The "Bloody Handkerchief" Story

It was an ordinary day. I just got back from the emergency room at the hospital. Here's the story..... I coach baseball in the summer and this year am coaching the MT midget team. Ages 15-16. This weekend we are in a tournament with 15 other teams. Lose one game and you're out. Win four in a row and you win the tournament. We have a game tonight at Landisville at 6:00 so I have the guys show up at Manheim Township High School at 4:30 for practice. You're not allowed to have the field during the tournament for any practice sessions so we practice on our own field ahead of time. We have a batting cage next to the field so Wayne P., who helps me coach, gives some of the guys fielding practice while I start to throw batting practice. I have a net in front of me in the cage, since some of these guys are bigger than me and can really hit the ball. All's going smooth and we are almost finished practice when my son, Tad steps into the batting cage for his swings. He's making good contact and has a level swing so I tell him, "Five more swings." He hits the first two and I throw him another and just as he is swinging at it I lean over to pick up another ball from the basket of balls. Pop! He hits another one and then I feel it. Seems the basket of balls I'm using is sort of outside the screen that I was standing behind, and he hit me right in the head with a line drive. Wow, did that sting! Then I reach up and feel the side of my head. Kind of numb already. Caught me right on the left ear. Inch front further and I might not be typing this story. I pulled my hand away from my ear and naturally look at it to see if there is any blood. OH, YEAH! There is BLOOD. I grab my handkerchief out of my pocket and use it to put pressure on my ear. Then I head for the bench to sit down. My poor son is extremely upset! Wayne and Tom M., father of one of the guys on the team, head over to see what happened. So does the entire team. The bleeding is subsiding and I wipe most of it away. Wayne, who is a policeman, tells me that the blood is coming from inside the ear canal and I need to head to the hospital. Tom helps me in his car while Wayne starts to head to the game with the team. Some of the guys drive so there is plenty of transportation to the game. I enter the emergency room and they take me right to a cubicle. Hey, they don't want blood all over their waiting room! Doctor examines me and after a few tests determines that I only have a cut in the ear and that I'll survive. Knew I would! Tom drops me off at home and I wait for Tad to get home with the results of the game. This year's team is really good so I knew I'd have another shot at throw batting practice tomorrow. And I did! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.