The sport of baseball is played by millions of children across America and
around the world, Although generally considered a safe activity, it is esti
mated that there are over 100,000 acute baseball injuries yearly in the 5-
to 14-year age range in the United States, many of which present to the eme
rgency department. Acute injuries often involve ball impact to the face and
hands; baseball is the leading cause of sport-related eye injury, Ball imp
act particularly to the chest results in a small but steady number of fatal
ities each year, many of which are widely publicized events, In addition to
acute injury, many young baseball players are affected by chronic and acut
e conditions of the elbow, In this article, we review the history, epidemio
logy, and common injury patterns that are specific to baseball. Case report
s are included, as well as a section on the physical examination of the elb
ow.