Following a devastating German artillery attack in December 1944, most of Leland Victor (Lou) Brissie s squad was destroyed and the shrapnel-riddled corporal from Ware Shoals, South Carolina, was left for dead. The unconscious pitching prospect clung to life along the muddy banks of an icy creek in northern Italy s snow-covered Apennines for hours until medical corpsmen discovered him. Doctors at the battalion aid station noted that his left leg was shattered beyond repair and recommended immediate amputation.
No, Brissie protested. You can t take my leg off. I m a ballplayer. I can t play on one leg.
You will die if we don t.
Doc, he said quietly, I ll take my chances.
Thus the 20-year-old Brissie began the arduous process of recovery. But would he walk let alone fulfill his life s ambition of pitching for the Philadelphia A s? Letters from club president Connie Mack assured the fireballing lefty of his opportunity to pitch, and provided some relief from the painful parade of reconstructive surgeries. Strength of will, a supportive family, and the new miracle drug penicillin proved an effective combination as Brissie learned to walk, and eventually to pitch, with his damaged leg encased in a protective metal brace.
Pulitzer Prize winning author Ira Berkow chronicles a remarkable life as The Corporal Was a Pitcher: The Courage of Lou Brissie masterfully recounts one soldier s compelling struggle to overcome incredible odds and journey from an army hospital in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius to the pitcher s mound in Shibe Park. Named to the 1949 All-Star Game, Brissie threw a fearsome fastball. I couldn t hit the guy with a tennis racket, noted Johnny Pesky, the former Red Sox third baseman. Brissie was a great guy.... A fine arm, sneaky fast, said batting champion Ted Williams.
Even more remarkable are Brissie s accomplishments away from the baseball diamond. Through regular visits to veterans hospitals and children s hospital wards, Brissie found his inspiration as he inspired others. It s a practice he has maintained for more than 60 years. The Corporal Was a Pitcher is a must-read for baseball fans and will inspire everyone to conquer impossible odds....
