Posey denounces threats against Cousins

SAN FRANCISCO -- Buster Posey doesn't support any of the threats made toward Scott Cousins, the Florida Marlins player who ended the San Francisco Giants catcher's season in a collision at home plate May 25.

"I appreciate the continued support of Giants fans and others as I begin the process of working my way back," Posey said in a statement Saturday. "But in no way do I condone threats of any kind against Scott Cousins or his family."

The collision at home plate left Posey with a broken bone in his lower left leg and three torn ligaments in his ankle. He has had surgery and is done for the season.

Cousins has been receiving death threats despite repeatedly apologizing. The venom toward Cousins was further stoked in midweek by Brian Sabean, who on his weekly KNBR radio show, called the play malicious and unnecessary.

"If I never hear from Cousins again, or he doesn't play another day in the big leagues, I think we'll all be happy," Sabean said. "He chose to be a hero, in my mind. If that's his flash of fame, that's as good as it's going to get, pal. We'll have a long memory."

Those comments got the attention of Major League Baseball, and executive vice president of baseball operations Joe Torre spoke with Sabean on Friday. The Giants also issued a statement saying Sabean's comments were made out of frustration, and the GM was trying to reach Cousins.

Cousins, in a statement Friday, apologized again for the collision.

"I hope and believe that Mr. Sabean's comments were made in the heat of the moment and are based more on his fondness for Buster Posey than on any animosity toward me," Cousins said in the statement. "This situation is still an open wound for many, including myself. As I have stated previously, nobody outside of Buster feels worse about his injury than I do."

Posey said he's trying to focus just on his recovery.

"As I said last week, I'm not out to vilify Scott," Posey said in Saturday's statement. "I appreciate that he made the effort to reach out to me on the night of the play, but I was in no physical condition to talk to anyone. I have not been back with the team since that night, so I haven't even been aware of any other messages he's left for me. We all need to move on, so it isn't necessary to have a conversation with him at this point."

Giants president Larry Baer said he spoke with Marlins president David Samson on Friday regarding Sabean's comments. Baer also said Sabean talked to Florida GM Larry Beinfest and tried calling Cousins himself but was unsuccessful.

"It's still a pretty raw emotional time for us," Baer said. "I mean, to lose [Posey] for the season, a guy who means so much to us."

-- AP