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 ͕