MLB: Ten Most Bizarre Injuries in Baseball History
By David Hill
7. Joel Zumaya injures himself playing Guitar Hero
As a rookie for the Detroit Tigers, Joel Zumaya took the league by storm with his impressive fastball. Routinely touching triple digits, Zumaya struck out over ten batters per nine innings, and allowed just over six hits per nine. His command was iffy at best, but with that high octane fastball, it did not matter.
He was an integral part of the Tigers bullpen down the stretch, and was a major part of their run to the World Series that year. However, there was a three game span during the American League Championship Series due to wrist inflammation. While it was thought that this was just a matter of usage, that was not the case.
In December, General Manager Dave Dombrowski shed some light on what really happened. As it turned out, Zumaya was a fan of Guitar Hero, and had played the game excessively, injuring his wrist in the process. This story would be something that parents everywhere would use to warn their children about the dangers of video games.
This bizarre injury did not escape the notice of the game. When the sequel, Guitar Hero II, came out, they included the following disclaimer: “No pitchers were harmed in the making of this game. Except for one. Joel Zumaya. He had it coming.” That’s a little harsh, but maybe the makers of the game just aren’t Tigers fans.
Joel Zumaya saw his career derailed by injuries, and Guitar Hero was just the beginning. This was one of the most bizarre injuries in MLB history, and it ended up as a precursor to what the rest of his career would be like.
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