Outfield Crash Injures Pirates Clark Suffers Broken Collarbone; Brumfield Cut, But Makes Catch

Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Dave Clark broke his left collarbone and center fielder Jacob Brumfield suffered facial cuts during a jarring collision Tuesday.

As Brumfield stuck out his glove to make a spectacular running catch of a drive by Atlanta’s Jeff Blauser into the right-center field gap, Clark plowed into him at full speed.

Clark smacked face-first into the padded outfield fence and lay motionless for nearly 15 minutes. But Pirates trainer Kent Biggerstaff said later he never fully blacked out.

Brumfield’s head struck Clark’s left shoulder, snapped backwards and struck the rubberized warning track.

“I got up, felt dizzy and there was blood running down my face,” Brumfield said. “Yeah, I was scared. We hit hard - real hard. I blacked out. It was a blur, but then I was all right.”

As teammates, coaches and manager Jim Leyland rushed to right field, they heard Clark moaning, complaining of severe neck pain.

“I knew what we were thinking, but nobody wanted to say it - we were afraid he’d broken his neck,” Jay Bell said. “We were very scared. It’s very fortunate it wasn’t as bad as it might have been.”

Leyland was worried, but tried to remain calm so his players wouldn’t get too shaken. Still, second baseman Carlos Garcia walked away crying.

“You don’t want to get too excited, because your players will get excited if you do,” Leyland said.

Brumfield injured a hamstring and required 15 stitches, but was more worried about Clark as they rode an ambulance four blocks to Allegheny General Hospital.

“It’s the worst collision I’ve ever been involved in,” Brumfield said. “I didn’t think it was good. Dave was moaning, saying his neck was hurt.”

Clark will be out six to eight weeks. He was placed on the 15-day disabled list, with Midre Cummings recalled from Triple A Calgary.

It was a long night for the Pirates,

who lost the game 2-1 in 10 innings. Pinch hitter Dwight Smith’s bases-loaded singled off Jim Gott broke a tie for Atlanta.

Smith had been 2 for 10 previously as a pinch-hitter.