MLB's Career-Ending Mystery 

The dude who casually walks off the mound after shattering his arm and simply saying “get me to a effin doctor” is the Chaddest of all Chads

That dude just snapped his upper arm like a broomstick and walked to the dugout.... I hope someone is keeping track of him because is a demon and I'm terrified of him.

_Ah yes just the video to watch before trying out for the local men's league_

I cried so hard when you showed Barrett getting called back up the majors. Something beautiful about someone beating the odds.

I was an amateur pitcher in a Sunday baseball league and this happened to me. Ironically on a big league mound at dodgers stadium. This league has a promotional game that you could pay extra to play a game at angels stadium and dodgers stadium. I didn't grow up a pitcher but was always a good baseball player and athlete. My team wasn't very good and we didn't have anyone who could throw a strike, and I could, along with a little bit of velo ( for that level), and some junk. I pitched most every inning of that season for my team, and we played one nine inning game every week. I would give up tons of hits and walks and whatnot so it wasn't like a nine inning complete game was 100-110 pitches, it was like 180-200 pitches. So I, in my youthful vigor and naievity, thought nothing of pitching all these innings, my arm always hurt, but that was just the way it was. So two weeks after throwing a complete game in which I gave up 19 runs, I was given the choice by my coach to play the outfield or pitch in the dodger stadium game, and I without hesitation, chose to pitch. The single stupidest decision of my entire life, and that's saying something, believe me. I can't watch this video in its entirety because it reminds me of the most horrifying event of my entire life and it's not even remotely close. Bases loaded, maybe 2nd or third inning and I try to uncork my best fastball. I hear what sounded to me like a gunshot, and I see the ball go straight up in the air. My arm flops lifelessly to my side. My ears begin to ring as I go into shock. I didn't feel any pain for about 15 seconds, but the minute I see my arm turning back and forth on its own blown by the wind like a stick suspended from a string, the reality of what has happened to me hits and the pain sinks in all at once. I don't know what happened on that play. I am screaming in terror as I look helplessly at my destroyed arm. I walk to the dugout trying to hold my arm together with my other hand. I get in to the dugout and my coach says my shoulder is probably just dislocated, but I know that's not it. They call me an ambulance, and I ride for what seemed like hours to a hospital I find out later is very near the stadium. For the next hour or so I experience the worst agony of my life as they manipulate my arm on the x ray table. Spiral fracture, shattered humerus. Multiple doctors have told me they'd never seen anything like it. This was 15 years ago, and to this day I have a 14 inch plate and 14 screws in my right arm. Since then I can't throw a baseball more than 60 feet or so, and at very low velocity. It hurts to do normal things like opening doors or pushups. It is a truly gruesome injury and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. Seeing the first clip almost made me vomit.

I had a high school teammate suffer the same injury. I will never forget the sound of his arm breaking, nor how much pain he was in. Pretty sure he had to spend months in bed with his arm suspended and stabilized in a specialized wheelchair. It was horrific.

My dad has a couple of go-to stories from sports games he attended. One was what he calls the "Tony Saunders game". He said he was sitting up many rows behind the dugout on the first base side, and he heard the pop when it happened. According to him, it was louder than the pop of the glove with each pitch. He has said before that he'll never forget the sound.

"From a very young age athletes learn to stay stoic" Except in Soccer lol.

I was around for Barrett's original run and his return, but only cried about it come this video. Great work narrativizing that story.

Browning going to sit in the stands with the fans in uniform is hilarious. 😂 absolutely love it.

My boy had the same injury last year. He wasn't even a pitcher! He was a catcher. The way the players describe it is very accurate. I was standing about 30 feet away and I heard a snap when it happened. The whole infield heard it. It's a scary injury. My boy had to quit playing because of it.

fuuuuuuck i wish i didn't watch this. 🥺 my heart breaks for every one of those guys. i can't imagine making it all the way to your dream, and then a freak accident taking it all away. not to mention the feeling of every pitch after that has to be terrifying. wondering if it will happen again. great video! i just really feel bad for everyone here.

Tommy John should he in the HOF for that reason alone…

Tom Browning is still beloved in Cincinnati!! Mr. Perfect! One of the greatest Reds pitchers of all-time

John Smiley actually taught me how to throw my sinker accurately probably about 15ish years ago. He was always a really nice guy

I didn't know Saunders broke his throwing arm the same exact way twice. Brutal

from what little I can tell about these, (and keep in mind, I'm not a doctor), it probably is a combination of coming back from injury/not being built up enough in strength, the whip of throwing over 85 mph to even higher in some cases after reeling back to windup and let it rip, and something that wasn't mentioned explicitly but should be noted, Saunders and Browning were attempting to throw curveballs. Which makes sense given the circular nature of the break, the humerus bone is twisting to attempt to catch up with the muscles and can't. To me it would thus seem most likely for this to occur on curveballs and sliders, and less likely on a 2 seamer or cutter. I would also like to bring up the screwball, and how common wisdom is that it's a great, devastating pitch, but can/will ruin your arm, even make it "fall off". Now, I'm not a doctor again, but is it possible that the screwball would have less of these issues because, at least in the upper arm, you're more going with momentum? I don't know. I do think screwballs would cause slightly higher TJ surgeries cause in the lower arm it does go against motion far more than the curve, but this is speculation. I will opine that the reason this has happened only once in the last 20 years is because 2 seamers, cutters, sinkers and splitters are far more prevalent than ever, along with better conditioning. In the 80s and 90s it was a slider/curveball league mostly. In the end, this is a fascinating subject and good video. Subbed.

I suffered this injury last summer pitching in men's league, it's brutal. Also, you missed Zack McAlister who pitched for the Yankees last season after suffering a humerus fracture while doing long toss in the off season.

My man Landucci didn't even flinch... "yo, get me a fckng doctor"

When the summoning salt music hits

This is the most heartbreaking baseball video I've seen. Your arm bone exploding is absolutely terrifying.

If my arm explodes while throwing a ball I am never throwing a ball ever again! The mental strength to want to do it again must be so high!

My dad suffered the very same injury in 1972, breaking his left humerus. 4 screws as a result.

I'm glad you posted this! I had the same injury when I was 13 years old! The doctors never could figure why it happened. The only thing they said was I was probably throwing too hard at close to 80mph and hadn't built up my body at a young age. I was bout 5'7" 115 lbs at the time. I still remember trying to throw a fastball hearing the loud snap and the ball looking like a knuckleball behind the batter. My centerfielders said he heard the snap! Thankfully I recovered well and got to pitch throughout my high-school years

Keep up the great work. Found you few years ago from the Rays history lesson. Hope you post more and more!

I can’t imagine going through all of that just over a year later 🤯

I met Dave Dravecky several years ago in Washington DC. He was an awesome guy. We had a great conversation and I got some pics with him. Great man with an awesome story.

Great job on the video. Probably my favourite so far

This is an awesome and crazy video. What are the odds maybe you could do a part 2 and possibly reach out and interview one or some of these players? Thatd be awesome

I always love finding a new baseball youtube page. Definitely subscribed now

I am a huge fan of Aaron Barrett. He went to the same college that I went and I kept tabs on how he was doing. Once I saw the video of him getting called back up, I broke into tears because I knew that he had that gruesome injury but I had little knowledge of what that injury was. I was just so glad he got called back up.

Tony Saunders went to my high school, got his baseball card somewhere around here

Excellent video. I can’t even imagine the pain of breaking a long bone. I subscribed!

This happened to me too . Fractured my humerus while pitching. Was about 13 years old, such a freak accident i remember i couldnt believe it . Definitely was in shock for a few minutes. Thought it was unheard of until i found out multiple pitchers did the same thing

One of the most important things to learn as a pitcher is that the idea of pitching through the pain isn’t the move. It only makes things worse. I tried that strategy and seriously regret it. I had professional training from like age 7. Was routinely going over league enforced inning limits and pitching full games throughout little league. Regardless of how the arm was feeling, if asked I’d just suck it up and say it was good. By the time I was like 13 I could tell my elbow was about to give. It would hurt almost constantly and I realized if I kept going, I was gonna end up being a 13-14 year old who either had a freak injury like this or would end up needing Tommy John. So I stopped playing, over the years it healed a bit, but it still does hurt if i try to like toss any type of ball around for more than like 20 throws. I do think it was the right decision, but I wish I wasn’t pushed so hard and that I didn’t just go along with it during my time playing. Baseball helped me come out of my shell as a kid, it gave me a lot of much needed confidence, especially when I would have a really good game and people would talk about it at school or it would end up in the local paper. So it kinda hurt to walk away from it.

I’m like 30 seconds in, and I gotta say.. great video dude. Love this gnarly sports coverage

Pedro Martinez explained how placement of your plant foot and hips when throwing removes stress and tension on muscles and ligaments from the elbow/shoulder and greatly improves your chances of avoiding throwing injuries. Also Pedro was 5'10" and built like my uncle Joey Bagadonuts admitted to never lifting weights or having a intensive workout regiment but was able to avoid any major injury for the duration of his hall of fame career

Love that Home song at the end. Great work.

Great video, earned a sub :) going to watch some more videos after the Jays & Yankees today!!

Great video. Really unique idea. Great delivery! Had me in my feelings.

man, I watched the Tony Saunders game live on tv, and even on tv the sound was spine-chilling, that was for sure one the saddest and shocking moments I´ve ever experienced, it was undeniably the pain that guy felt was extremely excruciating, I was a kid and couldn´t sleep well for days after that, that episode affected me so much I quit playing baseball for a really long time.

I remember when Matt Clement was pitching for the Red Sox and he got a comebacker to the head and he was never the same. He was having a Cy Young year before it happened.

The amount of research, editing and just overall time it must take to make one of these videos is just insane to think about. Appreciate what you do man. Love these videos

I was at the Dravecky and Browning games. I was also catching the upcoming relief pitcher in the pen when a teammate had it happen in an adult league tournament.

this exact injury happened to me at 17 while throwing a bullpen, i haven’t thrown more than 30 ft in 3 years since. i was a right hander, throwing a circle change when it happened (i had always been more of a supinator). arm was paralyzed in some capacity for months, had to have a plate the length of my humerus and 10 screws surgically implanted. the break was so severe that it stretched/almost tore my radial nerve, causing the paralysis. also had my nerve repaired, and my humerus realigned, due to it having been displaced from the break. i was left with chronic pain, permanent nerve damage, and i can basically predict the weather now. none of my surgeons or doctors knew how or why it happened. apparently, i had perfectly healthy muscles and bones, and it was truly a freak accident. my mechanics were never questioned when i threw, and i had many coaches tell me that i didn’t need to change a thing. i chalk it up to a lack of proper arm care. i made some larger gains in the velocity sector, and i was told to train and condition as i had been. i believe i put too much strain on my arm, and didn’t have the facilities or tools around me to properly sustain my velocity or protect my body. all in all, destroying my humerus changed my life. not necessarily for the better, but i’m finding my way through the mess that is existence because of it. despite all that happened, baseball is still my everything. i love this game too damn much, and i probably wouldn’t have made it through the following months (or years) without it. thank you for bringing awareness to our freakishness, and i pray science finds a way to understand this injury better. if we’re lucky, maybe we’ll even find a way to prevent it someday. hell of a video, hats off 👏👏

I remember watching the Tony saunders injury live. It was the first year I really started watching baseball and it was at the very beginning of the summer. And I remember you could just hear him scream. That last video of the guy's arm snapping, he took that shit like a boss. Insane.

My teammate had this happen to him in a game. He lifted often - and was in very good shape. On the first pitch a ball was hit towards him. He tries to throw the ball in to me playing shortstop to cut it off and keep it only a single when the ball went towards the foul pole - I didn’t personally hear anything but the centerfielder did. Later at the hospital - same spiral fracture but it looked like his humerus was smaller/skinnier than what it should be for his size (I was studying physical therapy in college). He said he felt fine during warm up and doctors called it a freak accident as well, although he probably never threw over 80mph.

This happens a lot in men rec leagues. Seen in person twice

You and baseball don’t exist both make such unique content. Keep digging deep! Love the videos

I was at the game in Kansas City when Smiley injured his arm. I was sitting in GA left field which was right next to the Indians bullpen. I remember him injuring his arm, and the sound of it sounded like a baseball bat hitting the concrete wall.

Had a tibial tubercle fracture sophomore year of highschool. Fractured all the way through just from bodyweight. I'm just so thankful that there was an ambulance on the field for the game

9:42 What's wild is I broke my humerus in almost the exact same spot when I was 14, but not from throwing. I was messing with my friend about something, we were on a walkway near wet grass. At one point he gave me a light push after he had gotten behind me partially. I took a couple of quick steps onto the grass from it, my feet went forward out in front of me and i was coming down with my body horizontal, I stuck my left arm out to try and catch myself, and my hand landed with my elbow locked straight, and the force cause it to break right about there and bend in the opposite direction it should, like a 90 degree right angle, the wrong way. I sort of bounced off of it and landed on my other side. The sound was loud and sharp and I'll never forget it, I'm 44 so it was a long time ago. I also have 2 plates, and If i'm remembering correctly I have 14 screws in there, bet we got the same kind of procedure, when I got it back in the 90's it was fairly new, I saw a video of one on youtube but haven't been able to find it since. Got a big scar running down the back of my left arm, about 9 inches.

1:54 OH MY GOD THATS WHAT HAPPENED?? I always thought his UCL tore, and it was a really wierd reaction to have, its not THAT painful. But this....yeah that looks like it hurts...

Happened to me back in 2017. I used to play in an amateur league down in El Paso Texas and was a regular in our pitching rotation but I was getting plenty of rest in between sessions. But I had constant arm pain after and days leading up to the games I didn't pitch. Me being me just though it was muscle pain since I had just that year picked pitching back up. I was dead wrong. Started that game no problem and got 2 innings in. First batter of the 3rd my arm snapped and the sound that was described to me was a loud pop that everyone could hear. Next thing I knew in on the ground in pain with a limp arm. Took a large plate and several screws to repair it and I have never been able to throw like I used to, or even throw with out constant arm pain.

Fantastic video brother, not even a big baseball fan and still had me extremely interested

Holy W music choice for the Tom Browning segment

Something about MLB story times that I could listen to forever

My humerus snapped on the mound Junior year in 2005, never felt the same and college scouting ceased bc I couldn't throw Sr. Year. Shit was devastating but I'm surprised most 6' 160 lb 17 year olds throwing 88-90 mph aren't afflicted by this injury more often, especially the year-round guys.

I still swear to this day this almost happened to me in college. Same spot these guys broke at. It felt like my bone tried to separate. Took myself out

"his story is the most well known" *summoning salt music kicks in*.... the video is locked in

I saw the pitcher who broke huis arm so bad it had to be amputated. But that pitcher had cancer. I remember this story well as the pitcher was being treated. I worked as a security guard in that hospital, but I never met him or saw him. I did follow the story closely, and I remember quite well his return to the mound. Then we had our hearts ripped out on his first pitch when his arm broke for the last time.

As a hockey goalie for 20 years, I have seen some gruesome stuff on the injury front. One of my defensemen got a spiral fracture right about his ankle when his skate blade dug into the ice as he was hit by another player. The muffled snap haunts me to this day. That was 20 years ago.

Athletes are masters of adaptation and compensation. While they may not all have identified a preceding injury, its easy to imagine these guys silently and possibly subconsciously dealt with injury all the time. It would make sense if such a quiet deviation from their routine led to such injuries.

Saw this happen one time in a mens league game. The sound is truly insane

I suffered the same injury, spiral fracture, while taking fly balls pregame in high school. I was practicing throws from centerfield to third base. As I came out of my crow hop, I went to throw and heard a loud pop like a gunshot and my arm went limp and flung around. I walked off the field to my coaches who thought I had just torn a muscle. After 6 hours in ER, x-rays, and multiple specialists, all I was told was that the bone was perfectly healthy and that the force from my shoulder coming forward during the throw mixed with the surrounding muscles contracting caused the arm to break. I never played again. In my opinion, the cause of an injury such as this is most likely due to the throwing motion. I spent most of my life playing shortstop and short arming throws. In high school I was moved to centerfield and spent a ton of time changing my throwing motion to elongate my arm to create more whip…which would eventually lead to the end of my time playing competitive baseball.

How tragic. This is one of those things where all you can really say is, and that’s baseball… great vid fam

Congratulations Tyler! So proud of you kid.

Great video

Arm wrestlers get these spiral fractures quite often. It's a similar situation although, pitching, I would think is a bit more ballistic, whereas arm is more of a case of getting into the wrong position, not following your hand with your body and allowing the humorous to twist. I always thought they usually came back without much issue because the bone would heal stronger but I'm going to look into that now. Interesting video.

I’ve met Dravecki at Oracle a few times, nicest guy! Crazy story and career.

So many leftys,there has to be something about the mechanics of leftys.

I remember watching Saunders injury on Baseball Tonight. That was tough. I wanted him to do well because he's from my hometown.

I'd be willing to bet it is a relatively rare side effect of something they're taking. Perhaps something they're keeping secret. That might explain why no one knows why the injury happens, why it tends to happen after other injuries, why it seems to happen less now even though pitchers tend to throw harder (more advanced PEDs), and why it seemed to start so suddenly in the first place. Just a guess.

great video brother, as always. keep it up

Ill be completely honest ive probably watched 30 minutes total of baseball. But I love watching your videos man

I broke my humurus in half playing softball. Just laid there and told everyone to call an ambulance once i knew it was broke. I was lucky because it didn't hurt really at all. Waking up from surgery and rehab hurt waaaaay worse

Man what a great and well-researched video. Great job you have earned a sub from me!

The fact that Browning, and Smiley played together, and experienced the same injury a few years apart, and Saunders nearly played against Smiley in the WS is wild

I’ve had the same injury happen to me. Unicameral bone cyst throwing. My arm was in half all I could do was scream. I had to wait 3 months for it to heal before surgery.

WOW. What a sad, sad story. Edit… was talking about Saunders but wow, all of these guys... I’m a huge baseball fan and I didn’t understand this is what had happened to these poor guys.

A friend of mine had this happen to him as well BUT he was playing SHORTSTOP when it happened. His was caused because he had elbow surgery in 8th grade and somehow it effected his blood flow to the bone and it became brittle. So when he played ball again his sophomore year he fielded his first groundball in a game and SNAP.

I’m scared to pitch tomorrow now thank you

Idk Ray Chapman seems like he got the worst injury, though I guess his might not count since it was a "permanent" injury.

NEVER WILL I EVER NOT MISS A VIDEO BY ATB

I had an avulsion fracture in my elbow while pitching when I was 14. Everybody told me the pop was loud as hell. I only vaguely remember a pop, all I could really hear was a ringing in my ears and a blinding pain. One positive thing came of it though, when I got back on the mound 9 months later I’d picked up 7mph on my fastball.

Thanks!

This happened to kid we played in U15 travel ball, the sound was like nothing I ever heard, you could hear it throughout the whole park, the kid barely flinched even though his humerus was completely bent, tough ass kid, hope he was okay

That slow mo is brutal! 5:41

Great video. Do you know what % of pitchers are affected by this?

1999 was also the year I retired from pitching in the Little League. Right after seeing the footage of Saunders 😂

One of my biggest fears. Broke my elbow senior year high school. I was chasing the dream and then my world was upside down. 10 years later my shoulder and elbow don’t want me to throw anymore. Had to stop myself from pitching in Sunday league today, which I’ve never done

Well, this was something. I enjoy the content. Along with the other ones.

I cried because I know the feeling. Of having the drive to want to compete.... but you are a prisoner in your body. and it doesnt matter how much you want it or how hard you are willing to work for it. Your Body has let you down. 6 surgeries in my shoulders, its permanent damage and now disabled. I used to play rugby, I used to lift. I used to be a warrior. I felt a piece of me die on the inside when the surgeon told me, "Do you really need to be strong, just get a desk job"

Joel zumaya (tigers) had a similar injury i was watching the telecast and you can hear the elbow pop. He was the 1st pitcher i ever saw hitting 103-105 mph with ease

If I had to guess, advances in sports medicine, physiotherapy, and general training techniques led to more balanced muscle growth/strength

It’s tragic irony that this video got recommended to me as I’m currently recovering from surgery to repair a broken humerus in my right arm

I actually don't watch baseball, but I noticed all of these injuries happened between the late 80s to now. Very modern considering how long baseball has been around. Is there any potential contributing factor that could exist in the past 35 years but not the previous 100?

I remember tommy John, he use to pitch for the Yanks when I was a kid, crazy I heard people get it done without ever needing it

Some people's bones just aren't as dense as others and there will always be outliers that are even worse.

Feels proper to use the song that was played during Brok's funeral here, honestly.