MLB Injuries: Seth Lugo’s toe and other strange baseball injuries

The Most Bizarre MLB Injuries

Jamie Easterly, pitcher, 1980

This middle relief specialist had less to fear from gopher balls (a measly 48 surrendered in thirteen major league seasons) than from gophers themselves. His conditioning habit of backward-running exercises put him in the hole . . . when he hit a gopher hole and suffered a season-costing back injury.

Ernie Camacho, pitcher, 1980s

A somewhat flaky Cleveland Indians reliever, Camacho went on the disabled list once after a complaint about—wait for it!—autograph elbow. It seems Camacho was signing for charity one fine spring training when he took it to the team trainer complaining about pain in his right elbow, his signing as well as pitching elbow.

(The more I remember Camacho’s story, the more I appreciate writing lefthanded but playing guitar, and throwing, righthanded.)

George Brett, third baseman,1983

On an off-day for the Kansas City Royals, their Hall of Famer ran from his kitchen to his living room, the better not to miss his buddy Bill Buckner hit during a Chicago Cubs game on television. En route, Brett smashed and broke his toe, proving bad things come to those who can’t wait.

Vince Coleman, outfielder, 1985

His speed on the bases earned his nickname Vincent Van Go. If only the man who set the National League’s rookie stolen base record that year was that swift escaping the old Busch Stadium tarp-rolling machine before Game Four of the National League Championship Series. No such luck. Coleman suffered a bone chip in his knee and a badly bruised foot, costing him the rest of that postseason.