 Lajoie contracted sepsis from an untreated spike injury after a game in July 1905 . Dye from Lajoie 's stockings entered his bloodstream and led to blood poisoning . ( A rule was put into place requiring white socks to be worn underneath a player 's colored socks . ) The injury worsened and Lajoie eventually came to games in a wheelchair . Amputation of the affected leg was also discussed . The injury and illness kept Lajoie out until August 28 when he began play again and returned as the team 's first baseman . Before the season was over he also sustained an injury to his ankle from a foul tip during an at bat and missed the remainder of the season ( he continued to manage from the bench ) . He finished the season having only appeared in 65 games ( a career @-@ low , other than his rookie season when he was not called up until well after the season had begun ) . The Naps finished with a 76 – 78 record . Baseball historian Bill James wrote of Lajoie 's higher @-@ than @-@ normal career putout total and importance to Cleveland : 
