OT: Batting helmets for MLB pitchers...
- Thread starter Swervin27
- Start date
No harm in this trial run. The top is open b/c helmets and the prior big hat versions got complaints of being too hot. The are also trying to keep as lightweight and comfortable as possible to not interfere with the player performance. I'm sure they will continue to refine the styling, and If it someday saves a career (or even a life), then it at least deserves this small trial run in Spring Training to gain valuable MLB player feedback.
Football face masks probably looked ridiculous to fans when first introduced, too (some on this board may be old enough to remember... jk.... well, sort of), but you think nothing of it now and the styling continues to becomes sharper and more functional each year.
Football face masks probably looked ridiculous to fans when first introduced, too (some on this board may be old enough to remember... jk.... well, sort of), but you think nothing of it now and the styling continues to becomes sharper and more functional each year.
safety is one thing but looking like a freakin clown is another. If I pirate pitcher wears one of these in an actual season game, I will actively and openly root for them to take a line drive in the face..
Please, take a line drive yourself to the skull and tell us how it goes.
Don't ever look down on someone trying to protect their brain.
Actually this doesn't go nearly far enough. Need to somehow protect the face - like for goalies. If you've pitched, especially to major league batters, you know how fast a batted ball can come back at you. Been there and done that.safety is one thing but looking like a freakin clown is another. If I pirate pitcher wears one of these in an actual season game, I will actively and openly root for them to take a line drive in the face..
Go Pitt.
why stop there. A comebacker to the chest could kill you.. Chest protection is needed. And the limbs, line drive to the leg and blood clots could cause a fatality. I want leg/thigh protectors too.. And don't forget about the ribs, you could die.. I want head to toe protection, I mean think of the kids..
And what about broken bats coming back. It could kill a pitcher. We need cages/nets but lets not forget about the 3rd basemen too, they could get hit by a bat too. Why no protection for them. Should we even talk about drones from above? They need protection from the skies too. You think a drone falling from 100' above won't crack your skull? I want umbrellas on top of these helmets, worn at all times... It's all about safety. If one person is saved, it is worth it dammit..
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Based on these last few comments, it seems fairly obvious that Swervin's skull has already taken a few too many blows.
WHO YOU CALLING A PSYCHO??
in all honesty, think it's overboard, that's all. OK with allowing it, would be irritated if it's mandated.. A lot of people can get hurt like I said, flying bats, balls, etc.. No one will ever be 100% safe but it's going overboard with this silliness. You want to make your little kids wear helmets riding on big wheels, fine, i'll laugh at them but have at it. Pushing this on adult athletes is beyond ridiculous.
what about the shot to the face, face shots outside of the porn industry of course, need to be stopped. Should pitchers have to wear cages? What about the body? Seriously, where does it stop?
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Hockey fans and players considered Jacques Plante a coward and made fun of him when he became the first goalie to wear a mask in 1959. Things change and we evolve. Now it would considered idiotic for a goalie to not wear a mask.
Even though it looks funny, what's the harm in a pitcher wearing one of these? It's not like it will restrict his motion or vision in any way. Some people are afraid of change and always want to look to the past, instead of the future.
Honestly hope you never have to deal with a head injury. Bones and muscles heal most of the time. Brains don't.
well thanks pittdan, I hope all of us never have to deal with brain injuries.. But in all aspects of life, like baseball, there are miniscule chances of dangers. I just hope, despite these extremely small chances, you don't live your lives in the proverbial bubble, missing out on every day life..
safety is one thing but looking like a freakin clown is another. If I pirate pitcher wears one of these in an actual season game, I will actively and openly root for them to take a line drive in the face..
So you have a problem with trying to protect the pitcher?
I think this is long overdue. I was at the game two years ago where the marlins pitcher got crushed in the head, and was scary as hell.
You're being an asshole. There is a minimal chance that a player gets killed while batting taking a pitch to the head. Why even bother with batting helmets?
You will never fully protect the pitcher, but after he follows through he is fairly defenseless and his head is pointing right at the batter 50-55 feet from the plate.
safety is one thing but looking like a freakin clown is another. If I pirate pitcher wears one of these in an actual season game, I will actively and openly root for them to take a line drive in the face..
How is this different from a hitter wearing a batting helmet?
Reasonable precautions to avoid serious injuries make common sense, imo.
If you get hit in the face or neck this helmet does you no good..If you have to do this, why not just wear a regular flapless batting helmet? And the reason mlb base coaches wear the flapless batting helmets now is because a minor league base coach was struck by a foul ball and killed.But the thing is,he got hit in the neck...Not the head, so a batting helmet wouldn't have saved him anyway..I don't even know if a flapped helmet would have helped him...
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You beat me to it. What are considered norm de rigueur safety precautions today were once looked upon with skepticism when they were initially introduced. I look for soccer to adopt some sort of headgear, too - at least at the amateur level.
Because regular batting helmets are too heavy and pitchers sweat too much when they wear them through a long inning on a hot day. People are trying to be creative to solve those issues. What's wrong with that?
As someone who has played baseball competitively up into the college ranks. It can be scary knowing that a ball is coming back faster than you can throw it. Personally I don't think that I would wear one of these new prototypes. However, I would not make fun of anyone who would choose to do so. While there is a small chance of being line drived in the skull area I can understand why people would choose to wear one. If any of my former teammates were to put one on yeah we'd laugh about it for the first few times but if it helped him preform better because of the psychological advantages I would be all for that.safety is one thing but looking like a freakin clown is another. If I pirate pitcher wears one of these in an actual season game, I will actively and openly root for them to take a line drive in the face..
I witnessed such an incident. Having been born and raised in the Bronx within easy walking distance to Yankee Stadium, it was only natural that, like my entire family, I also became a rabid fan. In May, 1957, my late dad and I watched a game between the Yanks and Cleveland Indians. The Indian pitcher, Herb Score, was considered by many to be the best young left-handed pitcher in the American League. Many of the greatest hitters of the day including Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams and Al Kaline stated Score was the best lefty they ever faced. He had a curveball as good as Sandy Koufax but with a better fastball. He won 36 games in his first 2 years setting a rookie strikeout record that lasted nearly 30 years.
The second batter Score faced that night, Gil McDougald, hit a vicious line drive striking Score in the right eye. I will never forget the horrible sound of that impact. Score collapsed to the ground, blood pouring from his wounds. It was considered a miracle he did not lose an eye-or worse. As a result of the injury, Score missed the entire 1957 season. He returned for the '58 season but was a shell of his former self, winning just 17 games over the next 5 seasons before retiring.
Agreed!
If they're going to do this protect the nose and eyes. Teeth are replaceable!
A direct hit to the nose can be more lethal than one to the top of the skull.
A lot of "real deal life ending" martial arts moves taught to the military for hand to hand combat involve blows to the nose and eyes.
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I think my point, one in which I did a poor job at communicating at, is that a pitcher will never be truly safe unless drastic measures are taken. Basically they have some sort of helmet on like in women's softball. Yes, crazy and flukish things happen but unless you get these guys in a cage or have a helmet and facemask on, there will always be some small chance for danger. Do we stop the sport? Do you disallow the game to be played? I know this sounds callous but sometimes you just let these adults take their chances.. Kids I get it, they need regulated but adults at the professional level, not so sure..
I think we agree.
Provide adequate protection for at risk positions and after that its an occupational hazard.
If a player thinks the risks are to great there are others who will happily take the risk!
For example catchers have various pieces of equipment for safety, MLB base coaches wear helmuts, MLB base runners wear batting helmuts, some players use ear flaps, safety googles, football players have helmuts that constantly evolve and get better etc.
Provide adequate protection for at risk positions and after that its an occupational hazard.
If a player thinks the risks are to great there are others who will happily take the risk!
For example catchers have various pieces of equipment for safety, MLB base coaches wear helmuts, MLB base runners wear batting helmuts, some players use ear flaps, safety googles, football players have helmuts that constantly evolve and get better etc.
I'm okay with living life. Lord knows I've done better than most in that department. Don't know how old you are but I'd probably do some of that over in exchange for less pain and less trouble today.
But if you can increase safety with no effect on player performance, why not do it?
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