Man brain-dead after being struck b softball

[coolstuff]

Probably not wearing a helmet, but if this hit him below the ear, on the neck, that's not protected by a helmet anyway. Very sad.

Man brain-dead after being struck by softball
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MISHAWAKA - A member of a men's slow-pitch softball team was declared brain-dead after he was hit in the neck by a ball.

Teammates say 24-year-old Alberto Naranjo of Elkhart was sliding into home plate during a game Saturday morning when a throw struck him below his left ear. He started to get up, but collapsed.

Paramedics took Naranjo to Memorial Hospital in South Bend from Rose Park in nearby Mishawaka after attempts to revive him failed.

St. Joseph County Coroner Michael O'Connell says a neurosurgeon pronounced Naranjo brain-dead early Sunday. O'Connell said Naranjo remained on life support late Sunday so his organs could be used for transplants.

Teammates said they were still trying to recover from the shock of seeing the accident.

[GIMNEPIWO]

Very sad ... similar situation near here 2 or 3 years ago ... Guy running out an infield ground ball, throw was a little wide and the 1st bagger didn't come off the bag to get it ... they say it sounded like someone hit a coconut with a bat and he went down in a lump ... I think I heard he made a recovery though ...

[jofus]

Yes, that is very sad


Our slow pitch team picked up a younger guy several years ago (we were mostly a bunch of old farts by then, in our 30's) that had a cannon....and loved to show it off.

So, when he was playing ss, even if he mis-played a ground ball and had no chance of getting the batter out, he would still come up and throw just as hard as he could (and usually, no one knew where it was going, if he was in a hurry like that), and several times he just missed runners, who were usually by the base and already letting up running. Man, that always pissed me off that entire season. I could see how the same exact thing could have happened to someone if he hit them just right. Finally a couple of us started getting on him and he quit being quite so bad about it.

I've seen pitchers get hit in the face and have every bone on one side of their face broken, it's not a pretty sight. It's also one reason I tried to stay in the outfield, although I got stuck at 1st base some....

[MTR]

Yes, that is very sad


Our slow pitch team picked up a younger guy several years ago (we were mostly a bunch of old farts by then, in our 30's) that had a cannon....and loved to show it off.

So, when he was playing ss, even if he mis-played a ground ball and had no chance of getting the batter out, he would still come up and throw just as hard as he could (and usually, no one knew where it was going, if he was in a hurry like that), and several times he just missed runners, who were usually by the base and already letting up running. Man, that always pissed me off that entire season.

Once played with a guy like that. As a team, we told him to slow down and get control of himself and throw the ball at an appropriate speed (he would gun a ball as hard as he could no matter how close you were) for the play. During practice, we just refused to catch the ball until he complied. Told him to chase his throws if he wanted to continue. After about four practices, he finally gave up and left the team. A couple years later, he clocked his 2B with a hard throw from 15'. Knocked him down, but luckily he wasn't hurt. Guy still cannot find a team that will pick him up and this was 10 years ago.

[GIMNEPIWO]

Guy I played with as recent as 3 years ago had a cannon and was not often wild ... but when he was it wouldn't even be close ... No lie ... I saw him on more than one occasion launch it over the back stop from 3rd base throwing home ...

[Tucson]

I saw a guy drop a female runner with a throw to the back of her head. He threw a cannon from LF and hit the runner at 1st base.

Recently, at the senior olympics, our 3B hit a runner in the back of the neck, as she was running home. She collapsed mid step. Fortunately, a paramedic was at the tourny and treated the runner.

Why don't SP players wear batting helmets? No one at the senior olympics wore a helmet. I wear a gameface, at 1st base, but not when I am batting. (Only because no one else is wearing a helmet.) The men pitchers are starting to armor up, but not when batting.

[GIMNEPIWO]

I was only hit once running the bases ( slowpitch ) in the back of the head stretching a double into a triple ... F9 hit the cutoff who in turn beaned me on my way to third ... I crashed but wasn't knocked out and crawled in safely ... surprised there is not more of that ... probably only a matter of time before its mandated to wear helmets ...

[Stubs]

Here is the article from the South Bend Tribune. All my buddies who play slow pitch are talking about it. Maybe we will see some guys wearing game-faces this year. Doubtfull.

http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pb ... /FRONTPAGE

[NoNothin]

I coached my son in Senior Little League several years ago and had a ss with a cannon that threw a dart to my son trying to turn two and took his eye off just long enough to get hit in the nose. It sounded like a 30 06 rifle shot hitting a deer in the side....you know that "wap" sound it makes. Dropped him like a bad habit. Made for a scary night in the hospital.

NoNo

[MoeFoes]

Man that sucks. My prayers are with his family.
No joke. Buddy of mine plays slowpitch. Team was called "Liver Damage". While diving to second to avoid a throw from right field took a one hopper in the chops. He came out ok after we woke him up. He had a great whistle for a few weeks & still has 2 teeth that dont glow in the club.
Whats up with those loaded bats?
I've seen short stops in slow pitch play in the grass. Afraid of the ball. I used to watch my pops play using a 80lb wood bat.