The Boston Red Sox have endured a rough season. After making it to the American League Championship Series in 2021, the team is floundering at 54-58 and in last place in the AL East standings. A big part of failing to contend this season is the availability or lack thereof of their ace pitcher, Chris Sale. Sale made only two start starts this season, and in the second game was hit by a 106.7 mph line drive that came off the bat of Yankees hitter Aaron Hicks. Sale immediately went on the disabled list and had to have the finger surgically repaired.
However, things got worse for the big lefty because on August 9, it was reported, that Sale suffered a fractured wrist after falling off his bike last Saturday. Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim stated on a Zoom call that Sale hit something riding down a hill, flew off the bike, and fractured his wrist. It was another break for Sale who has pitched only 11 starts since signing a massive extension for five years and 145 million in 2020. However, it had us thinking, what are the top 10 worst off-the-field injuries in Sports History? In this article, we present the best ten in our lifetime.
Number 10- Sammy Sosa: Sosa hit massive homers in the big leagues but is remembered sadly for taking steroids. However, another embarrassing moment in his career occurred in 2004. The former Cubs slugger missed two weeks of baseball on the disabled list because of two violent sneezes that triggered back spasms and caused him to sprain the ligaments in his lower back. Ouch!
Number 9- Ken Griffey Jr: Griffey was a superstar slugger for the Mariners and hit 630 home runs in his career. However, in the early 1990s, Griffey had a disastrous situation with his equipment. The superstar missed a few games because his protective cup slipped and pinched his testicle. Not good!
Number 8- Wade Boggs: Boggs was a prolific player and Hall of Famer hitter for the Red Sox. However, in 1986, Boggs had a wardrobe malfunction with his cowboy boots. Wade missed six games because he tried to remove the cowboy boots, lost his balance, and crashed into the side of a couch to damage his rib cage.
Number 7-Moses Alou: in 1999, Houston Astros star player Moses Alou tore his ACL and was out for the season because of an accident while running on a treadmill. Alou got hurt when he tried to adjust the controls on a treadmill that was going too fast. Alou slipped and caught himself in the crevice between the treadmill belt and frame. That is horrible!
Number 6-Clinton Barnes: In 2005, Barmes was well on his way to winning N.L. Rookie of the Year when disaster struck. Barnes went deer hunting with fellow Colorado Rocky Todd Helton and was carrying some of the meat down a flight of stairs when he fell and broke his collarbone. Barnes missed three months but owned his mistake by stating, “I will definitely be known for deer meat. “And that will probably stick with me for the rest of my life.” After a stellar start hitting .329 as a rookie, Barnes hit only .239 in the last ten years of his career.
Number 5- Steve Sparks: Sparks dislocated his non-throwing shoulder 15 times in his career but one stands above all. During spring training in 1994, Sparks tried to imitate a group of motivational speakers who ripped apart phone books. The action led to him dislocating his shoulder. It prevented him from making his big league debut that year and kept him in the minor leagues. Not everyone can be the Incredible Hulk, right?
Number 4-Jason Pierre-Paul: Pierre-Paul was an elite pass rusher for the New York Giants. However, in 2015 he got a bit too excited about celebrating Independence Day. He wanted to add some excitement by setting off some fireworks. However, the move backfired when one of them exploded near his right hand. JPP’s index finger was amputated, his thumb got broken, and his palm required multiple skin grafts. It led to JPP missing eight games and one sack in the last eight games that season. It was probably outcome for another Giants player at number 3.
Number 3-Plaxico Burress: In 2008, Superbowl hero, Plaxico Burress accidentally shot himself in the leg after bringing a cocked and loaded handgun into a nightclub. Unfortunately, Burress was suspended for the remainder of the 2008 season and sentenced to two years in prison. After his release, he was never the same player and played just 20 more games in his career.
Number2-Lionel Simmon and Joel Zumaya: Simmon and Zumaya have something in common as athletes on this list. They missed games in the NBA and MLB respectively, due to playing too much video games. In his rookie season with the Kings, Simmons missed two games because he tried to set the all-time high score on his Nintendo Game Boy. It resulted in him developing tendinitis, causing his wrist to become so inflamed that he couldn’t grip the basketball. Rookie Joel Zumaya was unavailable for much of the 2006 ALCS due to wrist inflammation because he reportedly played too much guitar hero. Maybe it’s a rookie thing!
Number 1-Glenallen Hill: Arachnophobia or the fear of spiders is a common phobia that people live with in today’s world. However, Hill took his fear to another level. The former Blue Jays outfielder was trying to run away from spiders in his nightmare when he started to run unconsciously through his house. Hill crashed through a glass table and wound up with cuts and bruises all over his limbs. Hill missed 20 days on the disabled list and is probably scarred for life!