Worst Injuries?

[maineump]

We have all been hit right? What is the worst injury that you have received? Was it a season or career ender? Most important - what did you do to possibly prevent another one like it?

New pads?

Change mechanics?

I had a younger umpire tell me about a shot and he asked for ideas - maybe this is a chance to help prevent some injuries.

[JaxRolo]

Throat hit of a weird bounce of the plate. Knocked me out

[Mike Prince]

2 concussions - first one was my fault, I flinched/turned my first year and took an uncaught pitch right to the side of my unprotected head.  Obviously I learned to stay with the pitch from that one.

 

Second concussion was an innocent-looking foul straight to the forehead this spring, didn't think a thing of it when it happened, but had post-game headache/nausea and was out for a week.  Already was wearing TW pads in a properly fitting mask, so it was just a fluke shot.

 

Other than that, just some ugly bruises from getting hit where I don't have protection.  Some are unavoidable, others have resulted in modifications to my stance.

[HokieUmp]

Worst looking?  The bloody mess I made Memorial Day weekend (story/pictures posted elsewhere, dated 28 May).

 

Worst feeling?  Twice in my career, I've taken a ball off a RHB that comes back and gets the area around my right wrist.  Once was on about the 4th pitch of a title game, and the other was bad enough that I thought I'd gotten it broken, and had an ice-pack strapped to my arm for about 2-3 innings.

[midtnump]

This was my first year back after a long stretch of coaching, but in the last game I did this season for older HS age kids, I got hit hard twice in the second game of a DH. First one was a RHB and F2 didn't catch a breaking pitch and nailed me hard on the inner thigh and caught the side of my cup and pinched the boys hard. next inning a LHB fouls a low pitch back and clips F2's glove and the ball deflects straight up and under the shoulder pads of my WVP and I get a heck of a knot and bruise on the very top of my bicept. Like Mike just said some unavoidable balls.

[BigUmpire]

Coach broke my arm with a bat in the parking lot.

Dont let coaches get closer than 4 feet to you.

[JaxRolo]

Coach broke my arm with a bat in the parking lot. Dont let coaches get closer than 4 feet from you.

What happened to the coach?

[Mike Prince]

 

Coach broke my arm with a bat in the parking lot. Dont let coaches get closer than 4 feet from you.

What happened to the coach?

 

 

He had to buy a new bat!

[umpstu]

Blown achilles tendon. Thought I was hit in the calf with a sledge hammer. Place I hate to get hit worst: forearms. Those shock doctor pads are like wearing one layer of bubble wrap. Waste of money, imo.

[CentralOhioUmp30]

If I ever sustained an injury that was severe enough for me to miss even a single game, I'd probably give up umpiring that day.

I've taken shots to the head (don't think I've ever had a full-on concussion though) and I've always worried about it. I figure I still have 50-70 years of life ahead of me. No reason to ruin any part of it because of a hobby, IMO.

[BigUmpire]

 

Coach broke my arm with a bat in the parking lot. Dont let coaches get closer than 4 feet from you.

What happened to the coach?

 

I changed his driver license photo. HE left in an ambulance. I will try and find the newspaper clipping on this.

[T-Rav]

I have not had a game wear I had a hit wear I had to miss another game but I will say that hits to the forearm are the most painful shots for me. 

[maineump]

#1. A shot to the mask causing a concussion, I don't remember the pitch. Finished the game (remembered it). Flew home after the tournament (24 hour flight) and slept the entire flight, except to switch planes. Slept the week away after returning.

I never went to the Dr - should have I guess.

I didn't realize I had the concussion until after I thought back on it.

The TW upgrade is the best thing I have ever done to protect myself.

#2, Catching a foul ball between the bicep and body, that didn't drop, it just stayed there, but not as long as the bruise did.

[tiger49]

I have had a few,

 

Two broken fingers in the same game. First one hit my middle finger on the left hand when the catcher bailed on a fast ball down the middle (gotta love 13u ball). Stayed in as I didn't really think I broke it, however in the 7th I got hit by a foul ball on the index finger on the same hand. Very clear I broke it on that shot. X-rays at the hospital revealed the 2nd break.

 

Torn PCL doing a semi-pro game. Came set for a play at 1B using a scissor set and felt my right knee pop. Finished the game but wasn't the same for the rest of the year. 

 

Last year received a concussion on a delayed steal of home on the throw back to the pitcher. Throw to F2 from F1 glanced off the glove and caught me right in the forehead. Spent a week off the field, but called a no-hitter on my first game back.

[Jesse]

 

 

Coach broke my arm with a bat in the parking lot. Dont let coaches get closer than 4 feet from you.

What happened to the coach?

 

I changed his driver license photo. HE left in an ambulance. I will try and find the newspaper clipping on this.

 

I call shenanigans 

[Stan W.]

foul ball to the forearm......felt the arm was broken for sure...so did the emergency room MD, but xray showed a dented bone...........was swollen, black, blue, green, yellow from finger tips to shoulder...3 weeks until fully useful, 6 mos until no soreness.........today, its an association legend........you can tell the new guys who want to see the flat spot on my forearm.....

 

numerous broken fingers.......

 

many years ago, ...a foul ball to the chest  wearing an old +POS ribbed protector.........left a lump in my chest for over a year............and cost me hundreds of dollars as I searched to upgrade to better and better protection............went home that night and ordered the +pos BB2000...looked like samurai warrior armor..........and on to my WV Platinum of today.......   

[treydawgmt]

A concussion this year, foul shot straight to the mask.  Only time I've had anything more than some really really good bruises before upgrading to my West Vest.  No bruises this year!

[Specks]

Afraid to post for fear I'll jinx myself.

[Dannytheman]

Took a thrown bat to my left forearm.  Worse contact I had my whole game career. I thought it broke my arm.

 

All the rest seem to run together!!

[Stan W.]

If I ever sustained an injury that was severe enough for me to miss even a single game, I'd probably give up umpiring that day.

I've taken shots to the head (don't think I've ever had a full-on concussion though) and I've always worried about it. I figure I still have 50-70 years of life ahead of me. No reason to ruin any part of it because of a hobby, IMO.

 

well, you better quit now......I have not yet met any serious umpire who has not sustained an injury that caused them to miss a game whilst umpiring baseball..........if it hasnt happended it will.....if it has happended it will again.......yes, there are things you can do to lessen your chances.........better gear, better mechanics, but you cant cover all the bases.......(so to speak)........

[JaxRolo]

I actually have a Dr appoinment this afternoo so they can x-ray my wrist area. Took a shot Thursday night and its hurting pretty bad.

[LMSANS]

I was hit in the wrist a few years ago (5 or 6).  The bruise showed up on both sides of my wrist.  To this day, when I tap my wrist for a time play signal, I feel pain.

[grayhawk]

Rolando and Larry, where do you put your hands so that your wrist is exposed?

[LMSANS]

Rolando and Larry, where do you put your hands so that your wrist is exposed?

I've changed my stance a couple of times since then.

[Umpire in Chief]

About 3 years ago high inside fastball the batter swung ant and fouled to my mask.

 

I was stunned at the time a tad bit disorientated. But just tried to shake it off and threw a new ball in and signaled play the pitcher starts his windup I take my squat and my partner comes running up the line screaming "Time!"

 

I didn't notice I wasn't wearing my mask and infact it was lying against the backstop. 

 

I felt fine the rest of the game. I got a bad headache by the time I got home. After getting home I felt nauseous. I had a mild headache for a few days.