Wounded Warrior To Try Out For Dodgers At Spring Training
CAMP PENDLETON (CBSLA.com) — A wounded Navy veteran who became the first amputee to return to active duty is trying out for a spot on the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Daniel "Doc" Jacobs lost his left leg below the knee and suffered serious hand and foot injuries while in a Marine Humvee in Ramadi, Iraq on Feb. 25, 2006, when an IED exploded beneath him, killing a fellow Marine and shattering his own body.
KNX 1070's Mike Landa reports after undergoing over 50 surgeries, the Navy Corpsman Petty Officer was ultimately found to be "fit for duty" and returned to an infantry unit, becoming the first multiple amputee to be assigned back to active duty.
Wounded Warrior To Try Out For Dodgers At Spring Training
Recently discharged, Jacobs returned home and continued his physical pursuits, including a ninth-place finish in the Los Angeles Marathon, a bike ride between San Francisco and Los Angeles, and helping organize and playing on a disabled veteran baseball team.
Now, Jacobs is hoping to make history a second time.
Calling the opportunity a "dream", Jacobs will take his skills to Dodgers spring training in Arizona after an invitation from Dodger legend Tommy Lasorda, whom he met at a California Disabled Veterans Business Alliance meeting and shared his dream.
"He can hit major league pitching," said friend and former Angels star pitcher Justin Speier. "I have seen it first hand."
Spring training camp for the Dodgers opened on Feb. 23.
