KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Cleveland Indians pitcher Kyle Denney left Kansas City Thursday only hours after someone fired a shot into the team's bus, wounding him.
Denney (pictured, left) was shot in the calf. He was treated and released from a hospital early Thursday morning.
KMBC's Jere Gish caught up with Denney at Kansas City International Airport as he prepared to leave for Minneapolis to catch up with his team. Gish said that Denney did not appear too shaken up by the incident. But Denney said that he knows he was very fortunate it did not turn out much worse.
"Obviously, the good Lord has been watching over me, absolutely. It could have been higher. It could have been in the chest or neck area," Denney said.
Denney said he considers himself a lucky man.
"There was never pain. I haven't had any pain," Denney said.
Denney said he was not certain what happened when a bullet pierced the side of the bus.
"I heard a firecracker sound and kind of a little pinch in my leg, but I didn't think anything of it. It started tingling. I reached down and there was a hole in my boot and blood on my hand," Denney said.
Gish said that at the time Denney was shot, he was undergoing a hazing ritual because he is a rookie pitcher.
"We had the rookie initiation thing. I was in a USC cheerleading outfit. I'm a big OU fan too, so it was kind of killing me," Denney said.
The outfit included a skirt, blond wig, fishnet stockings and tall white boots. Denney said he believes the boots prevented the wound from being worse.
"I know they did. I'm serious. They were probably up to my mid-shin and they were somewhat leather-type stuff," Denney said.
As the bus continued to head for the airport, a team trainer removed the bullet from Denney's leg. Denney went to the hospital and was released a few hours later.
"If it was my time to go, it would have been here and that's the way I look at it. And I was blessed absolutely," Denney said.
Police said that they have received tips on a possible suspect, but that person is not in custody.
Copyright 2005 by TheKansasCityChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
How Did The Shooting Happen?
