’s also drinking Coke.
Another video allegedly shows a heaping pile of marijuana and a bong. The caption on that video is “wake and bake,” which the New York Post says simply refers to using marijuana to get high right after getting out of bed.
The team does know about the videos. Their player development director said that they’re worried about him and trying to get him professional assistance. They even said that playing ball would be secondary to getting this help.
This does put a lot of his career in jeopardy. Teams are willing to help players to some extent, especially when they are young and they have so much promise. How long they’ll keep doing that is hard to know.
In addition, professional athletes have a ton to lose if they wind up facing legal charges for drug use and various other crimes. Because of the amount of money they earn and the short length of their careers, missing any time behind bars can cost them an incredible amount.
Plus, some teams do not want to deal with distractions. His team doesn’t seem to have given up on him, but some teams will simply cut players who run into drug-related issues. This is especially true when they haven’t contributed much at the pro level and they start to look like a high risk without much reward.
After getting cut, the stigma of being connected to these issues can stay with a player forever. An entire career can be derailed if other teams simply decide not to take a chance on the player. This pitcher is just 19, but continued troubles could mean his young career is already winding down before it really started.
As such, it’s incredibly important for athletes to know all of their legal options. They always have the right to a fair trial. In the world of social media and digital evidence, they must know their rights and where the standard of proof lies. While videos and social media posts can swing public opinion in minutes, courts focus on solid evidence and not mere speculation.
Source: Nov. 30, -0001