It's A Scary World Out There.

Some unnerving, unsettling news came out of the baseball world last night: Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos was kidnapped last night by four armed men from his house in Venezuela, and there has been no evidence of his whereabouts yet, or even if he's still alive.

This is not the first time a disturbing event like this has occured: in 2009, catcher Yorvit Torrealba's son was kidnapped before being returned unharmed, and former pitcher Ugueth Urbina's mother spent 5 months in captivity back in 2005. However, it appears to be the first instance in which a Major League Baseball player was actually the one kidnapped. Ramos, who's 24 and just finished his first full professional season, hit .267 with 15 home runs and 52 RBIs, a promising sign of things to come for a player who's on a team looking to have a young core turn them into a contender within the next 3 to 4 years.

Unfortunately for Ramos and everyone else who lives in Venezuela, this is not an uncommon occurrence. Venezuela has one of the highest kidnapping rates of any country in the world, and professional sports players who make a lot of money would be an obvious target for a person or people who are desperate for financial help. It's a disgusting display of human indeceny, but sadly, one that seems to happen frequently in lower-income countries. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Ramos, his family, and the entire Nationals franchise, and we hope he's returned soon, safe and sound.

In less frightening but still upsetting news, Jorge Posada confirmed the suspicions of many by saying that, although he would love to return, he understands that his time as a New York Yankee is almost certainly over. His clarity is pretty amazing for a baseball player, as he seems to realize that the Yankees won't resign him. It's not a matter of respect, it's just the way they do business, and while it may sting, Posada will be able to make the decision that's best for him; that is, whether to keep playing with another team, or to simply retire and try to enjoy the dreaded Life After Baseball. Whatever he decides, we here at TBF support and cheer him on.