Potential Umpire Injury Shows Hazards of the Game
Head injuries are close to my heart, given my own life experiences. Umpiring is also close to my heart, since I was one myself for several years. Those two worlds collided on July 2, when plate umpire Jerry Layne left the Diamondbacks–Rockies game in Denver with a potential head injury after a foul ball clipped his mask.
I got to speak with five of the closest parties to the situation over the span of the next week. What resulted — this piece — was a long time coming. It is both a concerning story that shows hazards of the job and a beautiful illustration of the camaraderie that exists in Major League Baseball between the players/managers/coaches and umpires. My latest for Last Word on Baseball:
