Who was the 1927 pirates baseball player that got hit in the head with a ball and went blind?

This has happened a few times, unfortunately. A former big leaguer named Huck Flener was struck in the eye while pitching in the minors, and literally lost the eye. Juan Encarnacion, who may be who you're thinking of, was struck in the eye by a foul ball while standing in the on deck circle. The ball didn't damage his actual eyeball (unlike Flener), but the nerves were irreparably damaged, and as a result, Encarnacion's career is likely over.