With a runner on second in the bottom of the ninth, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Josh Beckett stared down his catcher Drew Butera for sign. The pitch froze Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley, giving Beckett a strikeout to end the game.
Beckett had just pitched the first no-hitter of his career.
As players from the field and the dugout rushed towards the mound to celebrate, the Dodgers other catcher A.J. Ellis stepped on Butera catcher's mask, which he threw off his head in the heat of the moment. The misplaced step resulted in a sprained ankle, sending Ellis to the 15-day disabled list.
While this isn't the first time a professional athlete has injured themselves during a celebration, this has to be one of the most embarrassing. Ellis, who had returned from a stint on the DL less than two weeks ago, wasn't even on the field for the deciding pitch. He needs to watch his step.
When I saw the report that Ellis hurt himself celebrating the no hitter, my mind turned to other athletes who have put themselves - or others - out of action because of a celebration. How does Ellis's ankle injury compare to others?
A similar incident happened in 2012. After San Francisco Giants pitcher completed a perfect game, teammate Aubrey Huff jumped over the dugout railing. When Huff landed, he sprained his knee.
Baseball seems to have many game-ending celebrations that end up in injury. Two more occurred in 2012. Los Angeles Angels first baseman Kendrys Morales hit a walk-off grand slam in extra innings against the Seattle Mariners. As Morales rounded third, he prepared to be mobbed at home plate by his teammates. When he jumped onto home plate, he twisted his ankle and fell to the ground. The final diagnosis - a broken leg and a trip to the DL.
Also in 2012, Chris Coghlan of the then Florida Marlins planned to celebrate teammate Wes Helms' walk-off single with a shaving cream pie to the face during a television interview, which is a time-honoured baseball tradition. After Coghlan planted the pie on Helms face, he landed on his knee "wrong," tearing his meniscus in the process.
At least those players were celebrating wins. Ellis gets points taken off his score for celebrating a meaningful event. It was the first no hitter in MLB this season and the first for the Dodgers since Hideo Nomo's no-no in 1996.
The same can't be said for Milton Bradley. In 2007, while playing for the San Diego Padres, Bradley was called out on a close play at first with 10 games left. He chased after the umpire to plead his case that he was safe. Padres manager Bud Black came out of the dugout to separate his player from the umpire. In the process, Bradley fell and tore his ACL. He was a key piece to his team that year as the Padres lost seven of their final 11 games to narrowly miss the playoffs.
The gridiron has seen its fair share of strange injuries. In a NCAA football game between Georgia and Clemson, a Georgia wide receiver was a bit too happy his teammate scored a touchdown. Malcolm Mitchell celebrated Todd Gurley's 75-yard touchdown run by jumping for a chest bump. It looked innocent at the time, but he tore his ACL when he landed.
Former Arizona Cardinals kicker Bill Gramatica was guilty of over-celebrating in 2001. After completing a 43-yard field goal, Gramatica leapt in the air and pumped his fist in celebration. He didn't stick the landing and ended up tearing his ACL. Oh, I forgot to mention that this happened in the first quarter of the game.
In 1997, quarterback Gus Frerotte found himself starting for the Washington Redskins. During a game with the New York Giants, Frerotte ran in a touchdown from one-yard out. After spiking the ball, he ran into a wall. Literally. Frerotte went head first into the wall behind the end zone, spraining his neck.
With even this brief history of celebratory-related injuries, it would stand to reason players would be more careful when acknowledging good plays. There are many plays that found themselves on the cutting room floor when writing. However, that is the culture of sports now. The celebration seems to take precedence over the result of the play.
The celebration grabs the attention of the fans. There is pure emotion that gets lost once players get time to think. I don't want to see that taken away from the game. Celebrations are fine when they are done safely.
But, these should act as a warning, especially with celebrations after a game-ending play. Equipment is tossed everywhere during the celebration. These athletes need to pay attention to their surroundings.
The "look at me" attitude of most professional athletes leads to these types of injuries. In order to show off, they put themselves at risk of injury when there shouldn't be any. It appears if they can keep their feet on the ground, athletes will be fine.
