Behold the stadium obstacles awaiting fielders (and on-deck hitters) trying to stay healthy

[Pink Freud]

Baseball is the only major sport where the players must be aware of potential dangers from so many places:

Running into a brick or concrete wall while chasing a foul popup behind the plate.

Running into an outfield wall to prevent an extra-base hit.

Many older ballparks had both bullpens in play, in foul territory. I was at Petco Park when the Giants' RF'er, chasing down a game-winning sac fly in foul territory, caught the ball, planted, and threw...shattering his ankle on a bullpen pitching mound.

One of the best CF'ers ever, the Brooklyn Dodgets' Pete Reiser, was carried off the field on a stretcher eleven times after colliding with CF walls.

Cardinals LF'er Minnie Minoso fractured his skull and wrist chasing Duke Snider's May 1962 triple against Busch Stadium #1's LF wall.

At old Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, the CF chasing a bomb to deepest CF (457 ft.) had to contend with a flagpole, a batting cage, and a fence around the light tower's transformer, all on the warning track.

At Crosley Field in Cincinnati, the outfield sloped UP toward the outfield wall in LF and CF.

When Petco Park in San Diego first opened, Padres RF'er Brian Giles raced to the foul line railing after a fly ball, plunging over it and six feet down to the concrete exit concourse.

Astros Team President Tal Smith, who grew up in Cincy, had such a terrace installed in CF when Houston opened Enron Field...along with a flagpole near the top of the hill.

Both the original Yankee Stadium and the Polo Grounds had concrete memorials in deep CF.

The Polo Grounds outfield was so spacious they located both bullpens --- and the benches --- on the warning tracks in LCF and RCF...with sun-shelter awnings sticking out from the wall.

Cardinals ace pitcher John Tudir's leg was broken in 1987 when Mets catcher Barry Lyons slid into the Cards' dugout chasing a pop foul.

In the 1965 World Series, Twins catcher Earl Battey knocked himself out chasing a pop foul behind the plate when he collided head-on with a steel beam extending from the dugout's camera well.

I was at Busch Stadium #2 when Cubs 3B'man Bill Mueller raced to the 3rd base stands to make a sliding catch....shattering his kneecap on an iron strut protruding from beneath the movable grandstand's foundation.

Mickey Mantle was once MLB's fastest runner...until he blew out his knee when his spikes caught in a sprinkler/storm drain in the outfield at Yankee Stadium. He limped for the rest of his career.

Aaron Judge lost more than a month by running into the chain-link RF bullpen fence at Dodger Stadium, forcing it open.

Cardinal outfielder Juan Encarnacion's career was ended by a foul ball into his eye while he was on deck.

Dodgers catcher Steve Yeager, also on deck, nearly died when teammate Bill Russell's jagged broken bat end flew and stuck right into Yeager's neck in San Diego.

When batters up next are waiting by the on-deck circle, woe betide the poor catcher or corner infielder chasing a pop foul near the dugout, where he must contend with a hardware store shelf on the on-deck circle.

Now some parks have a solid circular disk to mark the on-deck circle, adding yet another tripping hazard to pop foul-chasing skygazers.

With the money the players make today, I'm just wondering what changes might result from a megastar losing a season to a ballpark obstacle.

[82birds]

Vince Coleman getting run over by a tarp

[Stlcardsblues]

Baseball is the only major sport where the players must be aware of potential dangers from so many places:

Running into a brick or concrete wall while chasing a foul popup behind the plate.

Running into an outfield wall to prevent an extra-base hit.

Many older ballparks had both bullpens in play, in foul territory. I was at Petco Park when the Giants' RF'er, chasing down a game-winning sac fly in foul territory, caught the ball, planted, and threw...shattering his ankle on a bullpen pitching mound.

One of the best CF'ers ever, the Brooklyn Dodgets' Pete Reiser, was carried off the field on a stretcher eleven times after colliding with CF walls.

Cardinals LF'er Minnie Minoso fractured his skull and wrist chasing Duke Snider's May 1962 triple against Busch Stadium #1's LF wall.

At old Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, the CF chasing a bomb to deepest CF (457 ft.) had to contend with a flagpole, a batting cage, and a fence around the light tower's transformer, all on the warning track.

At Crosley Field in Cincinnati, the outfield sloped UP toward the outfield wall in LF and CF.

When Petco Park in San Diego first opened, Padres RF'er Brian Giles raced to the foul line railing after a fly ball, plunging over it and six feet down to the concrete exit concourse.

Astros Team President Tal Smith, who grew up in Cincy, had such a terrace installed in CF when Houston opened Enron Field...along with a flagpole near the top of the hill.

Both the original Yankee Stadium and the Polo Grounds had concrete memorials in deep CF.

The Polo Grounds outfield was so spacious they located both bullpens --- and the benches --- on the warning tracks in LCF and RCF...with sun-shelter awnings sticking out from the wall.

Cardinals ace pitcher John Tudir's leg was broken in 1987 when Mets catcher Barry Lyons slid into the Cards' dugout chasing a pop foul.

In the 1965 World Series, Twins catcher Earl Battey knocked himself out chasing a pop foul behind the plate when he collided head-on with a steel beam extending from the dugout's camera well.

I was at Busch Stadium #2 when Cubs 3B'man Bill Mueller raced to the 3rd base stands to make a sliding catch....shattering his kneecap on an iron strut protruding from beneath the movable grandstand's foundation.

Mickey Mantle was once MLB's fastest runner...until he blew out his knee when his spikes caught in a sprinkler/storm drain in the outfield at Yankee Stadium. He limped for the rest of his career.

Aaron Judge lost more than a month by running into the chain-link RF bullpen fence at Dodger Stadium, forcing it open.

Cardinal outfielder Juan Encarnacion's career was ended by a foul ball into his eye while he was on deck.

Dodgers catcher Steve Yeager, also on deck, nearly died when teammate Bill Russell's jagged broken bat end flew and stuck right into Yeager's neck in San Diego.

When batters up next are waiting by the on-deck circle, woe betide the poor catcher or corner infielder chasing a pop foul near the dugout, where he must contend with a hardware store shelf on the on-deck circle.

Now some parks have a solid circular disk to mark the on-deck circle, adding yet another tripping hazard to pop foul-chasing skygazers.

With the money the players make today, I'm just wondering what changes might result from a megastar losing a season to a ballpark obstacle.

Curious what your solution would be?

[Pink Freud]

Vince Coleman getting run over by a tarp

Or even with a stationary tarp, a corner infielder having to work around it or dive over it while racing toward the stands, watching a pop fly.

[Pink Freud]

Curious what your solution would be?

Good question, but one best asked by the MLBPA. It's their members who are at risk.

[JDW]

Gee, IDK, but receiving a punt and then trying to avoid 11 really fast obstacles trying to knock you into next week seems a bit more challenging.

[45s]

Gee, IDK, but receiving a punt and then trying to avoid 11 really fast obstacles trying to knock you into next week seems a bit more challenging.

Truer words…..

[JDW]

Gee, IDK, but receiving a punt and then trying to avoid 11 really fast obstacles trying to knock you into next week seems a bit more challenging.

Truer words…..

Well, when posters are going back into the archives to find examples of MLB players getting hurt ............................

[45s]

Gee, IDK, but receiving a punt and then trying to avoid 11 really fast obstacles trying to knock you into next week seems a bit more challenging.

Truer words…..

Well, when posters are going back into the archives to find examples of MLB players getting hurt ............................

Well

Unlike Rock

I was not a four year starter, but I did play college football years ago…….and my body reminds me everyday

No regrets …and all respect to baseball players, but baseball is a walk in the park compared to football

[82birds]

Baseball is the only major sport where the players must be aware of potential dangers from so many places:

Running into a brick or concrete wall while chasing a foul popup behind the plate.

Running into an outfield wall to prevent an extra-base hit.

Many older ballparks had both bullpens in play, in foul territory. I was at Petco Park when the Giants' RF'er, chasing down a game-winning sac fly in foul territory, caught the ball, planted, and threw...shattering his ankle on a bullpen pitching mound.

One of the best CF'ers ever, the Brooklyn Dodgets' Pete Reiser, was carried off the field on a stretcher eleven times after colliding with CF walls.

Cardinals LF'er Minnie Minoso fractured his skull and wrist chasing Duke Snider's May 1962 triple against Busch Stadium #1's LF wall.

At old Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, the CF chasing a bomb to deepest CF (457 ft.) had to contend with a flagpole, a batting cage, and a fence around the light tower's transformer, all on the warning track.

At Crosley Field in Cincinnati, the outfield sloped UP toward the outfield wall in LF and CF.

When Petco Park in San Diego first opened, Padres RF'er Brian Giles raced to the foul line railing after a fly ball, plunging over it and six feet down to the concrete exit concourse.

Astros Team President Tal Smith, who grew up in Cincy, had such a terrace installed in CF when Houston opened Enron Field...along with a flagpole near the top of the hill.

Both the original Yankee Stadium and the Polo Grounds had concrete memorials in deep CF.

The Polo Grounds outfield was so spacious they located both bullpens --- and the benches --- on the warning tracks in LCF and RCF...with sun-shelter awnings sticking out from the wall.

or Tall's Hill (sp) in CF at Minute Maid Park. I can''t fathom how MLB allowed that design.

[scoutyjones2]

Poor baseball players. Dealing with the trials of stationary objects....