Anything beyond reinforcing the cap with a material stronger than cloth will probably be rejected as too restrictive for the pitcher. Even some kind of mask around the eye area and temple is going to be tough to sell, especially in hot summers. Unless it's required for all pitchers, it won't catch on. Baseball will rely on the statistical argument that it only happens every zillion pitches.
Originally posted by John OsmarChapman could have easily died from the accident. Perhaps this is what it will take.
Anything beyond reinforcing the cap with a material stronger than cloth will probably be rejected as too restrictive for the pitcher. Even some kind of mask around the eye area and temple is going to be tough to sell, especially in hot summers. Unless it's required for all pitchers, it won't catch on. Baseball will rely on the statistical argument that it only happens every zillion pitches.
Originally posted by whodeyIt would probably decrease the quality of the pitching as it would decrease the mobility of the pitcher slightly. Pitching mechanics are incredibly delicate.
After watching the Reds pitcher Chapman throw a 100 mile an hour fast ball only to watch it be hit and deflect off of his head got me thinking. Why is it that pitchers don't wear helmets?
Should they?
You're right, though, that they'd do it if a pitcher got killed.
Originally posted by quackquackI agree. Reinforced caps or helmets for pitchers will be mandatory once the design is there that the players association can agree upon. Not a matter of if, but when.
I think pitchers eventually will wear helmets. Perhaps they can make them fit more like caps. I also think safety will prevent aluminum bats from ever being allowed in MLB.
Jeez, I am not sure why this is getting as much attention as it is.
Is it dangerous to pitch? Yes. Is it dangerous to play in the infield? Yes.
You can count on both hands the number of pitchers seriously injured from
a head shot in all of baseball history. We are talking millions of pitches.
I pitched for 12 years. I got a glancing blow off of a leg once and that was it.
Trying to keep any sort of helmet or skull cap on while pitcher is going to be
tough as hell. Some pitchers motions are so violent they can't keep their hats on after the release.
A face mask would also be cumbersome as hell.
If you want to cut down on these injuries, there are ways to do it.
1. Take the juice out of the baseball.
2. Get rid of wood bats and go to composition bats that don't break and
are toned down. They already have them in fast pitch softball. They
reduce the power recoil instead of increasing them like aluminum and
titanium do.
3. Disallow all body armor in the batters box. Stop the hitters from feeling
bulletproof and from digging in and teeing off. make them nervous about
diving over the plate.
4. Allow pitchers to pitch inside again and keep hitters honest. If a hitter
charges the mound, it is a mandatory 60 game suspension without pay.
What this will do is cut down on the home runs, cut down on offense in
general, restore some normalcy to pitching numbers again, and it will bring
the safety everyone is concerned about back to the game.
Originally posted by sh76He's probably just thinking about the way he pitches. No doubt, after he threw a pitch he would have enough time to reset himself to field and maybe even have a spot of tea before the ball ever came back around to wack him up side the head.
Are you saying that Aroldis Chapman isn't good enough to pitch?
Originally posted by shortcircuitIt's not just about people getting injured or potentially dying, it is also about ball clubs that have invested millions upon millions of dollars in these pitchers.
Jeez, I am not sure why this is getting as much attention as it is.
Is it dangerous to pitch? Yes. Is it dangerous to play in the infield? Yes.
You can count on both hands the number of pitchers seriously injured from
a head shot in all of baseball history. We are talking millions of pitches.
I pitched for 12 years. I got a glancing blow off of a ...[text shortened]... ching numbers again, and it will bring
the safety everyone is concerned about back to the game.
As a result, I would think MLB would care more.
Originally posted by shortcircuitThe issue is safety and if protective equipment can make it safer we should use it. There were times when catchers did not wear masks, batters did not wear helmets, fielders did not wear gloves. I feel all of these improve the game and perhaps its time to add more protection for pitchers.
Jeez, I am not sure why this is getting as much attention as it is.
Is it dangerous to pitch? Yes. Is it dangerous to play in the infield? Yes.
You can count on both hands the number of pitchers seriously injured from
a head shot in all of baseball history. We are talking millions of pitches.
I pitched for 12 years. I got a glancing blow off of a ...[text shortened]... ching numbers again, and it will bring
the safety everyone is concerned about back to the game.
My first suggestion would be stricter performance enhancing rules. Simply, besides being unfair, as people are more powerful than naturally possible it put others in danger.
The increased splintering of bats also seems like a potential problem and perhaps it should be address too.
I have no problem with batters being suspended harshly for charging the mound. Of course if pitchers throw at batters intentionally they should get similar harsh suspensions. These five game suspension where you just push your start back a day is a complete joke.
A local 6th-grader was killed here this weekend while pitching batting practice. Although the protective screen was in front of him, his follow-through carried him just outside of it. The line-drive was hit by another 6th-grader, which means it doesn't take major-league bat-speed.
Like batting helmets, I suspect that Little League will start using some sort of pitchers' helmet. And, like batting helmets, when it gets to the Majors, it will be trimmed down to minimize clumsiness.
I just read the article this morning on the little boy that was killed- http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/north-carolina-boy-12-dies-after-baseball-strikes-him-head-n78861 So upsetting, and I also feel so bad for the boy who hit the ball. In the article it said that baseball is the number one cause of sporting deaths in children 5-14. I wasn't sure about that stat so I did read some other articles as well and actually came across a site that provides a ton of info on pitchers helmets and fielders masks. I read an article on it that discussed stats of injuries in youth sports- http://www.pitchershelmet.com/alarming-stats-about-sports-injuries/
So I agree that the power behind the bat isn't completely at fault for head injuries after being hit by a pitch. I do agree that they need to monitor the power of the bat at the mlb level a bit more and definitely keep up on pinning players using enhancements. Adding protection will be a lot more helpful rather than just adding rules about the type of bat you can use and etc. They've added a lot more protective equipment for batters but never seems to add anything to the defensive side of the ball so it's nice seeing the mlb approve protective caps. It'll take time but having the option of a cap and face guard will hopefully move things in the proper direction for safety.