Injuries Caused by Broken Baseball Bats

In baseball, the most dangerous object is usually the ball. Pitchers throw it toward the plate at speeds approaching 100 mph, and batters can send it back at speeds that are even faster. An often-overlooked danger, however, is the bat. When a bat breaks, players, umpires and fans are at risk for a variety of injuries. It's easy to forget about the dangers of broken bats since they don't cause as many injuries as baseballs. The danger is nonetheless real.

  1. Concussions

    • Home plate umpires are often victims of concussions stemming from broken bats. When a batter breaks a bat, part of it often flies off and heads toward the umpire. Even if a protective mask is being worn, the force of the bat head traveling through the air is enough to leave the umpire with a concussion if he's struck in the wrong place. Although the injury is generally not serious and requires only a day or two of rest to recover, an umpire could be forced to retire if he were to suffer multiple concussions.

    Bruises & Broken Bones

    • The same force that can leave an umpire with a concussion can leave anyone on the field (or in the stands) with a bruise or broken bone. When a bat breaks and flies through the air, anything in its path is in danger. The impact of a broken bat will almost always leave a bruise and in certain situations can lead to broken bones. Broken bats that fly into the stands are particularly dangerous because spectators are often unaware of the impending danger. While players on the field are usually ready to react at a moment's notice, fans are not.

    Lacerations

    • One of the scariest injuries that can occur from a broken bat is a laceration. A bat rarely breaks cleanly, often resulting in a jagged and pointed end that can act like a knife. The bat is sharp enough and travels fast enough to cut through skin with relative ease. Anyone who has seen a player avoid an oncoming broken bat knows that they will sacrifice the chance to get an out to avoid the bat shard. An extreme example of this injury occurred in 2005 when Rick Helling, pitching in a minor-league game in Nashville, Tennessee, was struck in the left arm by a broken bat. The pointed shard became lodged in his arm. Fortunately, the incident didn't result in permanent injury.