Tragic Batting Practice Injury Kills Florida Teen

This is a sad story about about a 17-year-old Florida baseball player who recently died from head wounds suffered in an accident while throwing batting practice. This is yet another reminder of how dangerous throwing BP can be, even with an L-screen.

Harrison Jones from our own league learned this the hard way last spring while throwing a Junior League batting practice. He was rushing to finish up the last couple of hitters and didn't take the time to follow through well enough behind the screen. He took a line drive to the head, lost conciousness and fractured his skull. This was actually Harrison's second injury behind an L-screen. Ten years ago a line drive slipped through a hole in the netting. He broke two ribs and later developed pneumonia. He says he thankful to be alive and wants others to learn from his experiences.

Some important safety tips to remember the next time you throw BP:

• Make sure to always check the netting for holes or weak spots.
• Back up and follow through behind the tall part of the screen.
• Wear a helmet. Many coaches and players at all levels do.
• Consider all possible hard surfaces a ball can bounce off.