Former Major League Baseball umpire Mark Hirschbeck had his career ended and his dreams dashed by a failed hip replacement. Consequently, he\u2019s become an advocate for Congress to pass the Medical Device Safety Act.<\/p>\n
Mark Hirschbeck reached the pinnacle of his profession in 2001 when he umpired in the 2001 World Series. But in the nearly a decade since, he\u2019s experienced a nightmare of dashed dreams and never-ending pain.
\nHirschbeck, 48, began umpiring right after high school. It took him eight years to rise through the ranks to the Major Leagues. His umpiring career at the highest level lasted fifteen years. By then, years of squatting, bending, and running had made pain and cortisone shots regular features of his life. In June 2003, following hip replacement surgery, he heard a \u201cpop.\u201d The hip, a ceramic one, had shattered. \u201cPain shot right through my side,\u201d Hirschbeck said.<\/p>\n
His physician had supposedly given him the (more…)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Former Major League Baseball umpire Mark Hirschbeck had his career ended and his dreams dashed by a failed hip replacement. Consequently, he\u2019s become an advocate for Congress to pass the Medical Device Safety Act. Mark Hirschbeck reached the pinnacle of…<\/span><\/p>\n