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Sports

Minor leaguer Smashes Own Windshield with Grand-Slam Ball

Grand slam: good. Broken windshield: not so good.

Can't make this up. @brandonthomas6 hit a grand slam tonight that smashed a windshield. That's his own truck. pic.twitter.com/B1ZqFUyfSe
— Sam Levitt (@SammyLev) August 22, 2016

Minor leaguers have it kind of rough. Sure, they "play baseball for living," such as it is, but they don't make a lot of money chasing the dream. The playing conditions aren't always pristine, or necessarily that safe. Bad lighting, treacherous fields. They play hurt without the protection of a union, or the best possible medial treatment/advice. They're also away from their families about as much as major leaguers. Other than that!

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But they usually don't lack spirit or optimism. Take 25-year-old Brandon Thomas, an outfielder in the independent Frontier League who plays for the Gateway Grizzlies, a team in Sauget, Ill., near St. Louis. Thomas hit a grand slam Sunday, his 11th home run of the season, that put the Grizzlies ahead in a 17-6 victory against Joliet (Ill.).

Great, right? Wondering if he got the ball back, like players in the majors do after negotiating with a lucky fan? Wrong question. Instead, ask: Will the Grizzlies pay for Thomas' new windshield? Because he totally busted it. His own windshield!

The before and after from last night lol still can't believe this really happened pic.twitter.com/nlBK1tfFpo
— Brandon Thomas (@brandonthomas6) August 22, 2016

At least he's taking it well!

Second question: Should they maybe cover the cars at GCS Ballpark so, like, their own team isn't busting its own windshields like a kid would do to his mom's car in Little League in 1987? (Sorry, mom.)

Thomas was an eighth-round pick by the Yankees in 2013 out of Georgia Tech, but he didn't hit that well, and didn't make it past advanced Class A in the South Atlantic League before joining independent ball to finish 2015. Going by the stats, he seems to have speed, decent plate discipline and, as his car would tell you, power.

And spunk. Gotta love the minor leaguer's spunk.