Some of the most serious baseball injuries take place outside of the playing field. While players in the game are usually alert, that's not always the case with spectators, coaches or players in the on-deck circle or dugout. Recently, a coach was seriously injured when a foul ball struck him in the eye. Unfortunately, Luis Salazar lost his left eye because of this accident.
In all the years that I've coached, the most serious injuries that I've witnessed have occurred in the stands at Major League stadiums. Twice I saw line drives strike people directly in the face while they were not paying attention to the action on the field. One lost several teeth and the other had to be removed on a stretcher after his nose was shattered.
The vast majority of serious injuries that I've witnessed while coaching baseball involved players who were not playing in the game or practice. A few times players have been struck with overthrown balls while not paying attention while standing behind first base. Years ago, a player was hit by a bat as he walked by the on-deck hitter who was taking practice swings.
Most experienced umpires and base coaches have learned over time not to take their eye off the ball when they are standing near the coach's box during infield warm-ups between innings. The bottom line is that it's important to stay alert when you are around a baseball field.
2011 Chicagoland Tournament Champions & 2011 Lombard Tournament Champions!
