For any baseball player who sets up the tray to take his swings, the last thing he probably wants is being hit by a pitch. This is particularly true in the major baseball league. Since there are many launchers who can launch more than 100 miles per hour, get hit with baseball at this speed, it would surely sting. If you need events, search for the former Boston Red Sox player Tony Conigliaro.
Conigliaro made his professional debut in 1964 and played his last match in 1975. All his life changed with a single throw from Jack Hamilton by California Angels. The date was August 18, 1967, and Hamilton’s field struck Conigliaro on its left cheekbone causing a linear fracture and a dislocated jaw as well as serious damage to its left retina.
The consequences of the young voltigger were tragic. His vision was reduced to 20-300 and he felt terrible headache. Because at the time, the hitters of striker did not have a protective shutter, the left side of his face was not protected. Obviously, he missed the rest of the 1967 season and due to poor vision missed all the 1968 season.
In 1969, Conigliaro made the unthinkable. He returned to the SOX and even with a left eye that was close to closing, he played in 141 games, hit 20 circuits and hit 81 points. Curiously, Conigliaro was exchanged in 1970 with the teammates Ray Jarvis and Jerry Moses in Angels and California sent Ken Tatum, Jarvis Tatum and Doug Griffin to Boston. The same year, Ken Tatum pulled a Jack Hamilton and one of his locations struck Paul Blair from Baltimore to the face, just as Conigliaro had been struck and Blair underwent several fractures that required surgery.
As for Tony Conigliaro, in 1971, his vision became much poorer, and his perception of depth decreased, and he lived from the dead angles. He was placed on the list of disabled and retired at the end of the season. In 1975, he returned to Boston to be their designated striker, but his season was interrupted due to poor vision.
After retirement, Conigliaro had a restaurant, had time as a sporting anchor and possessed a natural food store. Tragically, at the age of 37 in 1982, he suffered a heart attack and shortly after a stroke. This drops him into a coma and in 1990, he had a case of pneumonia and renal failure and died at only 45 years old.
As tragic as Tony Conigliaro’s story was, it was not as horrible as what happened to another baseball player named Ray Chapman. Chapman was the Cleveland Indian Cop-Court in 1920 and was part of the team since 1912. On August 16, 1920, Carl Mays of the New York Yankees was on the mound to launch in Chapman and after the Indian court-crew managed to put a bag, then he reduced the top of the game which, according to Mays. Chapman has never seen the ball coming and he hit the striker on his head.
Witnesses and Mays, the sound of the ball striking Chapman on the head was so strong that the launcher thought that he had struck the bat. The impact sent the ball at the field and Mays launched it on the first basic player Wally Pipp. Chapman tried to go to the first goal, but fell unable to get up. Chapman was transported urgently to a local hospital where he underwent surgery and a skull fracture was discovered. Ray Chapman lost his life the next day, the only player in the history of the major baseball league to die of an incident on the field.
It seems to have been a bean, Chapman said: “I’m fine. Tell Mays not to worry.” As for Mays, he said that he did not feel guilty suddenly by the field because he did not try to deliberately strike Chapman.
Growing up, I remember a player named Ron Hunt. It seemed to be riding on the basis because of a sudden by the field. In 6,150 appearances on the plates, Hunt was placed 243 times. For all the bruises that he may have suffered from being struck by hard baseball, Hunt is now sixth of all time on the list of strikes by an opposing launcher. At the top, the old player Hughie Jennings who won a free base 287 times in 5,648 bats.
Craig Biggio is second and in 20 seasons in the Bigs, the former player was struck 285 times. But his plaque appearances are more than twice those of Jennings. The rest of the list until the top 10 is: Tommy Tucker (272), Don Baylor (267), Jason Kendall (8,702), Hunt, Dan McGann (230), Anthony Rizzo (222), Chase Utley (204) and Hall of Frank Robinson (198).
What other notable blow by throws:
Mike Piazza
Anyone who follows baseball, especially when Roger Clemens was an active launcher knows that fastball was a type of aggressive player, without grip. His behavior has often been considered nasty. During the 2000 season, the New York dishes faced the Yankees and the receiver Mike Piazza came on the plate against Clemens. With Son Go to Pitch, Clemens plunged Piazza with a quick ball to the head sending the striker on the ground and suffering from a concussion. Due to this blow by Pitch, Piazza could not play in the star match that year. In the World Series of this season, the dishes and the Yankees had both won their respective league fanants and once again, Clemens was throwing in Piazza. In an At-Bat, Piazza broke his battle on a keystock and part of the battle that had broken was picked up by Clemens and returned to Piazza. Good.
Tuna dickie
A player well known for the Astros of Houston, in 1983, Thon had struck 20 circuits. The following season in the fifth game, Thon would face Mike Torrez and with a throw that struck tuna in the face, his career was forever changed. The ball had fractured the orbital bone of tuna and left it partially blinded. Thon returned to the field the following season, but when he managed to stay around the majors until 1993, he never reached more than 10 circuits during the season reaching 15 in 1989 while the only season, he has again exceeded 10 or more round owners. A lifetime striker. 264, during the first five games of 1984, struck .353. His highest average for a season, the rest of his career was only .271. In 1990, Thon would be hit by land three times more. He is now 67 years old.
Gary Roenicke
In 1979, as Baltimore Oriole, Roenicke struck 25 circuits, as well as 64 points produced, and struck .261. But during the season, land struck him in the face and led to an injury that required 25 stitches to repair himself. To avoid another situation like this, Roenicke returned to play with a hitting helmet equipped with a partial football mask that had been offered by the Baltimore colts. Roenicke would reach 20 Home Run or more the remains of his career (21 in 1982) and he would only play nine more seasons ending his career with an average of the stick of .247. In 1979, the Orioles of Baltimore lost against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the World Series and Roenicke played in six of the seven games on 16 times, but managing only two strokes. He also withdrew six times in his appearances.
Mike Jorgensen
Jorgensen played for the Texas Rangers and suffered his success by the Pitch the same year as Gary Roenicke (1979). Andy Hassler of the Red Sox from Boston launched ground to Jorgensen who hit him directly in the face. Jorgensen would have undergone headache for days after and found himself in the hospital. During his stay, he met a crisis that would almost end his life. After a handful of seasons with more than 100 games played in Montreal and as an EXPO, became a companion for five other teams and dragged around Major League Baseball until his retirement in 1985. He lasted 17 years, but only managed 0.243 with only 833 strokes.
Mickey Cochrane
Here we have one of the great sensors of all time in baseball. Cochrane only played 13 seasons with the Philadelphia Athletics and the Detroit Tigers. His career stopped because of a blow by the pitch. Career striker. 320, despite his relatively short career, Cochrane is a member of the temple of the replacement of baseball. At the start of the season in 1937, Cochrane faced Irving Hadley of the New York Yankees and a launcher’s field struck Cochrane with such strength that she overturned him unconscious. The injury led to a fractured skull which then ended Mickey Cochrane’s career. That season, the receiver of the stars was in his 27th match but struck for a .306 cool. He had walked 25 games to this point and withdrew only four times. Cochrane died at the age of 59 in 1962 suffering from lymphatic cancer. Strangely, the launcher who struck Cochrane who had the nickname “bump” died less than a year later at almost the same age as Cochrane (58).
Kirby Puckett
Those who remember this great player will remember a 5’8 ”stocky from a soft bat. Breaking his jaw and creating vision problems that Kirby could not recover, and his career has been interrupted.
In the National Football League, injuries are common. A little end and end of the season. Basketball has its share of injuries on the field and last season, the Indiana Pacers lost Tyrese Haliburton not only for the matches of the NBA final, but for the whole next season with a torn Achilles tendon. Hockey, to be physical sport that is often injury. But in baseball, the arms injuries are common, but there is always this risk of being hit with baseball not only of launchers who launch the ball on 100 miles per hour, but also line records which can also cause major damage.
