Umpire bloodied by Torii Hunter's cleat

 

Check out the video of this scary moment that came in the bottom of the fifth inning as the Angels hosted the Indians in Anaheim on Wednesday night.

Hunter, who was on first base being hit by a pitch, advanced to third as Kendrys Morales connected on a double to right field.  Then when Indians right fielder Shin-Soo Choo missed his cutoff man, with the ball going to third baseman Jack Hannahan, Hunter tried to score as Hannahan threw home. Hunter slide around the tag of catcher Carlos Santana, and his cleat struck home-plate umpire Greg Gibson in the face in the process.

Gibson laid motionless on the ground for a few moments as Hunter check on him while the Angels training staff ran out to help. Gibson was left bleeding from a gash on the top of his left eye.

Gibson was taken to a hospital for a couple stitches and precautionary X-rays. Lucky for him, Hunter was wearing his molded rubber cleats instead of metal spikes. Hunter said he wore metal spikes on Sunday and Monday, then wore rubber molded ones on Tuesday when he a couple of hits. Since he is superstitious, he decided to go with them again.

Hunter said that if he had been wearing his metal spikes, Gibson might have lost his eye. He said that when he checked on him, Gibson told him that he was OK, and he even made a few jokes about the incident. Hunter went 0-3 in the game and Ervin Santana tossed seven solid innings for the Halos as they topped the Tribe, 8-4.