http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/Of-all-the-luck-Denard-Span-hits-his-own-mother?urn=mlb,231403

Wed Mar 31, 2010 2:40 pm EDT

It seemed strange enough that a foul ball hit by Denard Span would fly into the stands and hit a woman who was wearing his jersey from the Twins.

Then we found out the woman was Span's mother.

In what can only be described as a freak occurrence, the Minnesota outfielder found himself feeling about as bad as a son can possibly feel after he fouled off a pitch from the Yankees' Phil Hughes into his mother's chest.

Luckily, it turned out that his mother suffered only some soreness and not something more serious.

From the Associated Press:

"Wanda Wilson was sitting in the box seats near the third-base dugout when her son hit a foul liner leading off the game against the New York Yankees.

"Span sprinted to his mom and stayed while paramedics treated her. The game was delayed for a few minutes and she was taken to first aid. Span returned to the plate and struck out on the next pitch."

Span stayed in the game for another at-bat, then left in the top of the third after telling the Twins that he wasn't mentally into the game. He then spent some time with his mother, who had relocated to a different seat after being checked out at ballpark's first aid station.

Really, you can't help but feel pretty bad for one of baseball's nicest guys. He began his day by tweeting his excitement over playing the Yankees "in front of my family and friends in my hometown" of Tampa and then ended up indirectly hitting his mother with a baseball.

Thankfully, all was well that ended well.

I saw video of this on one of the sports channels. The poor guy. He must feel so bad for beaning his own mother. I'm just glad she wasn't seriously hurt.

So am I! I mean, what are the odds of something like that happening?? :eek:

So am I! I mean, what are the odds of something like that happening?? :eek:
The odds must astronomical!!! He could probably never do it again if he tried. (not that he WOULD try it again!!)

I felt so bad for him watching that video. You're right, Marv, he probably never COULD do that again!! But it's obvious that he loves his mom very much and that being with her was more important to him than the game.

The odds must astronomical!!! He could probably never do it again if he tried. (not that he WOULD try it again!!)

Link (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AhmcbE3s_JQNG5t0rie_Jl4RvLYF?slug=ap-twins-spansfoulball-mom)

Hall of Famer Bob Feller heard about the Span accident and recalled the time he threw a pitch that was fouled off and hit his mom—on Mother’s Day.

“She was sitting right next to the dugout at Comiskey Park in Chicago,” the 91-year-old Feller said at Cleveland’s camp in Goodyear, Ariz. “It hit her right above the eye, broke her glasses and she needed seven stitches. It was in 1939. Some Mother’s Day for her, wasn’t it? I was pretty upset, but had to keep on pitching.”

Link (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AhmcbE3s_JQNG5t0rie_Jl4RvLYF?slug=ap-twins-spansfoulball-mom)

Hall of Famer Bob Feller heard about the Span accident and recalled the time he threw a pitch that was fouled off and hit his mom—on Mother’s Day.

“She was sitting right next to the dugout at Comiskey Park in Chicago,” the 91-year-old Feller said at Cleveland’s camp in Goodyear, Ariz. “It hit her right above the eye, broke her glasses and she needed seven stitches. It was in 1939. Some Mother’s Day for her, wasn’t it? I was pretty upset, but had to keep on pitching.”
Yup, they mentioned that on our local news tonight!! Now the odds of that happening on MOTHER'S DAY, of all days...WOW!! :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

I felt so bad for him watching that video. You're right, Marv, he probably never COULD do that again!! But it's obvious that he loves his mom very much and that being with her was more important to him than the game.
It was very touching to see him run and jump into the stands to check on his mother. And then to leave the game early because his heart was more with his Mom than the game. I sure wish there were more pro athletes like Denard Span and fewer with criminal records!

It was very touching to see him run and jump into the stands to check on his mother. And then to leave the game early because his heart was more with his Mom than the game. I sure wish there were more pro athletes like Denard Span and fewer with criminal records!
AMEN!!!! :nod:

It was very touching to see him run and jump into the stands to check on his mother. And then to leave the game early because his heart was more with his Mom than the game. I sure wish there were more pro athletes like Denard Span and fewer with criminal records!

Yeah, that's the truth!

And back in Feller's day, as he mentioned, he would have been expected to "do his job" and continue to pitch, even though his Mother had to be taken to a doctor. Different mind-set in those days.

But I was trying to think if I'd ever heard of anything like that, and I couldn't remember ever hearing about a batter hitting a relative in the stands with a foul ball. Sure enough, they had to go back to Feller's career to find a similar incident.

Feller is 91 years old, and is the 2nd oldest living Baseball Hall of Famer (among players... he's a few months younger than Bobby Doerr... Lee MacPhai is 92, but he was inducted as an Executive, not as a player).

Although Feller lives in Ohio, just outside of Cleveland, he still gets down to spring training games every year (he was in Arizona earlier this spring). He still loves the game and loves being able to hang out with the young players of today.

Bob Feller is indeed a class act. We here in the Cleveland area are very fortunate to call him ours!!! :D :D :D :D :D

This doesn't jive ... his name is Span and his mother's name is Wilson.

This doesn't jive ... his name is Span and his mother's name is Wilson.


Why doesn't it jive? My mom and I don't have the same last name and that's only because she remarried.