American Valor Quarterly Issue 11 - Fall 2014 | Page 15

get me to make the right decision. But
I wanted to get back into baseball, so I
took a discharge.
I recognize now that was probably
not a good decision. Over the years, I
had continuing leg problems because of
it. It gave me a lot of difficulty while I
was playing, and it has even afterwards.
But there are a number of things that
you have to decide in your recovery
process that no one can help you. Like
whether you cut your process short like
me, or go the way of the doctors. Those
are things that you work out with your
doctor.
I had a big metal brace on my left
leg, which was cumbersome. But I told
Mr. Mack in July of ’46 that I thought I
could pitch some. He had me come to
Philly. I was there a few days, moving
around a bit, and my leg got infected
again. I had been out of the hospital
less than six months, so they put me
back in an army hospital at Valley Forge
Hospital. They kept me there till the
infection cleared up. By then, the A’s
had left for their last road trip out west.
Mr. Mack sent me word that the season
was basically over, and I should wait
and start fresh next spring. So that’s
what I did. They used antibiotics to
clear up the infection in my leg, and
when I got out in late August or early
September, I went home with the idea
that I’d start over again.
The following spring the A’s invited
me to spring training. I only pitched
against AA or AAA teams. Mr.
Mack told me that he could send me
to Savannah to see if I could pitch
regularly, which was what I very much
wanted to do. So they sent me there to
the Sally League for the ’47 season. I
lost the first two or three games that I
pitched, and then I got a streak going.
I had a great year there. I got to pitch
regularly. I could sit down and figure
out what day I was pitching the next
month. They told me I was going to
pitch every fourth day, even if it rains
three days after you pitch, you will
pitch that fourth day. The consistency
really helped me. I couldn’t run much
FALL 2014

LOU BRISSIE WAS NOT THE
ONLY BALLPLAYER TO RETURN
FROM A TERRIBLE WAR
INJURY. BERT SHEPARD WAS A
COMBAT PILOT WHO LOST HIS
LEG AFTER BEING SHOT DOWN
OVER GERMANY. HE WAS STILL
A LIEUTENANT IN THE ARMY
AIR FORCES AND RECOVERING
FRO AT WALTER REED ARMY
HOSPITAL IN WASHINGTON,
DC WHEN HE PITCHED WITH A
PROSTHETIC LEG IN A RELIEF
APPEARANCE WITH THE
SENATORS AGAINST THE RED
SOX ON AUGUST 4, 1945.

or get around well. It helped me know
when I should run and throw a bit and
when not to do it because I had a start
coming up. It gave me a consistent rule
to follow.
During the season, I stayed off
my feet a lot because I had to do
that to pitch. Otherwise, I had a lot
of swelling before I even pitched. I
had heavy scarring on my leg, and I
always kept it propped up above my
head. Before games, I would rest more
than the average fellow. I checked
in regularly with Dr. Suraci and Dr.
Brubaker to keep them posted. If I had

a reconstructive problem I’d call Suraci,
but if it affected the deeper bone issue,
I’d call Brubaker. They would tell me
what I could do, and I’d do it.
My first major league game was the
last game of the season at Yankees
stadium in ’47. It was the unofficial
Babe Ruth Day. He had gotten out of
the hospital after having throat cancer,
so they wanted to honor him. All the
real old timers showed up. Of course I
had read about all of them, so that was
a big thing for me. I was really excited
to ͕