Ryan Blake recovering

Hammerhead Catcher Recovering From Collision

By Steve Zimmerman

Sports Writer, Jupiter Hometown News

JUPITER, FL- Longtime baseball fans remember the collision at home plate between Cleveland catcher Ray Fosse and Cincinnati?s Pete Rose in the 1970 All-Star game. It almost ended Fosse?s career and added to Rose?s legend.

But a recent April collision at the plate during a Jupiter Hammerhead game may have been one of the nastiest ever in baseball. It ended the season of Hammerhead catcher Ryan Blake. And it has put into question whether he will be able to don catching gear again.

"The doctor?s told me it was a bad injury and I wasn?t going to be able to come back this year," he said. "And it may be tough for me to come back at the beginning of next year. I am way ahead of schedule and it is up to me. There is a chance I could come back at the end of August or in September to hit. If I can come back and catch, I can. And if not, the team told me not to worry about it, I will be able to play, it just might not be behind the plate."

The injury occurred on a play at the plate. With John Santor at second base, Palm Beach Cardinals catcher Mike Pagnozzi singled to right. The throw from right fielder Alejandro De Aza was to the first base side of the plate and Blake had to stretch for the ball and then come back to tag Santor, who was steaming toward the plate. He was not blocking the plate, but was still run over. Blake shattered his fibula, dislocated his ankle, tore all the ligaments in his ankle and suffered a concussion.

"I think it was a freak thing," he said. "The throw was off-line and I went to get the ball. The rule is you run the catcher over only if he is blocking the plate. I was on the other side of the plate. I was leaning and when he hit me, my spike got caught in the dirt. It is a part of baseball and is just one of those freak things you see happen all of the time."

Blake called his parents as soon as he got to the hospital to tell them he was all right. They were listening to the game on the radio.

"They are very supportive," he said. "They know how tough it is and are leaving me alone."

Blake said the hardest part of his absence from the field is not the rehabilitation, but watching games from the stands.

He is rehabbing at Roger Dean Stadium every morning.

Blake said he was surprised at the hit he absorbed.

"I really didn?t think he was going to hit me because the throw was off-line," he said. "I expected him to slide and I guess he felt he needed to hit me. I wasn?t prepared for the hit and that is why I was injured."

He started rehabilitation three weeks after he got out of the hospital and began walking last week. He had surgery this week to remove the pins from his leg. Blake knew he was hurt immediately after waking up from being knocked out in

the collision

.

"I knew right away," he said. "When I came to, I felt something pop so I knew something was wrong. Then I looked down and saw my ankle was sideways, so I knew it was broken."

If he cannot catch again, Blake could move to first base.

"I am better offensively that defensively," he said. "There are a lot of catchers that are good defensively and not that good offensively. It is going to be tough for me to come back and catch. But if I do, I will work harder on my defense."

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