Phelps’ act shameful

There may be an unwritten rule in sports journalism that you don’t criticize local athletes for poor sportsmanship. Since the issue has not been raised, I will take that opportunity, for good reason.

A few weeks ago during a Yankees- Mariners game, I witnessed one of the most blatant examples of poor sportsmanship I can recall in decades of watching Major League Baseball.

The Yankees’ Josh Phelps, a local athlete (Rathdrum), was heading into home plate to score while Mariners catcher Kenji Johjima was receiving a throw from an outfielder. The throw was wide by at least 6 feet up the first-base line. Phelps made a sharp left turn toward Johjima and nailed him in the throat, clothes-lining him and actually spinning him head over heels.

When Johjima finally got up, he stood there in shock and disbelief. The replay shows that Phelps actually missed home plate in his deliberate attempt to injure the catcher.

I have always pulled for our local athletes, but I will never again be a fan of Josh Phelps.

The reason I point out this incident is that I hope local youth take a lesson from this incident. All the reputation and praise you acquire through your hard work, diligence and commitment to the game can be lost in a moment. If you wish to be respected and remembered for your accomplishments, realize that one bad decision on or off the field can extinguish all your achievements in the public’s view.

Allan LeTourneau

Spokane