The Good: In 2004, the San Diego Padres selected the 18 year old, Matt Bush with the first overall pick in the MLB Amateur Draft. The Padres were so confident in his skills that they selected him in front of future MLB All-Stars: Justin Verlander & Jared Weaver. They awarded Bush with a 3.15 million dollar bonus, which until 2009 was the largest signing bonus ever given to a draft pick in franchise history.
The Bad: Bush has never played in a MLB game. In 2007, the Padres converted him from a shortstop to a pitcher. Eventually he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays, who released him less than 2 months later for breaking their zero tolerance policy. Bush eventually signed a contract with the Tampa Bay Rays organization, where he's played in their minor leagues system the past four seasons.
The Ugly: Thursday afternoon, Bush hit a motorcycle from behind and proceeded to drive off without stopping. In the process of leaving the scene, witnesses say he ran over the 72 year old motorcyclist, who was rushed to a local hospital and is in serious condition. Bush is being charged with a driving under the influence and fleeing the scene of an accident.
It's this kind of story that truly makes me appreciate the things I have. I'm not a talented athlete, nor have I ever received a multimillion dollar signing bonus. And thankfully, I've never ran away from a crime scene or been thrown in jail.
Hopefully, the motorcyclist makes a full recovery from this incident. And maybe... just maybe... this is the thing that turns things around for Mr. Bush.
Happy Saturday everyone... and sayonara!
Extra Edition!
I just realized that I wrote about Matt Bush back in 2010. He was the 9th addition to my Sports Card Bust PC. If you're interested... CLICK HERE.
5 comments:
I remember that post from 2010 - I once owned is 2004 Topps update rookie
Very sad story indeed. I read somewhere that if it wasn't for the protective gear, the man would have instantly died. Apparently there were tread marks on the helmet. Hopefully, the victim makes a full recovery and Bush can straighten things out. What a shame.
Yeah... unfortunately, as a Padres fan... it always boils down to money.
Lol... I was over half way through the post, when I started thinking... damn, this guy is a bust. When I was finished writing, I checked to see if I had done a Sports Card Bust post... and I did.
Thankfully, I wasn't collecting in 2004, so I don't have any of his rookies ;-)
Yeah... thank goodness for helmets. According to an internet article... "He has a fractured wrist, several broken bones in his back, several broken ribs, brain hemorrhaging. His lung is either punctured or collapsed. He's having a real hard time breathing,"
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