On Tuesday it was announced that former San Francisco Giants outfielder Mac Williamson is suing the Oracle Park owner and operator for the presence of bullpen mounds that used to occupy foul territory.
On April 24, 2018 in a game against the Washington Nationals, Williamson was chasing a foul popup hit by Bryce Harper. He tripped on the mounds and crashed head first into the wall, where he stayed down for a few moments. The mounds have since been removed.
For unknown reasons, the Giants allowed Williamson to stay in the game — and an inning later he hit a huge home run.
But after the game it was announced that Williamson had suffered a concussion in the collision with the wall. That seemed to derail the 2012 third-round pick’s career, which now appears to be over.
In a statement announcing the lawsuit filed against China Basin Ballpark Company LLC, Williamson said the following:
“My life hasn’t been the same since suffering the injury. The concussion ended my career and left me with life-long injuries that have also taken a significant toll on my personal life. I’m fortunate to have such an understanding fiancé who has been there every step of the way and helps me get through the days I suffer nausea, trouble sleeping, mood swings, and other issues. I wake up every day hoping that today is a better day and that I will get closer to how I felt before the injury.”
The release sent on Tuesday on behalf of San Francisco-based attorney Randy Erlewine also mentions that, two and a half years later, Williamson is still experiencing issues with his vision, and other health problems commonly associated with concussions.
It’s impossible to know what Williamson’s career would have looked like without the concussion. He struggled at the MLB level for a few years, but seemed to be putting the pieces together prior to the injury. The collision occurred in his fifth game of the season, and left him hitting 6-19 with three home runs, after a dominant start to the season in AAA. He would have just one home run in the other 23 games that year, and after going 6-51 with 18 strikeouts to start the 2019 season, was designated for assignment.
He caught on with the Seattle Mariners for a short while, but struggled there as well, before heading to Korea to finish the year in the KBO. He didn’t play in 2020.
While the lawsuit called the injury “career-ending,” it doesn’t specify whether Williamson has retired, only stating that he is currently an unsigned free agent. It would be great to see him back on the baseball field, but more importantly, it would be great to see him fully recovered from his traumatic brain injury.
Best of luck to Williamson with his career, health, and this lawsuit.