It was July 11, 1970, 50 years ago today. It was a Saturday morning and Stacey Storage little league team had a baseball game at White Oak Jr. High in Cincinnati.
We ran out onto the field for infield warm ups. I was playing first base. Assistant coach Pollard hit the first ground ball to third baseman Bobby Burnham and yelled “Get one!”
Bobby scooped the ball cleanly and threw to me. The throw was low, and with my right foot on the bag, I stretched with my left foot forward, and reached low with gloved left hand.
I reached so low the cleats on my shoes got caught on my glove. Unable to free my hand, my momentum tipped me over and I fell hard, landing on my left shoulder.
I immediately knew it was bad. I was helped off the field and taken to the ER. We later learned it was a broken clavicle, or collar bone. I was out for the summer.
To add insult to injury, as I was wheeled into the hospital, the guy at check-in saw me in my uniform and asked, “What happened, Champ? Hard slide into home plate?”
“No. I stepped on my glove.”
Short, concise, interesting, and great story!
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