Buster Posey will always be remembered as a leader of the SF Giants dynastic run from 2010-2014. However, back in 2011, in his first full MLB season, Posey's future looked in jeopardy after he suffered a severe ankle injury in a collision with Marlins outfielder Scott Cousins at home plate. In an interview with Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic, Posey shared a changed sentiment towards Cousins roughly a dozen years after the incident.
"'I most definitely would be open to a dialogue with him,'" Posey told Baggarly. "'It was one of those things. In the moment, I didn’t want to talk right away. There was a lot of frustration on my part. But I’d most definitely have a conversation with him...I hope he’s not carrying a burden. That’s what I would tell him. And if I could help him in some way to not carry that burden, that’s what I would want to say to him.'"
Cousins grew up near Northern California in Reno, Nevada, and was deeply tied to the Bay Area. He even played college baseball at the University of San Francisco.
He was drafted in the third round of the 2006 MLB Draft by the Miami Marlins and reached the majors in 2010. While Cousins appeared in each MLB season from 2010-2014, he never received 100 plate appearances in a season and was primarily utilized as a pinch runner, defensive replacement, or late-inning pinch hitter. He finished his big-league career with a .179/.230/.285 triple-slash in 193 plate appearances (135 games). He retired from professional baseball in the summer of 2015.
Cousins was deeply apologetic following the collision, but the emotional reaction to Posey's injury led many people to do things time does not reflect kindly on. Posey refused to return a phone call from Cousins trying to apologize about the incident. Then Giants general manager Brian Sabean lambasted Cousins on local radio, saying he hoped the young outfielder never played in the majors again. Beyond those responses, Cousins also received death threats.
Of course, Posey would return from the injury and immediately lead the Giants to another World Series title in 2012, winning the National League Most Valuable Player award in the process. Posey remained the Giants' starting catcher until he retired following the 2021 season.
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