May 11, 1962 - Minnie Minoso (pictured with Stan Musial in March), left fielder for the Cardinals, suffered a skull fracture in St. Louis tonight when he crashed against a concrete fence while chasing a pinch-hit drive by Duke Snider of the Dodgers. The sixth-inning drive went for a triple, knocking in 3 runs and helping the Dodgers beat the Cards, 8-5. Dr. Stan London said Minoso’s fracture was three to four inches above the right ear. He said that there was no pressure on the brain of the 39-year-old player but that he would be observed by a neurosurgeon. Minoso was knocked unconscious after hitting the fence at the 360-foot mark in left center. The ball bounced off the wall, was trapped by Minoso’s prone form, and picked up by Curt Flood. Minoso was carried from the field on a stretcher and taken to Jewish Hospital. Snider’s triple was part of a 16-hit Dodger attack and a victory that enabled the Dodgers to replace the Redbirds in second place in the National League.
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