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by **ilsa** » Sat May 28, 2005 2:09 am

There's an injury you don't hear of every day. Thankfully it wasn't life threatening and looks like he'll be fine.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Nashville Sounds pitcher Rick Helling was impaled in his left arm by a piece of a broken bat Friday night and taken to a hospital.

Helling, who pitched in the major leagues for 10 seasons, was facing New Orleans' Craig Kuzmic in the seventh inning when the bat shattered and struck his non-pitching arm.

"Kuzmic fouled off a pitch, the bat shattered and it ended up in three or four shards," Nashville team spokesman Doug Scopel said. "One of the shards ended up in Helling's left forearm."

Scopel said Helling was taken to a hospital, but wasn't sure if the pitcher would remain there overnight for observation. Scopel said the injury was not life threatening, but had no other details.

Helling ended up with the win in Nashville's 13-3 victory.

The veteran was 90-78 with a 4.77 ERA in 225 starts with Texas, Florida, Arizona and Baltimore. Helling has not pitched in the major leagues since 2003.

by **Madison** » Sat May 28, 2005 2:17 am

Wonder how big that shard of bat was. Like a toothpick, or something much larger? Did he need stitches?

Need a better article, but it's still an odd way of getting injured. :-D

by **beltrans_boy** » Sat May 28, 2005 2:21 am

Wow. What a pimp. With today's lightweight girly pansy pitchers, that'd probably be a career ending injury.

by **Raf** » Sat May 28, 2005 2:23 am

Needs more video!

by **Y`s Guy** » Sat May 28, 2005 9:43 am

Did somebody someone want more details?

As North Dakotan Helling walked toward the Nashville dugout at Greer Stadium, trainer Jeff Paxson ran onto the field and put a towel over the piece of bat protruding from the pitcher's arm. Team physician Clark Lea removed the shard in the trainer's room and Helling was sent to Vanderbilt University Medical Center to have the arm X-rayed and the wound irrigated.

"It went in on an angle, about 3 inches," Paxson said. "I've never seen anything like it in 18 years in baseball."

Catcher Julio Mosquera wasn't sure what happened at first but turned his head away when he saw the bat fragment sticking in Helling's arm.

"I almost fainted," Mosquera said. "I never saw anything like that in my life."

"He took it like a man," Kremblas said. "I went in and watched and the doctor was pulling hard to get it out.

"Luckily, it went in on an angle. It's his left arm so if there's no structural damage hopefully he won't have to go on the DL. I've never seen that. It was pretty gross."

I can just imagine the trainer with two hands yanking on the shard while pushing off with his feet on the trainers table...and Helling's skin stretching outward as his body is resists letting the shard go...thus the trainer has to pull over and over again. I can hear the blood-curdling screams of Rick Helling as the shard splinters even more deep inside the flesh. I can just imaging the infection that will develop due to the pine tar that will enter his blood stream.

I WANT PICTUES, DAMMIT!!!

by **INKcogKNEEdough** » Sat May 28, 2005 10:59 am

I heard a caller report this on JT the bricks call in show last night. According to him he was at the game and saw it. Said it was like a foot long shard. JT didnt know if the guy was serious or not but was keeping an eye out for the story. wow

INKcogKNEEdough