SCHENECTADY, New York — Every once in a while, Derek Bender will send a text to one of his former teammates. Or he’ll call, and leave a voicemail.
But, after what happened on Sept. 6, he has not received one text back. Not one call. He’s been left on read, a ghosted pariah to a team that has nothing left to do with him.
More than five months have passed since the day the former Minnesota Twins minor league catcher was accused of giving away pitches to opposing batters on the Lakeland Flying Tigers, trying to ensure his team would miss the playoffs so a long, tiring season would end, according to the allegations against him.