MLB Texas Rangers pitcher Colby Lewis was criticized in the media for choosing to witness the childbirth of his second daughter instead of throwing a scheduled start. Lewis became the first player in Major League Baseball to utilize the league's new paternity leave list, which allows players 24 to 72 hours leave. Lewis' wife Jenny gave birth to their daughter Elizabeth Grace last Wednesday in Bakersfield, California.
A columnist at the Dallas Observer, Richie Whitt, was most critical of Lewis' decision and now he is taking heat from his colleagues over his editorial. NBC Sports' writer Craig Calcaterra called Whitt a "troll" and an "idiot" for his insensitive comments, where he suggested that attending a funeral would have been an excusable reason to miss a start but not a childbirth.