The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-03-15
ACCIDENTS ON BALL FIELDS
NTMEROTS SERIOUS ONES, But
FEW or THEM FATAL.
The Head On Collision n Distressing
sight and Two Of the worst Cases Of
This Kind Occurred In This Town
Broken Legs and Hammered Heads.

III NNFhh W" = ~
Sight, and Two Of the Worst Cases Of
This Kind Occurred In This TOwn-
Broken Legs and Hammered Heads.
The list Of players in the two big leagues
alone who have been the victims Of serious
accidents on the baseball field Ia long.
There have been few fatalities in baseball,
however. and il Ia also worthy Of note that
there have been few accidents in big league
baseball that have left a permanently bad
efry.. There have been a good many bad
and painful injuries 10 players Of the first
rank, but in nearly every instance the player
has returned to the game as sound as he
ever was.
Injuries 10 limbs breaks or sprains-and
rape on the head from pitched balls con-
etitute a majority Of the hurts received on
the diamond. Sometimes. too, the player
ia gashed by an opponents spikes, laying
him on for several weeks; but whatever the
nature n the injury il is seldom that prompt
and efficient treatment does not prepare
the patient 80 that with the restoring aid Of
nature he comes around all right in a reason
able length Of time. Charleyhorse and
kindred ills also ahlict the ball player, but
do not necessarily result from accidents.
Nothing in the way Of an accident on the
field il more distressing for the spectator
than a head on collision between two play
err. The fatal outcome Of the collision
between Hub Collins and Darby O'Brien
at Eastern Park, Brooklyn. years ago is
still wildly recalled by many present day
patrons Of the game and comes to mind
invariably when two players collide. Col
Inns and O'Brien coll.ded in going after a
Hy ball Collins was 50 badly hurt that
he never got over the effects OF the blow
he received on the head and died not a
great while afterward.
Equally foarsome in appearance but with
out fatal result was the collision between
Dave Fultl and Norman Elberfeld at the
New NorN American League grounds year
before last. Ful,z was running in and
Elberfeld was running ont for a fly ball
Both were looking up and both dropped
fat when their heads met. Fult8's Jaw was
broken and he was taken ia the hospital
white and unconscious Elberfeld was
assisted on the field in a groggy condition,
Neither played again that %season-it was
near the end ot the race-and Fultz has not
nlaycd since. lie al made
ment, however, that it was 10 be his last
wear in baseball. When he recovered
rnltz was asked what his sensations were
when he was hit. There weren't any, A"
- s?;hoH!: Just oblivion" Neither he nor
DO KID Suffered any permanent effects
from the accident. though il was a Tarlous
looking one.
Seeing a batter dropped 10y a pitched
hall also brings the heart Of the spectator
10 his mouth an makes him fear for the
players life. Back in the sos John Bur-
dock, the Boston second baseman, was
felled by a hall pitched ! Keefe and was
in the hospital for som time, Burdock's
physical distress was no greater than
Keefe's mental distress, The noted pitcher
would not stay in the box any longer that
day, and made frequent calls at the hospital
TO see the injured man.
A mai with q physique less rugged than
that Of Hughy Jennings might have taken
a couple Of knockout blows from swiftly
pitched balls less lightly, Jennings was
plugged twice on the head at the Polo
Grounds Once'his nose was broken, and