Ben Davis, the former MLB catcher turned Philadelphia Phillies broadcaster, sliced his kneecap to the bone with a chainsaw while clearing fallen trees near his home in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. He did not go to the hospital.
Instead, the 48-year-old reached for Steri-Strips, a bandage, and some Neosporin.
That's it. That was the medical plan.
According to Fox News, Davis said two white pine trees fell in a blizzard near his home, and he went out with a chainsaw to deal with them. He was nearly finished with the second tree when a branch that had been driven into the ground snapped back on him mid-cut.
"I was just about done with the second one and there was a branch that went into the ground and I snipped it, and it came back, and the saw cut my kneecap."
The wound was about three inches long and went straight to the bone. Davis acknowledged the injury needed stitches but chose to handle it himself, keeping the leg straight to prevent the wound from reopening every time he bent his knee.
"It needs stitches, but I'm OK. I'm fine. I got a bandage on it. I do have to keep it straight because every time I bend it, it opens up even more."
There is a certain breed of man who will look at a chainsaw gash exposing his kneecap and think, "I've got bandages at the house." Ben Davis is that man.
Davis spent seven seasons grinding through the major leagues as a catcher, one of the most physically punishing positions in professional sports. He logged four seasons with the San Diego Padres, more than two with the Seattle Mariners, and part of a season with the Chicago White Sox. Over 486 games, he hit .237 with 38 home runs and 204 RBI. Those aren't Hall of Fame numbers, but catchers who last seven years in the bigs earn every plate appearance with their bodies.
That kind of career builds a particular relationship with pain. You don't squat behind the plate for nearly 500 games without learning to distinguish between "hurt" and "injured." Davis apparently filed a chainsaw to the kneecap under "hurt."
Last season was his 11th as a member of the Phillies broadcast team, where he serves as a studio analyst for NBC Sports Philadelphia's pre- and postgame shows. Phillies fans know him as a steady, knowledgeable presence in the booth. They now also know he treats power tool injuries like paper cuts.
What stands out about Davis's account isn't the injury itself, gruesome as it is. It's the reaction afterward. Lying in bed that night, his wife told him she was sorry it had happened. His response said everything about the man:
"I am very, very fortunate. Last night, I was lying in bed with my wife, and she said, 'I'm so sorry this happened to you.' And I said, 'I'm actually thrilled this it is only as bad as it was.'"
He's right, of course. A chainsaw to the knee could have meant severed tendons, a destroyed joint, or worse. Three inches to the bone is a serious wound. It is also, when you're talking about chainsaws, a near miss. Davis understood that immediately, even with his kneecap held together by adhesive strips.
Something is refreshing about a man who clears his own trees in a blizzard, catches a chainsaw blade to the leg, patches himself up, and goes to bed grateful it wasn't worse. No drama. No social media spectacle seeking sympathy. Just a guy who assessed the situation, handled it, and moved on.
Spring training is underway, and the Phillies broadcast season isn't far off. One imagines Davis will be back behind the desk on schedule, knee bandaged under the table, ready to break down pitch sequencing like nothing happened.
Because for a man who spent seven years catching in the major leagues, a chainsaw wound he can barely walk away from registers as an inconvenience.