July 19: Man Down

Tonight's victim was Dustin Nippert. Last year it was Hiroki Kuroda and in 2008 it was Chris Young. Every year (and sometimes more) a pitcher's head gets in the way of a line drive. It's terrible when it happens. A pitcher's mound is sixty feet and six inches from home plate and the pitcher is closer than that when the ball comes flying back at him at more than a hundred miles per hour.

As horrifying a thing as that must be, I can't get to the Internet fast enough when it does. I have to see it. MLB.com was the first site I went to when I got home from work tonight to see the event. There's something magical and creepy about watching a grown man drop so quickly. Would I want to be the pitcher? Absolutely not. Do I feel bad for the guy? Heck yeah I do! It doesn't make it less of a spectacle though. Fastball meets maple meets face.

I used to think it was sick to want to see a video of a pitcher taking a fastball to the face. I used to think it was something to be ashamed of, but it's science! If an object is traveling at X velocity and hits a soft, fleshy surface what will happen?

My only objection is that the event tends to be a little repetitive. The guy throws the ball. Less than a second later he's writhing on the ground as the batter rounds first and tries to make it to second. The announcers groan and exhale slowly. The crowd is on its feet with hands covering mouths. Trainers, players, coaches, and umpires crowd the mound and wait for the thumbs up sign from the pitcher as he's carried off on a stretcher. There's the thumb. There's the standing ovation from everyone watching. Game continues.

And yet here I am writing about wanting to watch it as soon as I come home. What is it about seeing a man in such pain that mesmerizes me so? It's not a malicious thing because I witnessed Chris Young go through it two years ago and I hated losing a starting pitcher. It's not that I want these players to get hurt but I don't know what it is.