Shattered Dreams - The Huck Flener Story

Huck Flener
By Diane Stanley
January 20 2018

Most people in England think that baseball is just a game of rounders played by girls at school. In fact it’s a very dangerous sport when things go wrong. 100-MPH fastballs coming off a bat can be traveling as fast as 189 MPH by the time they reach the mound 60 feet away. Maybe this story will change a few minds about this sport made for girls.

[Originally published February 9, 2001]

Huck Flener was never going to be a baseball super pitcher. He would never be another Tom Glavine or Randy Johnson. He was however a hard working left handed journeyman who always gave his all.

Flener certainly knows adversity. Arizona, Cleveland, Seattle and San Diego had released him, all in the past three years. In 11 professional seasons, he had four major arm and shoulder surgeries.

Former teammates and Flener’s closest friends growing up in the Blue Jays’ organization were stunned when notified of the news. Flener, Shawn Green, Carlos Delgado and Alex Gonzalez were inseparable coming through the minors, and they were mortified after hearing about Flener.

“I remember all of us hanging out at Double-A, making $1,500 a month, and eating at McDonald’s every day,” Flener says. “Their careers took off. Mine didn’t. But those guys have always meant a lot to me.”

While Delgado is making $17 million a year for the Blue Jays, and Green is making $14 million a year for the Dodgers, Flener was earning just $42,000 last season in the Padres organization.

He was hoping to get noticed and picked up by a major league team whilst Pitching in a Venezuelan Winter League game for the Lara Cardinals when his baseball dreams were shattered once and for all.

He was struck by a line drive hit back up the middle. The ball, as far as doctors can tell, hit directly on his right eyeball, which exploded. At first he thought, as he could not see that the eye had swollen shut. He knew he had been caught well, but he did not know how badly. Flener tried to get to his feet, but Yankees second baseman, Lois Sojo who was also playing for the Cardinals shouted, “stay down kid, don’t get up.”

The next thought in his mind was that he hoped wife Gillian had not been watching the game at home in Denver. The games are often televised in the States. He knew she would be worried sick and over react if she saw the incident. Thankfully Gillian did not see it, as it was one of the few games that ESPN did not show.

The doctors at first thought they would be able to save the eye, but after a week it was evident that there was no hope at all. Doctors in the US the next day, the coral ball was put in its place. At the same time, his nose was set and a titanium plate was inserted in his right cheek. In about six weeks, he will be fitted for a glass contact lens that will go over the coral ball.

Young hitter Donaldo Mendez, a Rule 5 shortstop claimed in December by the Padres, who was at bat when the accident occurred visited Flener in hospital whilst he was still in Lara. Flener said, “he was in worse shape than I was. He was crying and kept saying how sorry he was. I hope this will not ruin the rest of his career, as he looks to have a great future ahead of him.

Flener was planning on sticking with baseball until Gillian had graduated with her law degree from university in Denver. Now those plans will have to change. He no longer wants to be around the game he once loved. He will have to train himself for a new career. The first thing on his “to do” list is to learn to drive again. That should not take too long. He hates being dependent on other people. Then he will think more about the future.

The only good luck for Flener in the whole situation was that he purchased medical insurance just before leaving for Lara. Just in case of an accident. You have to be sure right even though you know you are not going to need it. Someone else might always does something dumb. He was thinking more along the lines of a car accident, not losing his sight. Without the insurance he would have not received any medical treatment at all beyond the very basics.

I was lucky enough to get to know Huck reasonably well whilst he was with the Toronto Blue Jays. My heart breaks for a guy who gave his all and will walk away with nothing except a few good memories and a lot of shattered dreams