Danry Vasquez was once a promising baseball prospect, however, the 24 year-old is not likely to ever wear a Major League uniform. The former Astros minor leaguer has a history similar to that of current Astro Roberto Osuna - both men were accused of and arrested for domestic abuse. The crime committed by Vazquez cost him a Major League career, and rightly so.Vasquez was signed in 2010 as an International free agent by the Detroit Tigers out of his home country of Venezuela, rising quickly to #4 on Detroit's top prospects list. The Astros traded for him in July 2013, and he worked his way through Class A Full Season to Advanced A by the end of 2014. The following year, he moved up to Double-A Corpus Christi and those who watched minor leaguers expected him to soon have a big league chance.
Then, in 2016, his career came apart when Vasquez' then girlfriend accused him of assault, and he was arrested in Corpus Christi. He paid a fine and attended anger management classes, but it was already too much for the Astros, who released him in August. He signed soon after that with an independent minor league team in Pennsylvania, but that didn't last.
Surveillance video surfaced showing him beating his ex-girlfriend. The video clearly shows the stunning brutality and viciousness of the attack on the young woman who suffered a fractured nose and bruises. It is difficult to watch, seeing the 6'3" 190 pound man repeatedly punch and pummel the much smaller woman.
She did not press charges, and after paying the fine and completing anger management classes, the case was dismissed. Vasquez walked away with no criminal conviction and no jail time for an outburst that was shocking and sickening in its ferocity.
The Pennsylvania team released him when the video became public knowledge, and Vasquez returned to his native Venezuela to play baseball. In spring 2018, he signed with Campeche of the Mexican League - a Triple-A minor league whose teams are not affiliated with Major League clubs. As mentioned, Vasquez will almost surely never make it to the big leagues.
Lance McCullers, Jr.and Justin Verlander (then with the Detroit Tigers) reacted at the time via Twitter. Verlander's tweet blasted Vasquez, and McCullers appropriately commented, "... no one cared as much until a video was leaked..."
Although the Astros had cut ties with Vasquez, and Major League Baseball placed him on indefinite suspension, it did appear that the whole thing might have been forgotten until the video appeared. The incident could not be ignored, and McCullers was dead on in his tweet, "We must fight for the victims, video or not."
It is long past time for professional sports to crack down hard on domestic abusers. MLB, the NFL, and the others must make it clear that such crimes by privileged athletes will not be excused or minimized.
It is unfortunate that Vasquez' punishment was not more severe considering the brutality and cruelty of his crime.
Larry Manch is an author, teacher, guitar player, freelance writer, and columnist. His books include: 'Twisted Logic: 50 Edgy Flash Fiction Stories', 'The Toughest Hundred Dollars & Other Rock & Roll Stories','A Sports Junkie', 'The Avery Appointment', 'Between the Fuzzy Parts'. His books are available in paperback and e-book.
He writes about sports for Season Tickets, food and travel on Miles & Meals, and music/guitars on The Backbeat.
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