Baseball can be dangerous, and a terrible accident in Japan proves it. The latest news is heartbreaking: the umpire hit on April 16 has still not woken up. It shows exactly how much risk these officials face behind the plate.

“A Japanese umpire remains unconscious more than two weeks after being struck in the head by a flying bat,” the New York Post reports.

The incident happened during a game between the Yakult Swallows and DeNA BayStars in Tokyo. Home plate umpire Takuto Kawakami took a direct hit on the head when the Swallows’ Venezuelan slugger Jose Osuna lost control of his bat while fouling off a 2-1 offering in the eighth inning. The footage shows that Osuna’s bat swing was so fierce that it flew over and hit the side of Kawakami’s head.

The impact was so hard that Kawakami collapsed on the field and was immediately attended by the BayStars’ catcher. The footage shows that after being attended to by the catcher, Kawakami tried to stand but couldn’t, which forced the catcher to ask for medical help fast. Medical personnel attended immediately, and a perimeter was created as Kawakami was treated. Till the time he was seen in the footage, Kawakami was conscious.

He was rushed to the hospital, and an emergency surgery was reportedly carried out. As per NPB, Kawakami was initially kept in the intensive care unit, but then he was shifted to the general ward.

However, he is still in a coma and has yet to respond since April 16. The now-viral footage was heartbreaking. It shows Kawakami removing his mask before collapsing on the field, leaving the 28,678 fans in the stands silent. And the most ironic part was that this game was Kawakami’s debut as the chief umpire behind the home plate. After he was taken to the hospital, second base umpire Nagakawa took over the role.

“I’m very sorry about what happened today when my bat hit the main umpire,” Osuna apologized via X. “I hope he’s well, I’m really sorry.”

Surely, it’s not his fault, and everyone is praying for Kawakami’s speedy recovery. However, just after a few days of his incident, Osuna’s fierce bat swing hurt another, this time a catcher. In a game between the Chunichi Dragons and the Yakult Swallows, Osuna’s bat swing struck the Dragons’ catcher, Yuta Ishii, forcing him to collapse on the field.

However, just as the fans and players were recalling Kawakami’s incident, Ishii showed enough fighting spirit and returned to his duty after a while. “There is a need for league-level sanctions or measures against swings that threaten the lives of catchers and umpires,” one fan said.

So, it’s time to review the safety level of everyone present on the field. While NPB called the situation an “extremely serious matter,” and promised to review the safety gear of the umpires, hopefully, it shouldn’t get too late.

Currently, the protective gear used by the home plate umpires protects against high-velocity impacts, featuring a protective mask, chest protector, leg guards, and specialized plate shoes. However, they reduce damage but cannot guarantee total safety from a direct hit. Kawakami was an example. There were already several examples of such fatal injuries to baseball umpires. Hopefully, there will be no more after Kawakami.

MLB umpires are also not fully protected against injuries

While this latest incident occurred in NPB, MLB is no exception. The most recent example from MLB was during a Yankees-Marlins game last month. Umpire Ron Kulpa took a direct foul tip to his face. While his safety mask took the impact, the hit left him dizzy. Kulpa was removed from the game and sidelined as per MLB concussion protocol.

Then again, back in 2021, a hitter lost his grip on a bat and hit umpire Brian O’Nora in the head, keeping him out of work for days.

Umpires wear masks, chest pads, and heavy shoes. This gear is made to stop fast baseballs. But as Kawakami’s awful accident shows, this gear cannot stop a heavy, flying bat.

MLB introduced ABS and a few other technologies in the game. Now, it’s time to review the safety, position, and placement of the baseball umpires. Meanwhile, let’s hope that Kawakami wakes up from the coma and starts his job behind the home plate.