An East Carolina infielder and pitcher who recovered from losing a leg in a boating accident two years ago has become the first person to play Division I baseball with a prosthetic leg.
Sophomore Parker Byrd had a historic moment to remember when he pinch-hit Friday night in the eighth inning of the Pirates' 16-2 season-opening win over Rider.
Walking to the plate to thunderous applause, Byrd reached base with a walk on a 3-1 pitch that sparked an even bigger reaction from the 5,221 spectators in Greenville, North Carolina. Byrd was pinch-hit for designated hitter Jason Janesko, who ultimately scored East Carolina's 13th run of the game.
That. One moment. 🤟🏴☠️@parkerbyrd11 pic.twitter.com/qqkzVjfktj
— ECU Baseball (@ECUBaseball) February 16, 2024
Former Major League Baseball player Jim Abbott, who played 10 professional seasons and threw a no-hitter for the New York Yankees despite being born without a right hand, was among those who congratulated Byrd on social media.
“Well done Parker, nothing can stop you!” he wrote.
A boating accident in Bath, North Carolina, in July 2022, nearly cost Byrd his life and led to the amputation of his right leg.
He then needed 22 more surgeries in a 45-day period, and the road to returning to the field this season had been arduous. But he now successfully reached an important milestone on that long road back when he made his collegiate debut on Friday.
“I've been working very hard for this moment,” Byrd said, quoted on the website of WITN-TV in Greenville. “I'm talking about the support I've received from my teammates, from this community here and from my home in Laurinburg. I'm glad to be back and I hope to make everyone proud.”
