Most Gruesome Injuries in Baseball History

Injuries are a part of any sport, but that doesn't mean that we have to like them, particularly if we have to watch them happen. Be it football, basketball or even non-team sports, there are some injuries that are just plain painful to watch and in viewing them occur, fans actually feel the affected player's pain.

Seeing as how baseball is not a contact sport, one may assume that disturbing and gross injuries don't happen often. That may be true but when freaky and gruesome injuries do happen in baseball, I can tell you this much—they aren't pretty.

I still remember the day that pitcher Tony Saunders broke his left arm delivering a pitch for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 1999, specifically him falling to the ground and screaming in pain so loud that you could hear it on TV. Also, let's not forget that batters getting hit in the head can be nasty to watch as well.

Well, ladies and gentlemen, I've once again gone through baseball history and after watching the videos you're about to see, I'm starting to think it's a good thing that I gave up pursuing a career in MLB!

10. Adam Greenberg Takes a Shot to the Head

Prior to being called up to the Chicago Cubs in 2005, Adam Greenberg was a speedy outfielder in the team's farm system and appeared to have a bright future on the horizon.

He came off the bench as a pinch hitter for his first major league at bat against Valerio de los Santos of the Florida Marlins, and his MLB career was over in the blink of an eye.

De los Santos' pitch hit Greenberg in the back of the head and the young prospect went down as family members watched from the stands. He was diagnosed with a concussion and never played in another major league game.

For more on his story, fast forward to the six-minute mark in the video here.

9. Stephen Drew Breaks an Ankle

The date was July 20, 2011, and the Arizona Diamondbacks were playing the Milwaukee Brewers at home. In the top of the fourth inning, with Milwaukee up 1-0, Chris Young hit a blooper down the left field line that dropped in for a hit and teammate Stephen Drew raced from second base to try and score.

As the tough shortstop slid home, his cleat hit Milwaukee catcher Jonathan Lucroy's shin guard and as a result, Drew fractured his ankle. The injury was so bad that it required surgery and due to ligament damage, the man did not return to the Diamondbacks' lineup until June of this season.

To add insult to injury, he was also out at the plate on the throw from the outfield.

8. Chris Snyder Takes a Special Kind of Shot

If you're an MLB catcher, taking a foul ball to the family jewels is pretty much a certainty.  Thus, most men who play the position wear protective cups.

Chris Snyder must not have been wearing one on a fateful day in 2008, when a foul ball hit him in that general region and actually fractured a testicle.

7. Buster Posey's Collision

On May 25 of last year, San Francisco Giants fans went into a panic as beloved young catcher Buster Posey ended up on the wrong end of a collision at home plate thanks to Scott Cousins of the Florida Marlins. When the dust settled, Posey had a broken leg and torn ankle ligaments, requiring surgery that ended his season.

Despite speculation that the injury could end his career, Posey completed rehab and has been back with a vengeance this season. As of last night, the 25-year-old is batting .332 with 19 homers and 76 RBI on the season.

Still, watching video of the fateful collision never fails to make me cringe.

6. Mike Cameron Collides with Carlos Beltran

No, Mike Cameron isn't kissing Carlos Beltran on the cheek in that picture. That photo was snapped on August 11, 2005, while both players were going after a fly ball and attempted to make diving catches. Of course, this resulted in the two colliding at full speed.

To give you an idea of how much this must have hurt for both players, Mike Cameron is 6'2", 210 pounds, while Beltran is 6'1" and weighs 215 pounds. Take into consideration that both were running at full speed at the time of the collision, and the injuries suffered are understandable.

Cameron suffered a concussion and fractured his nose and cheekbones, and had to be taken off the field on a stretcher. Beltran also had a concussion, but was able to walk off the field with help. It was a scary moment for all Mets fans, but both players were able to get back on the field again some time later.

Video of the incident can be found here.

5. Johnny Damon Collides with Damian Jackson

I remember watching this happen on TV and when Johnny Damon collided with Jackson, I jumped out of my seat, eyes wide with shock.

It was during the 2003 playoffs and at first glance, it appeared that the Boston Red Sox would be without Damon for an extended period of time. While Jackson walked off the field feeling fine, Damon was taken off in an ambulance.

He would return in Game 3 of that year's ALCS and be just fine, but the fact remains that watching the replay was just plain scary.

4. Blake Hawksworth Takes a Comebacker

Then with the St. Louis Cardinals, Hawksworth ran into some bad luck on September 25, 2010. In the fifth inning of a game against the Chicago Cubs, he pitched to Sam Fuld, who hit a comebacker to the mound.

Unfortunately for Hawksworth, he didn't get his glove up in time and the ball hit him in the face before he fell to the ground. He was removed from the game, and given how bad it looked on camera, it's surprising how Hawksworth walked away with just a mild concussion and 30 stitches in his lip.

3. Tony Saunders Breaks His Arm

Tony Saunders was just in the midst of his third MLB season on May 26, 1999, when he took the mound for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

In the third inning, with his team up 3-2 against the dangerous Texas Rangers, Saunders delivered a pitch that sailed to the backstop, and then he dropped to the ground screaming in pain.

It was later revealed that Saunders had broken his humerus and would be out for the season. He would break the same arm again in spring training the following year and be forced to retire at age 25.

His MLB career may have been forgettable, but the image and video of him screaming in pain on the ground will be branded in the minds of MLB fans forever.

2. Dave Dravecky's Arm Issues

In 1988, San Francisco Giants left-hander Dave Dravecky's doctor found a cancerous tumor on his pitching arm. His recovery from the ensuing surgery caused him to miss the first half of the 1989 season, but he looked good in his first start back, pitching eight innings in a victory.

However, in his next start just days later, Dravecky broke his humerus while delivering a pitch (52 seconds into the video). It was the last time he ever threw a baseball. Just a few months later when his Giants won the NL Pennant, he broke his arm again in the on-field celebration and later discovered that his cancer had returned. Dravecky retired and a couple of years later, sadly, his left arm was amputated.

On a happier note, he was able to use his experience positively and went on to become a motivational speaker.

1. Bryce Florie's Shot to the Face

I remember watching this game at my grandparents' house in New Jersey on the night of September 8, 2000, and my grandmother literally screaming when Ryan Thompson of the New York Yankees hit a line drive comebacker that hit Boston Red Sox hurler Bryce Florie square in the face. 

Blood was everywhere and when the camera finally showed the poor pitcher, it looked as though he had just done 10 rounds with Mike Tyson rather than get hit in the face with a baseball.

After leaving the field via golf cart, Florie was sent for x-rays and was diagnosed with a fractured cheekbone and orbital socket, along with eye damage from which he never fully recovered.

Ready for the amazing part? Florie came back in 2001 and pitched in seven games, to the tune of an 0-1 record and 11.42 ERA. The numbers were horrible, but the comeback alone was enough.