Home plate umpire Paul Emmel had to leave in the ninth inning of last night's game between the Oakland Athletics and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at the Coliseum when he took a bat flush to his head. Emmel made it 26 outs without incident, but Angels pinch hitter Jefry Marte lost his grip on the bat on his first swing; the bat whipped back and hit Emmel on the crown of the head. He immediately went down and took his mask off, revealing a nasty gash and a significant amount of blood.Trainers from both teams got out there quickly and tended to him, and he did leave the field under his own power, but third base umpire Quinn Wolcott had to replace Emmel at home. After the game, the Angels said their trainers had stopped the bleeding, that Emmel was fully alert, and that he was being taken to the hospital for stitches.[MLB]
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