Scary Moments in Baseball

SI Staff | May 8, 2013

Scary Moments in Baseball

Ray Chapman

Transcendental Graphics/Getty Images; Tony Dejak/AP

Ray Chapman of the Indians is hit in the temple by a pitch from the Yankees' Carl Mays. Chapman dies the next day, making him the only on-field player fatality in baseball history.

Dizzy Dean

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Dizzy Dean, the ace of the Cardinals' Gashouse Gang, was inserted as a pinch-runner in Game 4 of the World Series in Detroit. While going to second to break up a double play, he was hit in the head by a relay throw. He was well enough to pitch the next day and to toss a shutout in Game 7. Three years later he was struck by a line drive during the All-Star Game that was the beginning of the end of his Hall of Fame career.

Herb Score

Sporting News Archives/Icon SMI

Herb Score was one of the game's most promising young pitchers, winning 36 games his first two seasons and leading the majors in strikeouts both times. But early in his third year, he was struck by a liner from the Yankees' Gil McDougald and missed the rest of the season. He returned to pitch parts of five more years but was never the same again.

Tony Conigliaro

Neil Leifer/SI

Massachusetts native Tony Conigliaro led the AL in home runs at age 20 in 1965 and looked like a Red Sox fixture when a fastball from Jack Hamilton smashed into his face, breaking his cheekbone, dislocating his jaw and doing serious damage to his eye. He missed all of 1968 and played just two more full seasons, retiring for good in 1975.

Mookie Wilson

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Mookie Wilson got hurt during a spring training drill when a throw from teammate Rafael Santana during a base running drill hit Wilson in the eye, breaking his glasses and sending pieces of glass into his eye. Wilson missed the first month of the season but returned to help the Mets win the World Series.

Dave Dravecky

Otto Greule Jr./Getty Images

Dravecky had a cancerous tumor in his arm removed in the offseason and in his second start back in the majors, he broke his arm throwing a pitch against the Montreal Expos. He broke his arm again in the post game celebration after the Giants won the National League pennant, ending his career. Two years later, his left arm and shoulder were amputated.

Dave Clark and Jacob Brumfeld

Gene J. Puskar/AP

Pirates outfielders Dave Clark and Jacob Brumfeld collided while chasing a flyball, leaving Clark, who hit the outfield fence face-first, unconscious and suffering a broken collarbone. Brumfeld lost a tooth. Manager Jim Leyland called it "one of the worst things I've ever seen on the baseball field."

Mike Mussina

Gene Sweeney Jr./AP

Mike Mussina got hit in the face by a liner from the Indians' Sandy Alomar, breaking his nose. Mussina landed on the disabled list.

Bryce Florie

Chuck Solomon/SI

A Red Sox reliever, Bryce Florie suffered a frightening injury when he was hit by a line drive from the Yankees' Ryan Thompson. Florie suffered a broken cheekbone and orbital socket and eye damage and needed emergency surgery.

Mike Cameron and<br> Carlos Beltran

Lenny Ignelzi/AP

Mets outfielders Mike Cameron and Carlos Beltran collided face-to-face when both dove after a fly ball in San Diego. Cameron suffered facial fractures and a concussion and was lost for the season. Beltran was not as seriously hurt but was diagnosed with a concussion.

Rick Ankiel

Jeff Roberson/AP

Cardinals outfielder Rick Ankiel smashed into the left-centerfield wall face-first after momentarily catching a long drive by the Phillies' Pedro Feliz. He never lost consciousness but did go on the disabled list.

Buster Posey

Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP(2); Kelley L Cox/Icon SMI

Buster Posey had helped the Giants win a World Series the year before while winning Rookie of the Year honors but his 2011 season ended abruptly when the Marlins' Scott Cousins plowed him over at home plate. Posey suffered a broken fibula and torn ankle ligaments and was lost for the season. He returned the next year to win MVP and help the Giants win the World Series again.

Tsuyoshi Nishioka

Kathy Willens/AP

One week into his first major league season after coming over from Japan, Nishioka had his leg broken on a slide by the Yankees' Nick Swisher. He was out until mid-June and finished the year batting just .226.

Albert Pujols

Jeff Roberson/AP

Albert Pujols broke his left wrist when the Royals' Wilson Betemit ran into him at first base. Pujos writhed on the grass in pain and was expected to miss six weeks. He returned after just three and finished with another terrific season: .299 average, 37 home runs and 99 RBIs while helping the Cardinals to a world championship.

Brandon McCarthy

Ben Margot/AP

After being beaned by a hard line drive from the Angels' Erick Aybar, it appeared the A's Brandon McCarthy would be OK. He walked off under his own power but it turned out he had a brain contusion, a skull fracture and an epidural hemorrhage. He had emergency surgery and though he missed the rest of the season, he returned to the majors in 2013 with the Diamondbacks.

J.A. Happ

Mike Carlson/AP

The Blue Jays' J.A. Happ took a come backer from the Rays' Desmond Jennings off the side of his head and remained on the ground for several minutes while being tended to by trainers and doctors. He was taken off the field on a stretcher and spent the night in the hospital before being released.