▁in ▁a ▁game ▁against ▁the ▁Pitts burgh ▁Pir ates , ▁his ▁former ▁team . ▁ ▁This ▁was ▁probably ▁due ▁to ▁W an er ▁being ▁ne ars ight ed ▁and ▁his ▁ref us al ▁to ▁wear ▁glass es ; ▁thus , ▁he ▁" play ed ▁the ▁out field ▁by ▁ear ." ▁Near ly ▁four ▁dec ades ▁later , ▁Jerry ▁Re uss ▁was ▁handed ▁the ▁honor ▁of ▁pitch ing ▁on ▁Open ing ▁Day ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 1 , ▁but ▁suffered ▁an ▁injury ▁to ▁his ▁cal f ▁while ▁sh ag ging ▁for ▁his ▁team m ates . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁replaced ▁by ▁un her ald ed ▁ro ok ie ▁Fernando ▁Val enz uela , ▁who ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁win ▁his ▁next ▁ 8 ▁consecutive ▁dec isions . ▁ ▁Other ▁players ▁who ▁have ▁suffered ▁serious ▁inj uries ▁due ▁to ▁sh ag ging ▁include ▁Mark ▁F id ry ch ▁and ▁Br end an ▁D onn elly . ▁F id ry ch ▁suffered ▁a ▁left ▁kne e ▁injury ▁after ▁te aring ▁cart il age ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 7 ▁spring ▁training , ▁starting ▁a ▁down ward ▁spir al ▁in ▁his ▁career . ▁ ▁D onn elly ▁ended ▁up ▁breaking ▁his ▁nose ▁while ▁sh ag ging , ▁resulting ▁in ▁him ▁losing ▁half ▁of ▁his ▁blood ▁and ▁necess it ating ▁three ▁operations . ▁ ▁Mar iano ▁River a , ▁the ▁all - time ▁leader ▁in ▁saves , ▁suffered ▁arg u ably ▁the ▁most ▁well - known ▁injury ▁from ▁sh ag ging ▁on ▁May ▁ 3 , ▁ 2