MLB's 20 Most Shocking Hit-by-Pitches

Any time a player steps into the batter's box, they set out to change the game for their team, whether it's getting a clutch hit to drive in a run, getting on base to start a rally, or even, go deep.

But when they step into the box, there's also an inherent danger that's largely out of their control as pitchers can, at any moment, lose control of the ball, sending a 90 mph fastball directly at you.

Sometimes, players are lucky enough to get out of the way, others, they're not.

Here are some of the most shocking hit-by-pitches the game has seen.

Will Rhymes

In what didn't look like the worst hit-by-pitch one could take on, Will Rhymes appeared to get more than he bargained for early this season when he was hit by a pitch, only to collapse on his way to first base.

Mickey Cochrane

Mickey Cochrane was one of the the best catchers to ever play the game, and while he made a huge impact behind the plate, an incident when he was at the plate proved to be a game-changer.

During a game in 1937, Cochrane was knocked unconscious after getting hit in the head by a pitch, causing him to be hospitalized for a week and abruptly ending his playing career.

Photo: baseball.about.com

Troy Tulowitzki

For most of us on the outside, you wouldn't think there was much bad blood between the Cleveland Indians and Colorado Rockies when Ubaldo Jimenez was traded to the American League last season.

Tensions did mount in spring training this year, though, after Jimenez plunked Rockies star Troy Tulowitzki in the elbow.

Tony Conigliaro

In August of 1967, Tony Coniglaro took a pitch from Jack Hamilton to the cheekbone and sustained a fractured cheekbone and dislocated jaw as well as eye damage.

He was taken off the field on a stretcher and his future was in question, but he would eventually make a strong comeback over a year later when he'd earn Comeback Player of the Year honors.

Photo: redstatewitch.com

Jose Bautista

Anytime you hear the sound of a baseball making contact with a player's helmet, you can't help but cringe.

That was the case in Toronto after their prized slugger took a pitch to the head during a game against the Baltimore Orioles.

Don Zimmer

Don Zimmer may be well remembered for his on-field altercation with Pedro Martinez when he was a member of the New York Yankees coaching staff, but an incident nearly a half a century earlier could've prevented that from even happening.

After taking a pitch to the temple while playing with the St. Paul Saints in 1953, Zimmer was knocked unconscious for nearly two weeks and would need to have holes drilled in his skull to relieve pressure that was building around his brain.

Derek Jeter

We've all seen replays of this, and while this hit-by-pitch isn't like the others in this slideshow because there wasn't a serious injury sustained, it's mainly shocking because the ball DIDN'T EVEN HIT HIM!

Lou Boudreau

Hall of Famer Lou Boudreau had a stellar 15-year career in baseball, but it took a turn in 1951 when took a pitch to the head.

He missed significant time after sustaining the injury and would only play a handful more games before retiring at just 34 years of age.

Photo: Sports Illustrated

Coco Crisp

Tensions appear to be high any time teams in the AL East face off, but they really took a turn for the worse after Coco Crisp was plunked by Tampa Bay pitcher James Shields.

After taking the pitch, Crisp charged the mound, and after all the dust had settled, multiple suspensions were handed out as a result of the bench-clearing brawl.

Adam Greenberg

A ninth-round selection by the Chicago Cubs in 2002, Adam Greenberg was hit in the head on the very first major league pitch he ever saw.

It proved to be the first and last game he would ever play.

Photo: ESPN

David Wright

As mentioned earlier, baseballs and helmets don't mix, something David Wright would learn the hard way.

The Mets star appeared to be unconscious for awhile, though, he was thankfully able to leave the field under his own power.

Pete Reiser

Dodgers outfielder Pete Reiser had a long, but somehow, also relatively short MLB career in the 1940s and 1950s.

He played for 10 seasons but only averaged 86 games per season as he was an extremely injury-prone player. He took multiple pitches to the head and was actually taken off the field on a stretcher an amazing 11 times during his career.

Photo: baseballinwartime.com

Craig Biggio

No slideshow on players being hit by pitches would be complete without including Craig Biggio—the modern era leader for times being hit by pitches, taking an amazing 285 free passes to first base.

Here we see Biggio take a pitch to the head, only to somehow shake it off and make his way to first.

Logan Morrison

You wouldn’t know it by looking at the picture of the aftermath, but Logan Morrison actually lucked out here.

So many players who take fastballs to the face end up with multiple breaks to structural bones and can sustain serious eye damage. But Morrison was back on the field the very next day.

Photo: Miami Herald

Umpire HBP

When you think of umpires being hit, it's typically an errant foul ball that makes its way to the armor, but here we see a pitcher/catcher duo actually conspire to purposely send a purpose pitch to the umpire.

Dickie Thon

Houston Astros shortstop Dickie Thon was a highly touted prospect when he signed out of high school with the California Angels.

His career would come to a temporary halt early in 1984 when he was hit by a Mike Torrez fastball.

The pitch shattered his orbital bone and damaged his eye socket. He was out for the remainder of the year but did make a return in 1985 only to find that the beaning had permanently altered his depth perception.

Photo: Sports Illustrated

Shane Victorino

In a unique turn of events here, Shane Victorino was hit by a pitch, though wasn't given the benefit of the doubt by the umpire, instead having to complete his at-bat.

He did the only logical thing he could do after mocking the umpire—go yard.

Kirby Puckett

Kirby Puckett spent his entire career as a Minnesota Twin and is still remembered in the Twin Cities as a Twins legend.

His career took a turn for the worse during the last week of the 1995 season. During an at-bat, he took a Dennis Martinez fastball to the face, sustaining a broken jaw and temporary eye damage.

It was during the following spring training that Puckett would awake one morning in late March without vision in one eye. He wouldn't play another game with the Twins.

J.T. Snow

It takes a very tough hitter to stand tough in the batters box against Randy Johnson. J.T. Snow can attest to that.

During a spring training game in 1997, J.T. Snow took a 97 mph fastball from the Big Unit to the head, fracturing his eye socket. He would return to the field eventually, although blurred vision would hamper parts of his season.

Photo: Wall Street Journal

Ray Chapman

In what was one of the most noteworthy incidents leading up to the outlawing of the spitball, Ray Chapman was beaned by a pitch from Yankees pitcher Carl Mays.

He was taken off the field and would later die from injuries sustained from the blow to his head. The very next season, the league outlawed the spitball.

Photo: canthavetoomanycards.blogspot.com