American Marconi Wireless News - Japan baseball umpires wear 29 in tribute to unconscious colleague

Umpire Takuto Kawakami was behind home plate during a game in Tokyo on April 16 when slugger Jose Osuna swung his bat, which flew out of his hands and struck the left side of Kawakami's head.

The 30-year-old, whose umpire number is 29, was taken to hospital where he had emergency surgery and was placed in intensive care.

Umpires in the six professional games on Saturday in Japan wore the number 29 on their headgear to pray for Kawakami's recovery, reports published late Saturday by Kyodo News and other media said.

"It started from everyone asking if there was something we could do together," umpire Fumihiro Yoshimoto told reporters after a game at Koshien Stadium in western Japan, Kyodo reported.

"All we can do is hope for his return," he added.

Reports last week said Japanese baseball was considering punishing players for dangerous swings.

Two days after the incident, the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization (NPB) implemented a rule requiring all umpires to wear helmets.

Kawakami was wearing a face protection mask with a baseball cap underneath.

Even after the announcement late last month that he had been moved from the intensive care unit to a general ward, treatment was still ongoing, Kyodo said, while sports tabloid Sponichi Annex said Sunday Kawakami remained unconscious.

NPB could not immediately be reached Sunday for comment on the reports.

S.Gregor--AMWN