David Nail Breaks Finger at City of Hope Celebrity Softball Challenge

David Nail Breaks Finger at City of Hope Celebrity Softball Challenge

Photo via People.com

He may’ve walked away from a baseball scholarship to college, but David Nail sure didn’t leave his competitive drive in Missouri. On hand as part of “After Midnite” host Blair Garner’s team against the Grand Ole Opry at the annual City of Hope Celebrity Softball Challenge, Nail was playing hard – and made four of the morning’s most dramatic catches.

Unfortunately, the fourth play turned out to be lethal. With a low line drive in his field of vision, Nail went low, made the out, and walked off the field with both a minor fracture and a detached tendon for his efforts.

“You put me in the game, and I only know one speed: hard,” says the Grammy-nominated vocalist. “I only play all-out – and that’s what I was doing. I can’t believe I broke something doing it; but at least I got my out.”

“Headline Country” host Storme Warren, teammate Chuck Wicks, 104.5 The Zone sports-talk afternoon producer JT, and even Blair Garner himself, all hailed Nail for his incredible efforts during the game.

It was quite an eventful CMA Music Festival for Nail. He kicked off the shows at LP Field with the Nashville School of the Arts Chamber Chorale on “The Sound of a Million Dreams,” closing the circle for the realization of what teachers imbue their students with. Adding to the moment, his band director father and mother were on hand to see it.

Nail also played a scorching set at The Riverstage Friday afternoon. Closing with his blistering “Grandpa’s Farm,” the man, who hit No.1 with “Let It Rain,” was nominated for Academy of Country Music Single of the Year with the Top 10 “Red Light,” and was nominated for a Grammy with “Turning Home,” set the industry VIPs and fans ablaze with the song’s freewheeling intensity.

“It’ been a good week,” he said in Emergency Room #15 at Vanderbilt Hospital. “In spite of this… I’ve got a really good neurosurgeon who will look at this next week, so I know I’ll be okay long term. Right now, I just know I played hard, got to see a lot of the people from around the country who’ve been there with us over the past few years, and, hopefully, made a few new believers along the way.”