Tom Tozer and Bill BlackOne wonders why this was even a news story. New York Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy took a brief paternity leave, missing the first two games of the regular season so he could be with his wife who was about to undergo a C-section. This would be their first child.
Suddenly, all those armchair major leaguers criticized Murphy’s decision to be with his wife instead of on the ballfield.
Hooray for Murphy. Boo to his detractors.
“My wife and I discussed it, and we felt the best thing for our family was for me to try to stay for an extra day – that being Wednesday – due to the fact that she can’t travel for two weeks,” Murphy said.
How refreshing. He didn’t ask his teammates or manager or those sports-radio wannabes what he should do. He and his wife talked and made the decision.