bad sports, good sports

Bad sports, good sports: Pitcher breaks his neck when hit in the head with a line drive

Most of my involvement with sports over the course of my life has been as a spectator. I spent several years playing Little League baseball when I was a kid, and I used to play football, baseball, basketball, and hockey with other kids in my neighborhood on a regular basis. Since then, though, other than some intramurals in college, I have experienced very little in the way of first-hand athletic activity until I started running last summer. The rest has all been watched from the comfort of my sofa, along with occasional attendance at live sporting events. I have great respect for the athletes who regularly put their safety on the line so that I can enjoy a nice afternoon in front of the television.

One thing I remember from my Little League days was how it was sometimes hard to get over the fear of being hit by the ball. For my last couple of years playing, I was a pitcher. This was more due to the fact that my father was the coach than any great skill on my part, but I was okay. I loved pitching, but the one thing that bothered me was how close I was to the hitter. A line drive hit back at me, while I was in an awkward position after having thrown a pitch, was always a fear of mine. I never did get hit, but I always marveled at the ability that professional pitchers had to block out that fear, especially considering how hard Major League hitters can hit the ball. This week, Juan Nicasio of the Colorado Rockies lived my childhood nightmare in a major way. In the second inning of the Rockies game against the Washington Nationals in Denver, Ian Desmond of the Nats hit a line drive that hit Nicasio on the right side of his head by his temple. Watch the video here, if you are so inclined. The pitcher was knocked to the ground, and had to be taken off the field on a stretcher. The impact broke a vertebra in his neck, and also caused bleeding on his face. He had emergency surgery that night, and he remains in serious condition at Denver Medical Health Center.

Early talk is that Nicasio is expected to recover fully, and the Rockies believe he will be able to pitch again. The question I have is whether he will really be able to get back on that mound and throw to hitters after what happened. I assume that the fear I described has likely been gone since childhood for this guy, if it was ever there, as I expect he has been pitching since he was very young. Once that kind of fear enters your mind as an adult, though, it stands to reason that it would be a lot more difficult to fight. Sure, this has happened to other pitchers in the past, and most of them have been able to continue their careers. Nicasio is a young guy, and if he recovers physically, he has as good a chance as anyone to get back out there. If it were me, I am not sure I would have it in me.

Bad sports, continued:

2) Speaking of scary moments for a professional athlete, Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Mike Patterson had a very frightening day at training camp on Wednesday when he collapsed on the field and appeared to be convulsing. An examination at a nearby hospital showed that the seizure was caused by a condition called AVM, or arteriovenus malformation, which will require surgery. It is unknown how long Patterson will be out.

3) Former NFL quarterback Joey Harrington was seriously injured last weekend when he was hit by a car while riding his bike. He is expected to recover.

4) St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina was suspended for five games for bumping umpire Rob Drake during an argument on Tuesday night in a game against Milwaukee after Drake called a third strike on Molina.

5) The NBA may want to make sure that the basketball season happens this year, as a couple of players got in some trouble this week while playing in non-league games. Michael Beasley, of the Minnesota Timberwolves, was playing in a game as part of the New York City streetball games that are happening right now. He took umbrage to the heckling of a fan, and showed it by giving the fan’s face an open-palm shove. A melee ensued. Meanwhile, Matt Barnes, of the Los Angeles Lakers, did Beasley one better while playing a Pro-Am game in San Francisco on Thursday. Barnes reportedly punched an opposing player after that player had been roughing him up a bit with physical play.

6) Sean Avery, a forward for the NHL’s New York Rangers, was arrested on Friday in California after allegedly shoving a police officer who was investigating a noise complaint at Avery’s home.

7) Someone at Ohio State thought it would be a good idea for some of the football players to be wearing wristbands honoring fired coach Jim Tressel during pre-season practice. After some media caught wind of it, the wristbands were taken away. Way to send a message, Buckeyes.

8) This one is fun. Bojana Jovanovski, a tennis player from Serbia, nearly missed her match at the Mercury Insurance Open in Carlsbad, California, last week. It seems that she flew to Carlsbad, New Mexico, rather than the one in the Golden State. Oops. She made it on time, but lost her first round match to Roberta Vinci.

Good sports:

1) NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski won the Sprint Cup race at Pocono on Sunday despite driving with a broken ankle that he suffered in a crash earlier in the week while testing in Atlanta.

2) Showing why the fans of the Philadelphia Eagles have loved him for the last twelve years, kicker David Akers, who is now with the San Francisco 49ers, rented a billboard in Philadelphia to tell the fans how appreciative he is of their support during his career in the city. He is a classy guy and a great kicker, and the team and the fans will miss him.

Bad sports, good sports appears every Monday

Alan Spoll is a software quality assurance director from the suburbs of Philadelphia where he lives with his wonderful wife and children. He has spent his entire life as a passionate fan of the Eagles, Phillies, Sixers, Flyers, and Penn State. Recent Phillies success aside, you will understand his natural negativity. Follow me on Twitter - @DocAlan02
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