Softball Injuries Going Beyond Bumps, Bruises
Idaho softball
A car wreck is what emergency room doctors initially thought caused the severe eye and facial injuries to Kathy Moreau five weeks ago.
But the umpire and 911 reports say a softball did the damage, some of which may be permanent to the right side of Moreau’s face.
Unfortunately, Moreau is just one of many softball emergencies Kootenai Medical Center will treat.
A record 300 area recreational softball teams are also producing record injuries.
Moreau knows all about the routine bumps and bruises that go with women’s softball, but this was her first coed season.
Now, doctors tell Moreau not to play again - ever.
She required 50 stitches after being hit in the face with a ball as she was returning to second base on a flyout play. A male outfielder made the catch, ran the ball toward second base and threw it from about 20 feet away. But, the second baseman wasn’t there.
The ball fractured Moreau’s cheekbone and split the eyebrow open. There were three major cuts on her eyelid, plus cuts on her cheek and nose. She was wearing sunglasses, which doctors said may or may not have been a help.
“I missed 2-1/2 weeks of work,” Moreau said. “It’s been really tough and very expensive.”
The vision in her eye is starting to return, although it’s bleary. The pupil is dilated, and may stay that way.
“People working the emergency room can tell when softball season starts, or usually when a tournament is in town,” said Coeur d’Alene Recreation Director Steve Anthony.
And Anthony knows first-hand. His softball season ended one month ago, after chipping a bone on his right ankle sliding into third base in a Lewiston tournament.
Anthony also has $6,000 invested into his left knee, the result of tearing the anterior cruciate ligament sliding on a catcher’s mask thrown on home plate.
“I think almost any injury is serious to the player,” Anthony said. “One (kind) is self-inflicted, sliding too late or pulling a hamstring. The other is a lot of injuries by errant throws and not caused by yourself.”
Father-son injuries accounted for two of the three in a Coeur d’Alene men’s church league game three weeks ago.
Four screws in Dave Palm Sr.’s left wrist were tightened on Thursday. They won’t be removed for three more weeks. The feeling in the lower arm is gone, but there is some mobility.
Palm has played softball for many years, according to his wife Pat. “This was the end of it though. No more,” she said. “I got rid of his uniform, and his glove is going, and his cleats are going.”
Palm, 51, was injured during the first inning, sliding into third base.
“Dave did it to himself,” Pat explained. “He just landed on his hand. They always say to slide and keep your arms up in the air, and he didn’t do it. He either smacked the ground real hard or ended up sitting on top of it. His left wrist snapped.”
In the fourth inning, Derek Palm, 25, cracked a bone in the bottom of his foot, sliding and flipping to avoid colliding with the catcher at home plate.
Later, an errant outfield throw hit a player, who was warming up for the next game, in the face and knocked several teeth out.
Tournaments
The 1995 Idaho Amateur Softball Association slowpitch tournaments will be played next weekend, including the men’s D (North) at Quad Park in Post Falls. Monday is the entry deadline.
Mader Agency of Lewiston defeated K.C. Construction of Coeur d’Alene 18-14 to win the 9th annual Paddy’s men’s C title at Ramsey Park in Coeur d’Alene over the weekend.
Blue Dolphin of Spokane edged Strike & Spare of Lewiston 4-3 in the final of the 30-team Steve’s Sports Dugout men’s D tournament at Quad.
Idaho teams won girls’ age division championships in the ASA’s Pacific Northwest Regional slowpitch tournament hosted by Coeur d’Alene, including Preston (16-Under) and Rupert (14-U and 12-U).
Masters (Plus-35) men’s teams battle this weekend at Ramsey. Two coed divisions will be played in the Budweiser Autumn Classic at Quad.