Saunders breaks arm while throwing a pitch

5/26/99: A bone in Tony Saunders' arm breaks as he throws a pitch, resulting in him being carted off the field


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Join the conversation!

[Eltorito]

I thought it was nice and sweet for the catcher to hold the pitchers hand like that. That shows great sportsmanship and a true friend. Make the guy feel comfortable.

[lespretend]

I live in the tampa bay area, so I remember this vividly. He ended up having tommy john surgery. Thing is, his first time taking the mound after his tendon snapped again only this time you actually HEARD it it was so freaking loud. Poor guy couldn't catch a break but it didn't end his career; they moved him up into the office. We try our best to take care of our guys here. GO RAYS!

[DavidStewart-npcj]

Seeing his face grimace like that, man that was tough to look just from my computer. I can't even imagine being on the field hearing screams and tears and having no way of helping your teammate.

[DanielG]

Still closer to the strike zone then what 50 cent threw

[OliverDemari]

Damn, whenhe starts jumping you can see his arm wobbling

[ktat]

My cousin was at this game and could hear him screaming in the upper deck, he said it gave him goosebumps the screams were so heart wrenching…

[samthetechdeckmaster]

This is pretty much a pitcher's worst nightmare is hurting your arm, shoulder, or elbow. It means your out for the season, and have a long, hard recovery, both mentally and physically.

[garybrice]

At about :08, you can see his forearm wobble in the opposite direction. Ouch!

[MarkymaN]

I've had tommy john surgery. My elbow ligament was torn over time, and that was the worst pain of my life. For an elbow to snap like that all at once, the nerve that runs through the elbow (ulnar nerve) sends an immense amount of pain. People usually pass out after an arm blowout. This dude was able to stay awake. That in itself is amazing.

[jollyroger]

I remember seeing Tony Saunders tearfully announce his retirement the following season after breaking his arm again in 2000. It was a devastating blow for a young pitcher with such potential to be forced to retire after only three seasons in the majors. However, most ballplayers go their whole careers without ever coming even close to getting a World Series ring. Tony Saunders did get to enjoy a World Series Championship as a rookie with the Marlins in 1997.

[delaneyedge]

It made me happy that the catcher was a good bro and held Saunders' hand as he worked through the pain

[immortalgamingyt]

I can hear Saunders screaming "My arm!" That made me cry

[SFK]

Gotta love all the youtube tough guys.

[briandurkee]

Wow, seeing Flaherty having the presence of mind to grasp his hand gave me the chills a little bit. That's a guy who really cares.

[Xervello]

Pay attention to his arm on the follow-through after the pitch is thrown, it's basically dangling like a piece of rubber. No wonder he was in so much pain.

[coltonhancock]

Fun fact: he snapped his arm, and the snap was so loud, you could hear it throughout the stadium. This was truly sad, but he is doing fine now in 2023

[Eastsidegeorgiaboy]

The fact that you can hear his screams over all the crowd noise, from the press box, is nuts.

[jamietttt]

I broke my Humerus Bone throwing from the outfield 4yrs ago. Literally the worst pain in the world. Still gives me pain and major discomfort to this day.

[binder]

I've seen world class athletes weep after catastrophic injuries. What some people don't seem to understand is that they're not just crying because of the physical agony (and having your forearm snapped in two would make anyone weep.) They are also crying because they know that the injury may have just ended their professional careers. To reach the highest echelon of your sport only to see it suddenly come to an end due to an injury must be emotionally devastating. Saunders career *was* over after this.

[baseballinn]

0:29 the announcer is trying to say everything but Flaherty was holding his hand lol