Marlins outfielder Scott Cousins resides in the San Francisco Bay Area during the offseason, but he might not be feeling very welcome in his hometown these days.
Yesterday, Cousins' agent Matt Sosnick told the San Francisco Chronicle that Cousins has received death threats following last week's play at the plate against the San Francisco Giants that left Posey out for the year with a knee injury.
Sosnick also said the Marlins put in a request with Major League Baseball security to help deal with the death threats.
Meanwhile, Giants general manager Brian Sabean added more fuel to the fire on his weekly local radio show. "If I never hear from Cousins again, or he doesn't play another day in the big leagues, I think we'll all be happy," he said Thursday.
Sabean insisted that Cousins' intent was malicious when he barreled into Posey, and added, "I’ll put it as politically as I can state it: There’s no love lost and there shouldn’t be."
Sosnick came to his client's defense, saying Cousins' play was "not malicious." He added, "A statement that anyone makes implying that he did something on purpose to be hurtful or malicious to Posey is untrue. Those people are misinformed."
The Marlins will not play in San Francisco again this season, but the Giants will come to Miami for a three-game series in August. Sabean said of Cousins, "We'll have a long memory," meaning you can expect some fireworks when the two teams play again.
Not that any of it will un-injure Buster Posey.
Cousins released a statement through his agent this afternoon responding to Sabean's comments. "I hope and believe that Mr. Sabean’s comments were made in the heat of the moment and are based more on his fondness for Buster Posey than on any animosity towards me," it begins.
Cousins reiterated that he never intended to hurt Posey. "Explaining over and over that I would never intentionally hurt another player for any reason won’t change the minds of those who doubt my sincerity or intent. I have a responsibility to myself, my teammates, and my organization to play the game hard. This is what has gotten me to the big leagues, and hopefully this is what will keep me here."
David Hill is a Miami native and the cofounder of Marlins Diehards, the only blog with perspective on the eccentricities of Marlins fandom.
