Good Sports

 

The pitch came in.

And it hit the batter.

Batters get hit by a pitched ball on a daily basis.

My dad was an admirer of Don Baylor, the one-time Yankee who stood at home plate and didn't flinch when he got hit.

And thus, that's what I did. It was the "macho" thing to toss the bat away and run to first.

Save for the time Joe Porcelli hit me in the elbow. I ran to first, tried to convince myself I was fine...and then dropped to my knee at first base.

Damn. I left the game.

But I watched a player get hit today at the Cal Ripken NE Regional in Oxford. Keep in mind, these kids are basically 11 years old. 

I've seen several players get clipped and buzzed but this one was different.

Now, before we proceed, I want you to know this story turns out fine. The player got up and finished the game.

But, at first, this hit-by-pitch looked different.

In fact, I couldn't tell, but I thought the player got hit on the back of his neck.

As a broadcaster, I report the details up to a point of common sense. Explaining what's going on with an injured player, especially one that young, is very difficult.

He dropped to the dirt. The home plate umpire and a couple of his coaches came to his side. I heard one say, "It's OK to cry."

And he did. He cried due to pain. Maybe a little embarrassment over the attention. Maybe he wanted more from that at-bat. It doesn't matter why.

I stood above it on the landing outside of the press box. The air was hot. Humid. Disgusting.

I stood there mostly quiet before deciding to talk about something benign just to fill the air.

Somewhere, the player had loved ones who were listening. The last thing they needed was for me to describe this until I saw something to confirm he was OK.

As soon as it happened, the pitcher who threw the ball dropped to a knee. His reaction was as interesting to me as anything. He watched intently but stayed where he was.

Contrast this, in general, to MLB. I'm not saying players aren't concerned for their brethren on different teams but it's just different.

After a short time, the injured player sat up.

Then he was helped to his feet. Together, with his coaches, they walked to first base.

One of the coaches thanked the home plate umpire.

"I understand," the ump said. "I'm a father of two and a grandfather of five."

We all get it. These are young kids. They're learning. They're developing.

But, there's one last thing I want to highlight. As the player who had been hit by a pitch began to walk to first base, he was greeted with an outstretched hand.

It was from the pitcher who threw the ball. It's clear what happened really bothered him and he wanted to check on his opponent.

The injured player was receptive and following a quick handshake, the pitcher patted him on the back.

Sports, man, sports.

There was just something beautiful about that small moment.

It was the spirit of competition and sportsmanship. Yes, you'll do anything for a win. But when someone gets hurt, it's best to understand there are no hard feelings.

Twelve games are complete. Five reman.