Worst Shot You've Ever Taken?

[ASA/NYSSOBLUE]

..and walked away from? Heres one of mine: Local mod FP league; one of the harder throwers in the area. B managed to tick the ball back JUST right hits DIRECTLY back onto my right shoulder piece..and my arm went NUMB for about 2 minutes..literally flopping around..man did that one sting! Funny thing is that it hit so directly on the shoulder that the bruise didnt form there..but the blood from the broken vessel trickled down and formed a nice one a bit up from my armpit! Nice one to show all the guys though! And made me notorious enough that a week later at the local bragging rights tourney, the pitchers DAD wanted to see it! I know for sure that w/o my protector,I woulda had a broken bone somewhere...

Of course the reason I posted this is that today at a 16U PONY qualifier I took a nice one on my forearm when the P & C got crossed up on signals...I gutted out that batter, but I walked right over to the one team (who was hosting the tourney)and got ice and a cold bag on that sucker as soon as that AB was done! Its one of those where I got the infamous Stitch Burn...lol

[mo99]

I took a good shot in an 18U tournament with a hard throwing pitcher.A ball was fouled back and it struck me directly in the adams apple.I had an extended frame mask but the ball still managed to hit me in the throat.Very difficult to call balls and strikes for an inning or so.I now use a throat guard on my extended frame mask.Didnt let anyone know I was hurting,but that one really hurt!

Jeff
NCAA Umpire
NFHS Umpire
ASA Umpire

[SRW]

Flip the coin at the 14A/B Regional National Qualifier. Home team takes the field. Pitcher throws one warmup of her 5, and I see her hand do something funny. I setup behind the catcher for the second pitch to see whatever I can. Catcher doesn't know I'm there, and lets the inside pitch go to the backstop. Well, guss what - I'm there! The pitch was a fastball, and hit me right on the inner right thigh. Two weeks later the bruise is still sore and about 5" in diameter. Last time I set up to see a warmup pitch without letting the catcher know I'm there.

[wadeintothem]

some of worst shots ive taken that come to mind happened this weekend and mens B&C FP tourney, because it just happened.

Yesterday I'm PU, Pitcher pitches a fastball, catcher makes no attempt to catch the ball as far as I cant tell and it hits me straight on the shin guard. the ball was moving.. and its left a huge bruise & bump on my shin.. and i have decent shin protectors. I may need to look into other ones though, that shot got me thinking. It hit so hard I thought the dang things broke.

today, a brain fart.. I am BU in C, ball to LF, LF fielding, runner running between 2b and 3b, I go down on a knee to get out of the way of a throw and took the throw right to the back of the head, it was quite a shot and luckily i'm hard headed, but a lesson was learned...


JV this year which i believe i posted here when it happed but R1@1b stealing, I'm alone and begin to move out to the left to watch the play and a girl swining the bat for a practice swing hit be square in the mask... luckily i hadnt remove it yet or i would have lost teeth...

As i sit here thinking, i see to take a lot of shots but thats enough I guess.

[FUBLUE]

Took a foul ball in Men's ball (higher level) on my left shoulder/collarbone without a chest protector...left a bruise for about three weeks...it was black. Ironically enough, that's the last weekend I went without a chest protector.

Took one in the right hand this year in the second inning of a game...straight pitch to the middle finger...doc said the knuckle wasn't broken but agreed with the trainers diagnosis of the knuckle "drooping"...three innings later, take one square off the cup.

Best thing about hit was by the end of the inning my knuckle was so swollen I couldn't flex my hand completely, so it looked like I was flipping the bird on every strike call.

[chuck chopper]

Took one right in the front of my left foot. Hit the front of my toes, not the top. I don't wear steel toe shoes. Had blood under my nails all summer long.

[IRISHMAFIA]

A jigger of George Dickel mash.

[SF]

Yesterday... ugh. I forgot my shin guards at home and I went to do plate in a 12U game. About the fourth inning the coach puts in his backup catcher and she let's a low pitch go under her right into my right ankle. I don't remember it hurting that bad at the time, but by the time I got home I couldn't walk and my ankle was swollen about double it's size. To be sure the last time I ever forget my shin guards.

Also, Friday night, 14U I got hit by foul balls off some fast pitchers. Upper arm, hip, big toe and wrist. I thought I broke my wrist when it hit, I couldn't feel my arm for the rest of the game.

Just hasn't been my week I guess

[chuck chopper]

Never have understood why in faster pitched games, some of us refuse to put our arms behind us. I appreciate the Macho image of leaving your arms out front, but common sense has to prevail sometimes.
.
Try doing some baseball with your arms out front !

[wadeintothem]

I put my hands behind my knees just prior to the pitch... lesson learned awhile ago... also baseball that can be the end of you..

[mcrowder]

First day umpiring, many years ago. Went to get my equipment that very day. No one (neither my trainer, nor the store) mentioned the neck-protector. Last batter of my only game at the plate fouls one straight back into my neck. Hit my Adam's Apple square on and made me gag. Probably could have killed me if the pitcher was much faster.

[whiskers_ump]

Jokingly,

If pitch had been faster, batter might have missed it altogether. Those foul balls
seem to pick up speed regardless of how fast the pitch is thrown. They hurt like hell.

Worst I got hit was from a thrown ball from the outfield in a college game. This throw
was terrible. Broke two ribs and cracket the third.

[WestMichBlue]

Two whoppers of note.

Baseball game several years ago, big H.S. kid throwing in the mid 80's; high hard one that the bat barely tipped over the catcher's glove directly to the center of my big old iron mask. At 6'1" and 270 I thought I was immovable, but I ended up flat on my back looking up at the stars. Strange, I thought - this is a mid-afternoon game!

Last year was the worst. Men's B league FP; I am in "C" well into the outfield (these guys play as deep as SP shortstops). Bases loaded, ball into CF; I am hustling inside but I only make it to about the baseline when I turn and see the ball whiz by my head going to home. Catcher jumps out, cuts ball and throws to 3B. I pivot in time to see the ball get past F5. Within a fraction of a second F6 has fielded the ball and thrown a bullet to 2B.

The only problem was that there was something in the way between him and 2B - ME! The ball ricocheted off my left arm, leaving behind a cracked bone - and into my ribs, leaving a melon sized ugly black purple bruise that lasted two weeks.

I left the game, and will never umpire men's FP again. Their game is just too fast for me. I'll stick with the JO and H.S. games.

WMB

[CecilOne]

Wow, the wisdom to know when! Congratulations.

[mick]

Working baseball.

Foul tip between my mask and vest, ball stopped just touching my neck. Moved my head, caught the ball and gave it to catcher.

Foul tip to left armpit buried between vest body and left bicep.
No arm, no harm. Lifted arm caught the ball and gave it to catcher.
mick