Aroldis "The Cuban Missile" Chapman

[Fountain City Blues]

F/X is saying the pitch from Chapman was a FB at 99mph. However, considering it was a linedrive, we can probably assume it was a bit higher than that when it hit his head.

 

[Fountain City Blues]

"Chapman suffered a laceration and contusion above his left eye, according to the Reds, narrowly averting what could have been a far more serious injury."


Aroldis Chapman struck in face with liner, game canceled

 

[Fountain City Blues]

Local Radio in KC is saying the laceration was below the left eye apparently?

Just about every other report I am seeing so far is saying it was ABOVE the eye. Seems like local radio (610 am specifically) goofed up if this ends up being above the eye.

 

[HammerDown]

Sports is getting seriously pussified.

Hockey player passes out and everyone lights candles and starts weeping.

Baseball player {gasp} gets hit by a baseball and we panic.

If this was Nolan Ryan he'd run some dirt on it.

Stop already.

 

[Fountain City Blues]

Given @RA_Parker's video is at 30fps, and the ball takes 10 frames to reach Chapman, we can estimate it traveled at ~112.5 mph.
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) [ame="https://twitter.com/bubbaprog/statuses/446508154164346880"]March 20, 2014[/ame]


WARNING: Video may not be for the squeamish


Ryan Parker @RA_Parker
Uploaded Perez's swing that hit the Chapman pitch. Maybe don't have your sound on. https://www.dropbox.com/s/2c1pxu9p814gr9x/Sali%20Perez.mov …

 

[Fountain City Blues]

Ryan Parker ‏@RA_Parker [ame="[MEDIA=twitter]446511482419699712[/MEDIA]"]1m[/ame] dropbox crashed. here's the youtube link of Salvador Perez hitting the ball that got Chapman http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTLpbr5dY9M …

 

[Fountain City Blues]

Here is the actual video of Chapman getting hit. http://youtu.be/pOYnuUhgqQM


In other news:


MLB ‏@MLB [ame="[MEDIA=twitter]446513166940258304[/MEDIA]"]7m[/ame]
Tests on #Reds LHP Aroldis Chapman indicate fractures above left eye and nose. He'll be kept overnight for further testing and observation.

 

[AZ Sun]

I was at the game in Surprise with a couple of friends and was completely startled by this. I feared that he was going to die and he's not out of the woods yet. I hope this isn't a life threatening injury for him.

 

[HammerDown]

YT video added to OP.

 

[Darkstone42]

Sports is getting seriously pussified.

Hockey player passes out and everyone lights candles and starts weeping.

Baseball player {gasp} gets hit by a baseball and we panic.

If this was Nolan Ryan he'd run some dirt on it.

Stop already.

I'm terrible at sarcasm.

This is sarcasm, right? I'm going to need to be informed. Otherwise, I may find myself enraged.

 

[Darkstone42]

Ken Rosenthal ✔ @Ken_Rosenthal More Smith on Chapman: “Usually guys turn their head a little bit. This was like getting punched right in the face. It was straight on.”


Ken Rosenthal ✔ @Ken_Rosenthal
Former pitcher and #Mets scout Roy Smith, who was sitting behind home plate when #Reds’ Chapman got hit: “As bad as I’ve seen.”

Not turning his head may have saved his life. It would have been very close to his temple had he turned, and that would not have been good.

 

[Destroydacre]

Scary stuff. Some day they are going to have as much armor as the pitchers can wear out there. Full face mask, football like helmets. Taking a shot of the leg sucks, taking one of the temple is deadly.


Hope he's alright, keep us posted please.

Indeed, to be honest I'm surprised MLB hasn't instituted this already. I know pitchers don't like it/don't want it, but that's just too bad. Injuries like this could so easily be avoided. There's dozens of near misses each year and in several situations we see something like this. I think we're lucky a pitcher hasn't died. I hope that isn't what it takes to get headgear on pitchers.

 

[steveringo]

Indeed, to be honest I'm surprised MLB hasn't instituted this already. I know pitchers don't like it/don't want it, but that's just too bad. Injuries like this could so easily be avoided. There's dozens of near misses each year and in several situations we see something like this. I think we're lucky a pitcher hasn't died. I hope that isn't what it takes to get headgear on pitchers.

Padded hats are available this year.

Major League Baseball approves padded cap for pitchers | MLB.com: News

I'm not sure they'll ever get face masks....

 

[packerzrule]

Holy shit. I hope he is going to be okay.

 

[navamind]

I'm terrible at sarcasm.

This is sarcasm, right? I'm going to need to be informed. Otherwise, I may find myself enraged.

Pretty obvious. I'd think if he was really trying to piss everyone off, he wouldn't have made this comment in the first place:

Wishing the Cuban Missile the best. Saw him pitch one night at Petco.

Even then...

 

[Darkstone42]

Pretty obvious. I'd think if he was really trying to piss everyone off, he wouldn't have made this comment in the first place:



Even then...

That's what led me to think it was sarcasm. It just didn't read that way initially.

 

[Johnnydollaz89]

Jesus Christ!! I hope Chapman is okay! This is awful

 

[BigKen]

I heard a report this morning that he has two fractures that could be seen last night. One in the upper orbital above the eye and the interior orbital between the eye socket and nose. The swelling was so bad by the time that he was seen by a specialist, that they couldn't be 100% sure if there was more damage.

There was a physicist on the radio this morning and he said that if Chapman was throwing one of his 100 mph fastballs and Perez hit it as hard as it appears, then Chapman took a baseball to the face at approx. 120 mph.

He'll probably miss most, if not all of this year............Anyone old enough to remember Tony Conigliaro? I was 17 when that happened and saw it live...........................will take that one to the grave.

 

[Ryanballa]

Suppose to have more news on Chappy around 12 eastern time.

 

[Fountain City Blues]

Indeed, to be honest I'm surprised MLB hasn't instituted this already. I know pitchers don't like it/don't want it, but that's just too bad. Injuries like this could so easily be avoided. There's dozens of near misses each year and in several situations we see something like this. I think we're lucky a pitcher hasn't died. I hope that isn't what it takes to get headgear on pitchers.

Lately, there has been a big push by MLB and the sabermetric community towards studying injuries, and how one might prevent them. We are already seeing some protection being added under the hats. Hopefully, we can marry comfort with a reasonable amount of protection in the years ahead. I doubt it is in MLB's interest to see so many Tommy Johns and blows to the head even though that tends to be a seemingly inherent part of the sport when it is played at the level it is now.