The American pastime is suppose to be carefree and fun, but Steve LaPointe might offer a different definition after a mishap on the baseball diamond Sunday.

The longtime Mountain Valley baseball coach literally took one for the team while pitching in a Senior League over-30 game. In the first inning, LaPointe was struck by a batted baseball, which broke his jaw.

But he kept going, playing all nine innings of the game between Rumford and Boothbay.

The morning hadn’t started out well. Prior to the game, LaPointe suffered a gash on his hand.

While stretching, he extended his arm and hit some flashing on the front of the third-base dugout at Hyde Field in Litchfield.

Then, in the bottom of the first, a ball was drilled back through the box and struck LaPointe squarely on the hinge of his jaw.

The next inning proved to be his last on the mound, but he refused to leave the game. He promptly switched to second base for the rest of the game.

He drove himself to a Lewiston hospital.

A call to his wife Jeanie on a cell phone managed to keep him awake during the trip.

An X-ray showed a fracture on his chin.

He is scheduled for surgery Thursday morning.

“It’s a clean break,” LaPointe said. “(Doctor) explained what he’s going to do. A titanium plate will be inserted, just behind lower lip. There won’t be any solid foods for six weeks.”

Also, the gash in his hand required four stitches.