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Every year at this time, we marvel at the many creative ways baseball players have found to make an appearance on the wildly popular Strange But True Injuries of the Year leaderboard.
So we’d like to thank this year’s baseball population for… cooking breakfast… playing the piano… and doing their best to get in and out of their hotel bathrooms safely. But do you know what is especially surprising? None of those accidents even topped this list!
In fact? Yes true. So here they come, the strangest but true injuries of 2023.
First Prize: Eye Confession!
We always award Injury of the Year bonus points to those who manage to survive an injury despite being injured. So there’s Rays relief pitcher Pete Fairbanks, who couldn’t even hide the Giannis imitation that got him into this mess.
When Fairbanks met with the Rays’ media delegation in June after returning from the injured list due to hip inflammation, he brought with him a glaring black eye — and one of the great How I Did This stories of the 21st century. .
Turns out this can happen to you too, If you try to drown your 3-year-old in the pool,
“I pulled a pool basketball hoop over my face after I dunked on a 3-year-old,” Fairbanks confessed, “to teach him an early lesson in life that, when you’re in the paint, you can’t get caught at the rim.” Underneath unknowingly.”
To which we can only hope his son said: Send it, Jerome!
Second prize: It’s all the alarm clock’s fault!
Yusei Kikuchi really needs his Z. (Rich Story/USA TODAY)
We’ve always thought of Blue Jays starter Yusei Kikuchi as a sleeping giant.
We had no idea!
Why was he an early exit from a great September start at Yankee Stadium? Because he was fed up, he said, After getting “only” 11 hours of sleep – contrary to his habit 12 to 14 hours. So he may not lead the league in shutouts. But what is this? You have to like their chances of leading the league in shutouts. And if that’s your sleep goal, there are t-shirts available!
Third Prize: When You (And Your Back) Gotta Go
When Diamondbacks third baseman Evan Longoria strained his back last July, he was expected to miss only a week or two. So why did it change in three weeks? Because, by her account, it hurt her back getting up from the toilet In a hotel bathroom in San Francisco.
So you thought hanging out could be dangerous for a baseball player’s career, right? Beware of outhouses!
Fourth prize: There goes his walk ratio
During a start in July, Tony Gonsolin successfully walked off the mound. (Jerome Miron/USA TODAY)
Need more proof that most spring training practices are overhyped? Dodgers pitcher Tony Gonsolin went for a routine fielding drill during spring training last March — and completed the fielding portion just fine. Turns out this was his exit strategy he should have worked on.
He limped off the field, spraining his ankle and missing the first four weeks of the season. But was it all worth it? He didn’t make a mistake the entire season!
Fifth Prize: He Had Lots of Time to Be an Even Greater Dad
After all, there were a lot of great fatherhood moments this season… which didn’t make up for any special moments while trying to get on the field… so we’re rounding them up here. If his family prints this and frames it, it would make a lovely Father’s Day gift.
, Giants pitcher Anthony DeSclafani fractures his toe while playing piano with his son,
, Adam Wainwright’s finger burned while making breakfast for his son,
, Josh Donaldson cuts his thumb while making a toy for his daughter,
This all sounds troublesome. But hey, at least they didn’t try to drown their kids in the pool.
This year is strange but true
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(Top photo of Pete Fairbanks: Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
