Hit in the line of duty

[piaa_ump]

Foul ball to the forearm.....Initially I thought my arm was broken....but was able to move the fingers etc.....made it through the game and drive myself right to the hospital....Once in the ER, the ER doc took one look at the arm and said "that arm is broken, lets get some xrays".........which we did.......as it turned out......not broken.........deep bone bruise......I was black and blue and green and yellow from my shoulder to my fingertips....

The only equipment mistake I've made was in a hurry to get dressed for the plate.....I rushed to the field....dressed and got to the plate while my partner was finishing up covering the plate meeting for me... Out of habit, I usually tap each heel on my shin guards prior to the first pitch......

Yup I had forgotten to put on my shins........plate shoes, cup, ball bags, cp.....but no shins......made it through the first inning and sent one of the ball boys to my car for the shins and got them on before the start of the 2nd....

[cardinalfan]

Keep the good stories coming! I love 'em.


Many years ago I knew a guy who got married on Friday night. He & his wife weren't able to leave on their honeymoon until Sunday.
On Saturday, they walked down to the local park to watch a Little League game. No umps, so he volunteered.
No cup... Balloon CP...You know where this is going. He was in the dirt in a fetal position. I offered to go on his honeymoon for him, but he declined.

[briancurtin]

I took an upper 80s fastball in the bicep a few years ago. I work the GD system and was locked in nice and solid, the catcher scooted outside during the windup, ball came up and in, and he didn't even get a glove on it. The bruising wasn't so bad color-wise, but it was tough to straighten the arm out for a good two or three days.

I've never been hit on the bases and can't even remember a close call.

[Kevin Finnerty]

I have never said I have never been hit working the pads, because it's something a superstitious person never says. Never.

[Reffing Rev.]

My first season doing Fed ball, I was 2 days out of my first mechanics clinic. It was a V - JV double header. My partner was a 20 year veteran. JV game I was PU 1 out runner on 3rd. Suicide Squeeze. I popped out, mask off in hand stepping up to see the charging 1st baseman pick up the bunt near the line and I give it a hard sell-fair ball. I forgot all about the play at the plate: I'm in the middle of my fair-sell and see the 1st basemen fire a rocket right at my nose, I duck, got pegged off the side of my head and then to make mattters worse the runner slid into home, taking out my legs. My first train wreck at the plate and I'm in the carnage. The next thing I remember is my partner saying, "That was the best fair-ball sell I've ever seen!"

[Reffing Rev.]

One More

I can say when working the field/bases I've never been hit by a ball from my game. However: two years ago in Illinois, I was working the field for a softball game. The softball diamond and baseball diamond were adjacent, our 1st baseline was parralel to and about 20 feet from their 3rd baseline. Usually they try to avoid games on the same day, but we were making up a softball game.

I'm behind first, pitcher is about to deliver the ball and for some reason I was calling time, hands up. THe moment my hands went up I caught a foul ball from the baseball field with my gut. It wasn't a line drive, but it still hurt.

I enjoy feeling everyone else's pain. I now know why I wear reinforced shoes even when doing the bases...(no need to change between games)

[JR12]

Mid 1990's. A colleague of mine in C, drilled to the head by a liner, knocked unconcious.
Got a helicopter ride to the Shock-Trauma Center at Uof MD Hosp.
Luckilly, no serious injury. nasty knot and bruise, still umpires.

[ILRef80]

Originally Posted by JR12

Mid 1990's. A colleague of mine in C, drilled to the head by a liner, knocked unconcious.
Got a helicopter ride to the Shock-Trauma Center at Uof MD Hosp.
Luckilly, no serious injury. nasty knot and bruise, still umpires.

This is my biggest fear, I've had a couple of screamers hit at me around head level and, while I've been able to get out of the way, it gives you some pause. I keep moving back while in B and C, safety has to be the top priority.

[Emperor Ump]

Knock on wood I've only been hit once by a batted ball while BU and that was on my heel from a bad hop hitting a staple holding down the brand new sod then bounced right at me.

I got hit by a foul on my left wrist. Thought it would be broken. I could only barely move my fingers and when I did move them it hurt badly. I continued to call the game holding my indicator w/ my right hand and removing my mask with my right hand which was extremely awkward. I got home put ice on it and could start moving my hand again.

[DG]

Originally Posted by piaa_ump

Yup I had forgotten to put on my shins........plate shoes, cup, ball bags, cp.....but no shins......made it through the first inning and sent one of the ball boys to my car for the shins and got them on before the start of the 2nd....

This has happened to me twice that I can remember, but in both cases I was missing only one shin guard, had the other one.

[archangel]

Originally Posted by DG

This has happened to me twice that I can remember, but in both cases I was missing only one shin guard, had the other one.

How ironic that you call my friend stupid for changing to work the plate while forgetting to change into plate shoes, while you, not once but twice!! only put on one shin guard...who only puts 1 on and not the other??

[bossman72]

I took one on the top of the thumb between my knuckles. I thought it was broke, but it ended up I only hurt that ligament on top. It was stunned for a few days, then it was ok after ice.

Remember guys, if you get an injury, ICE ICE ICE. Never heat untill the swelling has gone away.

[jicecone]

20+ years and never been hit in the field. Close call once during a semi-pro game. I am in the C position and left my plate pants on for second game of double header. I pivot and spin on a ball hit at me, bases loaded. F6 fields ball after it deflected off my cuff. I did not feel a thing and he says it hit me. I try to explain that I did not feel a thing. He drops the subject, yet 2 runs score.

In between innings I ask my partner if he saw the ball. He clearly stated that it deflected off of me. I asked why he didn't speak up because an extra run scored that shoudn't have. The answer I got was yuo didn't ask. Fair enough and fortunately it had no effect on the game. Kind of wierd.

As for the dish, I have received a could share of black and blue marks. and yes I actually called the first batter to the plate once, and realized that I left my mask in the car.

[DG]

Originally Posted by archangel

How ironic that you call my friend stupid for changing to work the plate while forgetting to change into plate shoes, while you, not once but twice!! only put on one shin guard...who only puts 1 on and not the other??

I was stupid not to have to have both shins on. How's that for self-evaluation? Your friend is still stupid too.

[PABlue]

Get nailed while on the radio. Doing game for LL district championship with the game being broadcast on the local AM station. Runner on third here's the pitch, ball is in the dirt batter swings misses the pitch. The problem is so does the catcher ball skips up collecting said umpire right in the side pocket( my cup had shifted ). The pitch is strike three and here comes the runner trying to score as I am almost collapsed up agaisnt the backstop. I make the call of out at the plate and then get to hear the announcers who are less then ten feet away commenting on the play and the discomfort of the umpire. It's bad enough getting nailed but having it on radio was the nail in the coffin. The only thing worse would have been if it could have gotten to youtube.