Baseball
Toronto Blue Jays
Hayhurst was claimed off waivers by the Toronto Blue Jays on October 6,2008,but was released four months later before the season started,and re-signed to a minor league deal. [3] On June 2,2009,Hayhurst's contract was purchased by the Blue Jays from their Triple-A affiliate,the Las Vegas 51s. [4]
Hayhurst missed the entire 2010 season while on the disabled list following surgery on his right shoulder. [5] He was sent outright to the minors following the season.
Broadcasting
After his release from Tampa,Hayhurst began to appear regularly as a baseball insider on TSN Radio 1050. On June 8,2012,Hayhurst announced that he signed with Rogers owned Sportsnet 590 The Fan to co-host Baseball Central alongside Sam Cosentino,starting July 3,2012.
Hayhurst continued to work for Sportsnet during the 2013 season. During Spring Training,he worked as a colour analyst on radio and web broadcasts. He has performed colour analyst duties on radio broadcasts when Jack Morris was either off or working on television.
Hayhurst was hired by TBS as a TV studio analyst for the 2013 MLB postseason.
Controversy
On May 1,2013,Hayhurst accused Boston Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz of cheating. Hayhurst claimed that he observed Buchholz "loading the ball" by using Crisco or sunscreen to change the movement of the ball. [8] Buchholz and the Red Sox responded by claiming the substance seen on his arm was rosin,used legally to aid the grip of a pitcher. [9]
On July 4,J. P. Arencibia responded to Hayhurst's criticism of his defensive play,as well as his struggles at the plate during the first half of the season. Arencibia commented,in regards to Hayhurst and Gregg Zaun,that "...speaking for myself and the team,there's not one person in our clubhouse that respects those guys". Arencibia went on to say that Hayhurst was a "below-average player" during the time they spent in Triple-A. [10]
In an October 5,2013 broadcast following Game 2 of the American League Division Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox,Hayhurst and fellow commentator Tom Verducci criticized Rays pitcher David Price for his performance in the game,in which Price gave up nine hits and seven earned runs in seven innings as the Rays lost to the Red Sox. Price responded via Twitter:"Dirk Hayhurst...COULDNT hack it...Tom Verducci wasn't even a water boy in high school...but yet they can still bash a player...SAVE IT NERDS". [11] Price apologized the next day. [12] [13]
