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Ultimate Danger Ultimate Danger Ultimate

Conigliaro lived, but he was never again the same player, underscoring the simple truth that America’s pastime can be a dangerous profession when the circumstances conspire against you. According to the University of Southern California, injuries cost the MLB $7 billion in lost wages from 2003 to 2018. Obviously, not all injuries are as serious as the one that befell Conigliaro, but the number is still staggering. According to one study in the American Journal of Orthopedics, from 1998 to 2015, MLB players lost a total of 460,432 days of work because of injuries. That’s more than 25,000 a year. The average number of days players spent on the disabled list over the 18 seasons was 55.1. The majority of those hurt suffered shoulder and elbow injuries.

Pitcher Jerome Williams rests on the ground after pulling a hamstring in 2015.

Dangerous Fun

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