Twins 2024 6th Round Pick Released For Telling Opponents The Pitch That Was Coming

The Minnesota Twins released their 2024 6th round pick, Derek Bender, after he was caught telling minor league opponents what pitch was coming so that his team would lose and not make the playoffs...

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Bender, a sixth-round draft pick out of Coastal Carolina in July, was playing for the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, the Twins' Single-A affiliate. In the second game of a Sept. 6 doubleheader, Bender told multiple hitters for the Lakeland Flying Tigers, a Detroit farm team, the specific pitches being thrown by starter Ross Dunn, sources said. Lakeland scored four runs in the second inning and won the game 6-0 to clinch the Florida State League West division and eliminate the Mighty Mussels from playoff contention after Fort Myers had held a six-game lead three weeks earlier.
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Fort Myers coaches were notified by Lakeland coaches about Bender's pitch tipping after the game, sources said. Bender's willingness to tip pitches surprised Lakeland players, and there were no indications of wrongdoing from the Flying Tigers, sources said. Bender had told teammates he wanted the season to be over, according to sources.
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A catcher and first baseman selected with the 188th pick this year, Bender signed for $297,500, slightly below the $320,800 slot for that selection. He will keep the entirety of his bonus, sources said.

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(Barstool Sports)