ʃˈɔːɹtli ˈæftɚ, wˌɛn hiː wʌz ˈeɪtiːn jˈɪɹz ˈoʊld, bˈælɪs sˈʌfɚd ɐn ˈæŋkəl fɹˈæktʃɚ wˌɪtʃ kˈɛpt hˌɪm ˈaʊt fɹʌmðə fˈiːld fɔːɹ ˈɔːlmoʊst ɐ jˈɪɹ ænd ɐ hˈæf.
Shortly after, when he was 18 years old, Bălace suffered an ankle fracture which kept him out from the field for almost a year and a half.