Took my 12 YO and his friends to Hayfield SS home opener vs. JEB Stuart (we live a few hundred yards away) last night (3/22). Hayfield has some big boys who can jack some balls. The biggest, hardest-swinging kid who bats lefty absolutely CRUSHES a ball, sounds like a gunshot, right up the middle, head-high, and it careens off the pitcher's forehead and bounces toward 1st. Everyone is just in shock for a few seconds. The pitcher staggers around like a drunk, picks up the ball, and wanders around the IF until the umps finally stop being spectators and call time. Coaches/trainers rush to pitchers aid. By very fortunate luck, the kid JUST managed to get a tiny piece of glove on the line drive (luck or intentional, unknown) and it hit right on the sweat band of the helmet where there is a tiny amount of padding. 911 was called of course, and appraently the player was coherent and will probably be okay, but I'm waiting to see if I read about it in a local paper. Left in the ambulance. Game continued about 15 minutes later. The next time the big kid came to bat he hit a 380' HR. I was scared for the pitcher and was sitting in the stands!
My 12 YO son and his friend saw it all, At times like that, I'm very glad he plays catcher and does not pitch!
The ball was hit so hard the player did not have time to react to protect himself more than a tiny bit, which was thankfully enough. If the ball hit his nose or teeth we'd probably be talking about dental/reconstructive surgery. Okay, so how rare is this sort of occurrence? I'm inclined to think (and really really hope) incredibly rare. Made me think a pitcher wearing some sort of light helmet makes a lot more sense.
Hayfield won 21-5.
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