[1] Hirschbeck was forced to retire seven games into the 2003 season after it was discovered that he needed a hip replacement.
Although Hirschbeck originally hoped to return to umpiring after he recovered from his surgery, his ceramic implant cracked six weeks after the operation.
[3] About two months later, a staph infection formed in Hirschbeck's hip and he was unable to return to baseball.
Hirschbeck later sued Wright Medical Technology, makers of the ceramic prosthetic, as well as the doctor who performed the surgery.
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