The Ohio baseball team will close out its 2007 schedule this weekend without senior infielder Dusty Hammond and sophomore outfielder Kirk Payne.
A co-captain, Hammond was suspended for the remaining three games of the season yesterday, while Payne asked to be released from the team and is considering transferring.
It's an internal thing
and I'm not going to comment coach Joe Carbone said. I wish them the best of luck.
Hammond's suspension comes a day after the Bobcats' final home game of the season Sunday, Senior Day. With Ohio (22-29, 7-17 Mid-American Conference) out of contention for a spot in the MAC Tournament, Hammond disagreed with the decision made by Ohio's coaches to not start him and two other seniors in Sunday's game against the RedHawks.
I saw I wasn't in the lineup and neither was Jon Vondrell or Jared Willis and I said I thought we should've been
Hammond said acknowledging that he briefly lost his temper. I don't think he's loyal to the players that have worked for him for three or four years.
Vondrell and Willis both came in as pinch-hitters in the seventh inning of the 18-4 loss to Miami, but Hammond never made an appearance despite offers from a few Ohio hitters to let him take their place in the lineup, he said.
Hammond had a meeting with Carbone yesterday that ended in his suspension and being asked not to attend the end-of-season banquet.
I don't think he was planning on (suspending me)
Hammond said. He asked if I had any remorse for what I did (Sunday) and I said 'No.' I did what I did because somebody just had to stand up and say something.
Throughout the season, Carbone has said several of this year's seniors haven't performed to the team's expectations.
Hammond has seen considerably less playing time this season, starting 18-of-37 games, primarily as one of the Bobcats' designated hitters, compared to starting 123 of the 136 games the lefty appeared in over his first three years. He hit .247 this season, mostly against right-handed pitchers after going .331 and .335 in 2005 and 2006 respectively.
Sophomore Payne said he had thought about transferring before he asked for his release yesterday. Payne added that if he can't transfer, he'll return to Ohio to finish his degree and likely not play baseball. He batted a .229 in 23 games (eight starts) this season.
Things just weren't working out the way I'd hoped them to
the mechanical engineering major said. It's tough
I wish I could have been there for my teammates (those last three games)
but sometimes you have to make those decisions and focus on your career and school.
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