The baseball umpire has one of the best seats in the house to track the trajectory of a ball. After the catcher, who also has a great view, the umpire is hidden behind him with only their head sticking out. Protected by a helmet and a face mask, the umpire is still regularly hit by the ball.
Whether it’s a wild pitch, a ricochet off the batter’s bat, or a deflection off the catcher’s glove, the umpire, protected by a chest protector, can take the hit, even though a baseball can reach speeds of over 120 or 130 km/h.
Sometimes, the ball disappears into the umpire’s gear, a pocket, a ball pouch, or even the broom used to clean home plate. Other times, the ball hits the chest protector hard enough to knock the wind out of the umpire, leaving them gasping for air.
But the most incredible scenario is when the ball hits the umpire’s face. It might ricochet, causing a scare, or it might be powerful enough to knock off the mask. In the rarest cases, the ball gets stuck in the umpire’s face mask. A foul ball often causes physical damage, as seen in the video above.
This is exactly what happened last Sunday during the first game between Toulouse and Montigny. Umpire Stéphane Giraud was behind the plate when a fastball from Toulouse’s pitcher, Garcia, was hurled towards the catcher. Batter Raphael Jimenez swung hard, and the ball ricocheted off his bat, embedding itself in Stéphane Giraud’s helmet. Giraud recoiled instantly. Ball dead. The game stopped, and the helmet was bent out of shape.
Check out the replay of this match: Game 11h Replay Toulouse vs. Montigny, April 16, 2023, Minute 41 in the first inning
