Tejada Breaks Leg, Runners Safe, MLB Frames Tejada for Murder

October 11, 2015

Last night proved to be a difficult night for Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada.  Arguably unfair.

In a crucial moment in the seventh inning of Game 2 of the National League Divisional Series between the Mets and the home Los Angeles Dodgers, the Dodgers, losing 2-1, had runners on first and third with one out.  Howie Kendrick hit a slow groundball to the right of second baseman Daniel Murphy, who fielded the ball and flipped to Tejada, who was covering second base.  What happened next would haunt Tejada for the rest of his life. 

Tejada caught the ball cleanly, but as he attempted to touch the base and turn his body to throw to first, baserunner Chase Utley, confused as to which sport he was playing at the time, and therefore having no interest in touching second base, barreled violently into Ruben Tejada, sending him skyward.  When Tejada finally landed back on Mother Earth, Utley trotted off the field and the Dodgers had tied the game (Utley has not touched second base to this day).  The umpires were totally okay that this had happened.   

Then things got bad for Tejada.  First, he was carted off the field because his leg seemed to be dangling in several unconnected pieces.  Then, the umpires, who had previously called Utley out at second, decided it was their duty to review the replay for any and all evidence that may justify Utley being safe at second and saving the Dodgers a crucial out.  Luckily for the umpires, the replay showed that Tejada went soaring into space before his toe made contact with the base.  Runners safe.  Mets lose. 

When Tejada arrived at the hospital, the doctors informed him that his leg was indeed broken.  Even worse, law enforcement officials, based on evidence secretly supplied by MLB officials just minutes earlier, arrested Tejada and informed him that he was being charged with first degree murder.  Of whom?  They would not say.  The on-duty circuit court judge, who was lying in the hospital bed next to Tejada, heard the evidence, ordered Tejada held without bail, and minutes later found him guilty of first degree murder.

After having his broken leg placed in a cast, Ruben Tejada was executed by lethal injection at 12:20 a.m. PDT.