Line Drive Hits Red Sox Pitcher in Face

B O S T O N, Sept. 9, 2000 -- Red Sox pitcher Bryce Florie has serious eyedamage and underwent surgery today after being struck in theface by a line drive that bloodied him a night earlier.

“Prognosis for reasonable vision is guarded,” team physicianDr. Bill Morgan said.

The right eyeball of the 30-year-old reliever was not ruptured,and his retina was damaged but not detached.

The operation at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary was done torelease pressure on the eye and assess the damage.

“He seems to be in good spirits,” hospital spokeswoman MaryLeach said.

Leach said Florie was in stable condition but she could not sayif he was able to see from the injured eye.

“He’s had extensive blunt injury to the eye. It’s too soon to tell the extent,” Leach said. “There was some bleeding in theeye.”

Florie has a fractured cheekbone and orbital socket, the bonethat surrounds the eye. An operation to correct those problems willbe done after the swelling subsides.

Three Fractures

Florie was struck by a line drive by Ryan Thompson in the ninthinning of New York’s 4-0 win Friday night. Florie went down, thensat up after about a minute, blood streaming down his face.

Morgan said Florie sustained retinal damage that will beassessed over the next 24 to 72 hours to determine if surgery isrequired to repair the retina.

The doctor said Florie has three fractures around the eye socketthat will require surgery and will be monitored the next three tofive days.

“Unless there is further hemorrhaging, in which case doctorscan wait up to two weeks depending on the status of the eye,” hesaid.

Horrific Scene

Before today’s game, Red Sox manager Jimy Williams andtrainer Jim Rowe spoke in Williams’ office. On a couch in theclubhouse, pitcher Rolando Arrojo stared at a front-page newspaperpicture showing Florie holding a towel to his bloodied face as hesat on the ground next to Rowe.

The scene left players and coaches, youngsters and veterans, ata loss to remember such a scary sight.

New York manager Joe Torre recalled the 1957 game in whichYankees infielder Gil McDougald hit a liner off the cheekbone ofCleveland’s Herb Score, the AL Rookie of the Year in 1955. Manybelieve the injury shortened Score’s career.

Boston pitching coach Joe Kerrigan, who first reached the majorsin 1976 as a pitcher with Montreal, couldn’t find anythingcomparable.

“Over the years I’ve seen guys get hit, but not like that,” he said.

Another Red Sox player, outfielder Tony Conigliaro, sufferedserious damage to his left eye when he was hit in the head by apitch from California’s Jack Hamilton in 1967 at Fenway Park.Conigliaro missed all of the 1968 season, returned to the Red Soxin 1969 and was traded to California in 1970.

Four Teams in Six Years

Florie pitched for San Diego, Milwaukee and Detroit in a majorleague career that began in 1994. He was traded to Boston on July31, 1999. He was 2-0 with a 4.80 ERA for the Red Sox last year andthis season is 0-4 with a 4.56 ERA in 29 games, all in relief.

Perhaps his most memorable outing for Boston came Aug. 14, 1999when Williams started him in place of Pedro Martinez, who arrivedlater than normal but before the game. Florie went 4 2-3 innings,allowing one run on four hits as Boston beat Seattle 13-2. Martinezpitched the last four innings.

On Friday, Florie replaced Rheal Cormier with Yankees at firstand third and one out in the ninth. Clay Bellinger then groundedinto a forceout at home, Jose Vizcaino walked and Derek Jeter hit atwo-run single.

Thompson, who entered the game in the eighth as a pinch runnerfor Paul O’Neill, then hit a liner with such force that Florie hadno time block the ball with his glove. The ball rolled to thirdbaseman Lou Merloni, who threw out Thompson to end the inning.

Florie fell face down and kicked his outstretched legs up anddown. He soon sat up, then stood and was taken off the field on acart.