Who doesn’t love a good sports list? Especially when it comes to oddities, a simple Google search produces no shortage of examples. Those ranking the dumbest or craziest or freakiest sports injuries are ample. And Steve Sparks has probably seen them all.



A new version will come out every so often, typically after a new candidate in the category emerges. Sammy Sosa’s sneeze. Matt Wise and the salad tongs. Trevor Bauer and his drone. Every fresh entry provokes reflection about its predecessors, and any new ranking usually finds its way into Sparks’ inbox.



“It seems like someone does something once or twice a year at least where a new list of the stupidest sports injuries comes out,” the 53-year-old Sparks says. “And it seems to me that I vacillate between three and seven.”



Sparks, the fun-loving, quick-witted former journeyman knuckleballer, has no problem making fun of himself. He does it frequently in his current job...