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StumbleBoy recovers after being hit in head by line-drive baseball
11-year-old pitcher beaned by baseball has skull reconstructed, but he hasn’t lost his drive to suit up again
Dr. John Anson checks the strength in Ben Gephart’s hands during a follow up visit after emergency surgery to repair damage to Gephart’s head when he was hit by a baseball.
Saturday, Oct. 9, 2010 | 2 a.m.
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Pitching in the Danger Zone
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Eleven-year-old Ben Gephart was pitching for the Henderson Mavericks on September 11, 2010, when the batter hit a line drive with his aluminum bat. The ball, which was going up to 80 mph, hit him on the left side of his head, fracturing his skull and paralyzing his right hand. After emergency brain surgery and 30 staples in his head, Gephart may be able to return to the pitching mound one day, but Ben's father and professional baseball instructor discuss the safety of aluminum bats.
Ben Gephart walks the hallways between classes at Mannion Middle School and can’t help noticing other students staring in his direction.
They are wondering why the sixth-grader is wearing his dad’s New York Yankees baseball cap, which violates school policy.
Ben, 11, can only imagine the curiosity if he took off the cap.
That’s when others would see an 8-inch, S-shaped scar on the top of Ben’s head that is so gruesome school officials allow him to wear the cap.
On Sept. 11, while pitching in a tournament for the his youth baseball team, the Henderson Mavericks, the left-handed-throwing Ben took a line drive on the left side of his skull, with the ball’s velocity off the hitter’s aluminum bat estimated at more than 75 mph.
The impact made a sound so loud everyone in the stands immediately knew something was wrong. The 5-foot, 90-pound boy lay motionless near the pitcher’s mound with his skull smashed — the indentation resembled a soup bowl.
“That was one of the hardest hits I have ever seen,” Mavericks coach Joe Pannullo said. “He managed to flinch a little, which was good enough for the ball to hit the back of his head instead of his temple. I’m telling you, that saved Benny’s life.”
Two hours later, Ben was in emergency surgery at Sunrise Hospital. The scar, and 30 staples that have since been removed, were the least of his problems.
The paralysis in his right arm and hand has lessened; he was initially not able to feel the slightest touch. Ben now has full motion in his arm but limited use of his fingers. There is no guarantee he will fully recover.
“Those aluminum bats are pretty lively nowadays,” said Tim Gephart, his father. “You could clearly hear a solid thud.”
Ben is one of three Las Vegas-area youth pitchers who has been hit with a line drive off an aluminum bat since Labor Day weekend.
Another 11-year-old was struck so hard that the ball’s stitches were visible on the back on his head the next day. Fortunately, he suffered only a ruptured ear drum and had no head trauma. He’s returned to competition.
Ben also wants to get back in the game. A baseball fanatic, he has dreams of leading his Little League team to the World Series next summer, and eventually playing for his beloved St. Louis Cardinals.
Gephart said that kind of optimism has been key to his son’s recovery. Ben hasn’t shown many signs of being scared, even saying he was bored waiting for surgery.
And, for the record, Ben thinks his scar is cool.
“It’s shaped like an ‘S’ for Superman,” he said.
Word of Ben’s injury quickly spread in the local baseball community, with a long line of well-wishers visiting the family. One member of the UNLV baseball team might have had the biggest effect.
Utility player Casey Sato and five other Rebels were among the first to arrive at the hospital after Ben’s hourlong surgery. Sato and Ben have one thing obviously in common — a scar on the top of the head.
Sato was also hit with a line drive while playing baseball during his childhood, also as a sixth-grader. As soon as Ben, who is quiet and reserved, saw the players walk into his hospital room, a smile emerged.
“I told him that everything was going to be all right and that I would be there for him,” said Sato, whose group brought plenty of UNLV apparel for Ben. “It’s probably the scariest time of his life. I know it was that way for me.”
Seeing Sato fully recovered and living out his baseball dreams was an inspiration. After all, those are Ben’s intentions — he’s pitched to his dad in the backyard, and his therapy includes fielding a rolling tennis ball in his glove.
“I’m not afraid to get back out there pitching,” Ben said.
Dr. John Anson, a spine and brain specialist who performed Ben’s surgery, reconstructed the skull with five titanium plates and about a dozen screws. He compared the procedure to piecing together a jigsaw puzzle.
Anson ordered two CT scans and neither showed signs of bleeding or brain damage.
For therapy, he has had Ben squeezing a rubber ball or screwing a nut onto a bolt to help stimulate movement in his right hand.
The improvements have been obvious. Ben initially couldn’t grip the controller with his right hand to play video games, and even though his fingers aren’t back to normal, he is making due. However, he still can’t hold a writing utensil in school.
“Long term, his prognosis is pretty good,” Anson said. “I tried to assure them that most cases like this, there is a lot of improvement.”
When — or if — Ben returns to baseball, it will be with one limitation: His parents will require him to wear a helmet with a face mask.
You see, one story for his classmates is plenty.
Discussion: 5 comments so far…
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Please please please can we get theses explosive bats out of little league baseball. I coach in this division and these bats scare me for all kids. The kids can learn the game with wood bats or limited metal bats, some child is gonna get killed for no reason. There is so much that these kids need to learn at this level and these bats are unsafe. Please local media,call attention to this to save a kids life.
tklv.
While I can understand your concern for the kids, they are kids. Being hit by a ball happens when playing baseball.
There are more kids hurt by their unruly parents because of the outcome of a game then there are kids hurt by a baseball coming off an metal bat.
Maybe we should get rid of the parents?
A tough kid, girls typically have affections for -- wear your war-wounds proud slugger and get back in the game.
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I'm concerned too. Understanding every kind of development creates more efficient playstuff and balls and so on. And with speed increasing, kids will need helmets not only while playing but also while watching the game.
Plays should be games, not transforming from games to fights.
The ONLY reason for the use of aluminum over wood bats is MONEY. COST.
How much is yer noggin worth???
No question the ball comes off aluminum faster than wood.
http://paws.kettering.edu/~drussell/bats...
Little League has rules in terms of the bats you can use. Sounds like this kid was playing traveling baseball, and you can use "big barrel" bats and the talent level is much, much better at that level. My son plays and it's a constant worry to ensure kids understand the importance of being aware at all times. I hope this young man recovers quickly.
I agree with vegaslee, While it's terrible to see a child get hurt, its easy to blame the equipment. Injury is a part of all sports, he could have just as easily slid into 3rd base and shattered his leg, or instead beaned the child at bat. Pain comes with gain and I'm glad to see this young man has not lost the drive to do what he loves.
With all that metal in his head, he is gonna get accosted by TSA agents whenever he flies...probably for the rest of his life.
I understand that some parents are out of control, but the bats are dangerous. People that have not been on a baseball field in the last 15-20 years or probably never would not understand. These bats make the ball jump, I believe they call it a trampoline effect. Believe what you want, you have the right to your opinion, I just hope you make sure to say that to your child or grandchild when they get hit. The ball travels at a much higher rate of speed off the bat when compared to a thrown ball. You can teach kids to slide properly, but reaction time is what it is, these bats are way to hot in all little league baseball. It is fall ball and many club teams are playing leagues, at least they are in Summerlin and Mountain Ridge. I hope they outlaw them soon, who cares about homeruns in little league. Good luck to all and be safe.