Adelaide’s baseball community is rallying around a “tough cookie” player who lost sight in one eye after a “horrific freak accident” during a weekend game.
Veteran member of the Adelaide Angels Baseball Club, Tyler Forney, was struck in the eye by a foul ball off his own bat, during a double-header against Woodville on Saturday.
Close friend and long-time teammate Chris Congdon said Mr Forney was in the batter’s box during the second game when the incident happened.
“His ball ricocheted off his bat and basically collected his right eye,”
Mr Congdon said.
“[It] resulted in him getting taken off to hospital by ambulance in a bad way and having significant eye surgery that evening.
“However, he’s permanently lost vision in his right eye as a result of that.
“Anyone I’ve spoken to around the club that was there was just really mortified by the accident … it’s a really horrific freak accident.”
Mr Congdon said Mr Forney was an integral member of the club since joining back in 2016, after moving from Arizona in the United States.
He said Mr Forney had a gifted athletic ability which he had honed while playing college baseball.
“He’s a really really tough cookie, Ty — I’m sure he played through a broken hand for parts of last season,” Mr Congdon said.
“He was a walking highlight reel, he would make plays at shortstop that just no one else could make.
“He just stuck with us and [he’s] a massive reason why the last five years we’ve had huge success.”
‘So grateful’ for support
A GoFundMe page has since raised more than $16,200 by Friday afternoon to cover Mr Forney’s medical fees.
“He [Mr Forney] did not realise how much of an impact that he has had on people — not only in our club, but the wider baseball community,” Mr Congdon said.
“He’s a very humble person, but this has really, really taken him taken by surprise and he’s just so grateful.“
Mr Congdon said Mr Forney was being supported by his partner, two children and three stepchildren as he recovers.
He said while Mr Forney’s playing career may have come to an end, the club is already talking about ways to transition him to a coaching role.
“He’s the sort of person that is quite private and reserved, but when he speaks and he does, everybody listens, so I think he wouldn’t have thought about coaching,” he said.
“He had so much left to do as a player and still so valuable as a player.”
dan