NewsFielder nearly struck by foul ball
First baseman ducks out of line of fire in on-deck circle
By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com
06/25/09 6:14 PM ET
MILWAUKEE -- The Brewers lost a game to the Twins on Thursday, but they could have also lost their first baseman. |
Prince Fielder was readying in the on-deck circle in the bottom of the first inning when Ryan Braun smashed a head-high foul ball his way. Fielder saw it just in time to duck and avoid potential disaster.
Braun and Fielder each hit solo home runs later in the Brewers' 6-4 defeat and shared the exact same reaction of the close call in the first inning: "It was scary." "He was pretty athletic though," Braun said. "That was impressive." "Good thing I was paying attention, halfway," Fielder said. "I don't think it was that close. I just panicked. After that, I had to start paying a little more attention." Has Braun ever been struck while waiting on deck? "No, but I remember the Juan Encarnacion thing," he said. "That's enough to scare you. That ended his career." On Aug. 31, 2007, Encarnacion, playing for the Cardinals, was struck in the eye by a foul tip in a game against the Reds. Encarnacion suffered a shattered eye socket and never played again.Adam McCalvy is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
