Paxton leaves UK baseball team
February 27, 2010 by BW Jones · 4 Comments
Senior lefthanded pitcher James Paxton has left the UK baseball team nearly three months after initially filing a lawsuit against the university on Dec. 2, UK athletics confirmed in a statement late Friday night.
“The University of Kentucky is very disappointed in James Paxton’s decision to not meet with the NCAA about a potential amateurism issue,” UK athletics said in the statement. ”No one wanted James on the mound in a Kentucky uniform more than UK head coach Gary Henderson, athletics director Mitch Barnhart and the UK Athletics staff. Due to the possibility of future penalties, including forfeiture of games, UK could not put the other 32 players of the team and the entire UK 22-sport intercollegiate athletics department at risk by having James compete. It’s about the team and giving student-athletes the opportunity to achieve their goals. Throughout the process, UK has remained confident that James would be able to pitch for Kentucky during the 2010 season and UK offered every bit of assistance to aid James in that NCAA process.”
In the lawsuit, Paxton sought an injunction that would have allowed him to play baseball for UK this season without submitting to an interview with NCAA investigators. It is believed the NCAA wishes to speak to Paxton about his relationship with MLB agent Scott Boras. In a Canadian newspaper article, an executive with the Toronto Blue Jays, who drafted Paxton in the 2009 MLB draft, said Boras negotiated with the team instead of Paxton and his family. If true, that would be a violation of NCAA rules.
Paxton’s request for an injunction that would have allowed him to play without submitting to an interview was denied on Jan. 15 by a Fayette County Circuit Court judge, and his appeal to the Kentucky Court of Appeals was denied on Jan. 27. Paxton had been weighing his options since then.
Attempts to reach Paxton on Saturday were unsuccessful.
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Paxton is an idiot. All he had to do was cooperate with the NCAA. If he was innocent, then it should not have been a big deal. I’m glad he lost his lawsuit and appeal. The Unversity was correct in protecting all of its student-athletes and not giving in to the selfish actions of one person.
Thelma,
You do not know the situation at hand. There is no evidence that Boras dealt directly with Blue Jays management. I’m sorry for ignorant web browsers, such as yourself, who claim unknown people to be idiots without full knowledge of the situation at hand. If you have been paying any attention to this case, you would know that Boras counseled the Paxton family solely, and not Blue Jays management. Check your facts before typing on your computer and running your mouth. Idiot…
Thelma,
How does refusing to submit to an interview where you have been told you will be suspended indefinitely just for agreeing to submit to the interview make James an idiot? Who in their right mind would agree to such a thing? This case is about the protection of fundamental constitutional rights that are being stomped on by the NCAA with the explicit cooperation of UK. UK has thrown James under the bus when they should be standing up and protecting one of their own.
You have absolutely no right in saying he is an idiot nor do you know any of the details at hand. James was asked to meet without consulting his family and without consulting an attorney. He was told he wasn’t allowed to even tell his parents.Within UKs atletic bylaws it states that a meeting such as this will never be forced on a player nor will it tamper with their status on a team. People such as yourself should just keep quiet, know what you’re talking about before you call anyone an idiot, idiot.