Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-24
the shock, but he never was
lutte the hitter 4 ftarxx-ard

Withstand the shock, but he never was
quite the same hitter afterward.
Dan Hoffman, the center fielder Of the
Browns. was the victim of fearful blow
at the hand OF Jesse Tannehill, then with
Boston, some years ago. Hoffman was at
the time deemed the most promising
young player in the American League He
was having his first season. and a most
brilliant one ii was. One day he made a
triple. a double and a single off Tame
hill in three trips to the plate. The fourth
time up Tannehill hit him a fearful blow
over the right eve. The optic was driven
out on the cheek. It almost killed the
trained and muscular young athlete
Hoffman lay as if dead, and it was four
days before he recovered consciousness
Then his nerves were ruined. From 40
pounds he declined to LIS. He could not
sleep nor eat for six months, and the fol-
lowing season saw him play with but one
eye to see. Hoffman says that il has
taken him six years to get back his full
strength. He has never been able to hit
left-handed pitchers since that awful day
Now. six years after, Hoffman is at the
mercy OF the average left-handed pitcher
That fearful blow forever has ruined his
value as a base ball player. From a
man who hit left-handed pitchers with
freedom and ease he is usually taken out
of the game when a left-hander is pitch
ing against his team. Tannehill, who hit
him, is left-hander
Holman has never forgiven Tannehiil
for hitting him. He says that it was
done with malice aforethought because
ne had been hitting the pitcher hard dur
ing the game.
Why Lush's Neck Is Crooked.
Johnnie Lush, the star pitcher OF the
Cardinals. was hit by Andy CoakIey on
the neck and all but killed. His neck has
never been straight since that time, and
for years his health was SO impaired by
the awful shock that he felt that he was
degenerating into consumptive.
Bresnahan of the Cardinals was hit and
severely hurt by Jack Taylor in 1904. For
a long time after this injury Bresnahan
assumed a semi-maSk that protected the
exposed side Of the head against the mis-
takes or designs of the pitcher.
Hundred of lesser lights have been hit
and injured to a degree less serious than
those above mentioned. 1t all goes to
show that base ball is not without it's
great dangers, especially to men at the
bat. Most Of the injuries on the field
have come about through collisions be-
tween fielders, such as that in which Hub
Collins died when he collided with Harry
Stovey at Boston. many years ago. But
unimportant compared to those which
have taken place between pitched balls
and batters at the plate.
Batted balls injure very few players,
thougn the way men hit them about In
practice would often make one wonder
that accidents are not more frequent. The
most notable accident of this sort that
ever occurred was when Schriver of Pitts
burg hit Pitcher William Hart of the
same club on the chin with a ball batted
in practice. The line drive shattered
Harris jaws. and his face fell down upon
his breast, like beard" as one
player who saw the accident described it.
1t was wired up again and the man given
a sembiance of human appearance. Hart
is now fifty years old and is rated the
best pitcher in the Southern League.
Withal, the paucity of accidents In base
ball is a tribute to the great skill Of the
players. With death whisking by them
every minute they are at the bat only
one player in one million is ever seri-