I have pitched a long time and so far managed to avoid ever being struck in above the waist, sinkerballer's luck I suppose. I do not want to be insensitive, but I'm for now opposed to this helmet.
I have had a facial injury from baseball, and that was playing infield. Ball hugs the ground, hops up, rearranges my teeth and breaks my jaw. Some things are just unavoidable I suppose.
quote:Originally posted by TPM:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by TDad:
The defensive ready position is the best protection a pitcher can have. They can avoid the ball or use the glove. The head is only one of many vital body parts.
I agree with the above. Injury is a risk to anyone, any position. Things happen but if a pitcher learns proper mechanics for defense it minimizes the chance of injury.
I'm sorry but the idea that one has enough time to react defensively to block the baseball in time, at the College/Pro level is proposterous! I know, TPM, that you are a mother of a professional pitcher. Is your son telling you that if positioned in an "athletic" position that he can react quick enough to catch a squared up line drive to the head by a professional hitter? He can no more do that than a hitter can dodge a perfectly placed 95mph fastball.
I would suggest that the best defensive position to protect yourself IS NOT perfectly squared facing the hitter even if you have placed your glove directly in front of your face. As someone else said, "there are a few other vital areas."
I'm not sure that I'd wear the helmet but after taking one to the noggin and being forced to face recovery time off for facial reconstructive surgery, I'd probably change my mind, just as Tony Conigliaro would about wearing a batting helmet had he had the option some 40 years ago.
There is an obvious risk everytime you set foot on the mound, and you are well aware of this risk. Same rule of thumb applies for all positions in all sports. Am I sympathetic of the unfortunate individuals like the ones previously mentioned, like Gunnar Sandberg in the LA Times article? Absolutely. But they, too, recognized the risk of their actions prior to setting foot on that mound. I don't believe the helmet pictured would do as much to help as it would as a detriment to the pitcher's ability to perform. To be honest, hats are annoying enough and fairly unnecessary in the larger scheme of things, especially related to pitching. But to add additional mass and weight to that hat? And to have it cover such little space? There's a pros and cons factor in this situation in my opinion. As a college pitcher, I wouldn't wear something like that. Maybe if the technology was more enhanced and more protective I'd rethink it. Call it thick-headed (no pun intended), or a lack of empathy on my part (I've never taken one off the head), but I wouldn't wear it.
I think the style of the helmet seems strange and something that would not catch on. I would expect that they would cover the entire head not just the forehead. I have been hit in the head just throwing BP, and been hit numerous times during a game. Besides one concussion, I have been pretty lucky. Even with a helmet you can get hit in the face or anywhere else causing a serious injury. But then again that could happen to a 1st of 3rd basemen. John Olerud use to wear a helmet playing first base and that is a position that you expect the ball and are in a ready position at all times unlike a pitcher, things happen so fast you have no time to react sometimes. There is always going to be a risk, I just took my experiences and learned not to throw anything hitters can hit 
John Olerud suffered a brain aneurysm while doing a morning workout during his college season at Washington State University in 1989. His doctors advised him to wear a helmet when doing anything on the field in order to protect against any type of collision that would involve in contact with the skull.
I'm going to side with the politically incorrect crowd. This helmet is an unnecessary burden, expense and a false sense of security.
People nowadays want to be protected from every little thing that could possibly hurt them. It's impossible.
I'm sure if you could run the numbers, the odds of serious injury or death are minute.
People nowadays want to be protected from every little thing that could possibly hurt them. It's impossible.
I'm sure if you could run the numbers, the odds of serious injury or death are minute.
Prime9,
I am not sure how to answer the question that you have asked.
What do you propose a pitcher does after he lands, turn his head and look the other way? If you did that, how do you protect the rest of your body that is exposed?
It is my opinion that the best defense for a pitcher is not a helmet, but to learn properly how to be prepared defensively, I am not saying that it will always work to your benefit.
ML batting practice spring training, you might be swurprised to see some pretty big Big Leaguers not wearing helmets during batting practice, which tells me they don't wear them in season because they like them but because it is required.
I am not sure how to answer the question that you have asked.
What do you propose a pitcher does after he lands, turn his head and look the other way? If you did that, how do you protect the rest of your body that is exposed?
It is my opinion that the best defense for a pitcher is not a helmet, but to learn properly how to be prepared defensively, I am not saying that it will always work to your benefit.
ML batting practice spring training, you might be swurprised to see some pretty big Big Leaguers not wearing helmets during batting practice, which tells me they don't wear them in season because they like them but because it is required.
I admit, I haven't read the whole thread., but...
Interesting comment to me.
As a parent of a pitcher who has suffered exactly what you described, I say $hit happens . I'm glad this option has been developed and if a player wants to wear one, go for it!
My son wears protective glasses now in MiLB (doctor's orders!
) and did in college too after his accident. I doubt he'd wear this helmet, but I guess I haven't asked him either.
And...as a parent of a HS pitcher who plays in a tough league against a lot of future D1 hitters, I am very happy about the new bat regulations.
That was the bigger fish to fry IMO.
quote:I'm not sure that I'd wear the helmet but after taking one to the noggin and being forced to face recovery time off for facial reconstructive surgery, I'd probably change my mind...
Interesting comment to me.
As a parent of a pitcher who has suffered exactly what you described, I say $hit happens . I'm glad this option has been developed and if a player wants to wear one, go for it!
My son wears protective glasses now in MiLB (doctor's orders!
) and did in college too after his accident. I doubt he'd wear this helmet, but I guess I haven't asked him either.And...as a parent of a HS pitcher who plays in a tough league against a lot of future D1 hitters, I am very happy about the new bat regulations.
That was the bigger fish to fry IMO.
Where does it stop? Whats next? Rubber baseballs? Protective head gear that covers the entire face except the eyes? Total body gear for hitters? I mean we could probably make it really safe to play the game. We could put barriers up between the outfielders so they can not collide. We could do even more. We could require all hitters to wear facemasks, elbow guards, shin guards, etc etc.
If a kid wants to wear this I have no problem with it. But do we make it a rule that every pitcher must wear one? And if not why not? Is a 16 year old kid in a position to make that kind of decision? Does the coach do it? Do the parents decide? Where does it stop? How far do we go in our attempt to take all the possible dangers out of the game? What happens to the game?
Regulations, requirements, etc etc. I never want to see a kid get hurt. I cringe at the thought of it. It breaks my heart to see it and hear about it. Just some thoughts.
If a kid wants to wear this I have no problem with it. But do we make it a rule that every pitcher must wear one? And if not why not? Is a 16 year old kid in a position to make that kind of decision? Does the coach do it? Do the parents decide? Where does it stop? How far do we go in our attempt to take all the possible dangers out of the game? What happens to the game?
Regulations, requirements, etc etc. I never want to see a kid get hurt. I cringe at the thought of it. It breaks my heart to see it and hear about it. Just some thoughts.
Coach May- I get frustrated at the amount of warnings and ejections that have been occuring as a recent trend in the MLB. Now all of a sudden I throw a fastball inside and it hits the guy in the arm...and because he stares at me for a split second...the ump rules that neither I nor the opposing pitcher can throw the ball inside again for fear that we'll be ejected if we hit someone.
This is after this contraption started appearing... http://cdn.bleacherreport.com/...y.1_crop_340x234.jpg
Like I said I'm all for safety. But when safety contraptions, like Bonds's unnecessarily huge arm guard, begins to change the way the game is approached and the way a player plays the game, then I believe we've crossed a line.
This is after this contraption started appearing... http://cdn.bleacherreport.com/...y.1_crop_340x234.jpg
Like I said I'm all for safety. But when safety contraptions, like Bonds's unnecessarily huge arm guard, begins to change the way the game is approached and the way a player plays the game, then I believe we've crossed a line.
I think this one would work much better.
quote:Originally posted by BBLEFTY21:
John Olerud use to wear a helmet playing first base
I remember Richie Allen wearing one in RF to protect himself from bad throws... from the bleachers.
I'd sooner wear a sponge ducktaped to my forehead under an oversized baseball cap than wear a bicycle helmet while playing defense in a baseball game. Sorry.
quote:Originally posted by AntzDad:quote:Originally posted by BBLEFTY21:
John Olerud use to wear a helmet playing first base
I remember Richie Allen wearing one in RF to protect himself from bad throws... from the bleachers.
Josh Beckett should wear one to protect him from his own coach!
.
Activity in the research lab has not slowed...
.
- "Where does it stop?"
Activity in the research lab has not slowed...
.
quote:Originally posted by BOF:
I think this one would work much better.
Now that is funny.
Personally I am not sure how I feel about this subject.
I was lucky and never hit in the head/face with a comebacker. Then again I was hit in a few other spots. Knock on wood, and thank God, my son has never been hit in the head either, but has also had his share of bruises.
I wonder from a mechanical/practical standpoint how it could affect a pitchers mechanics. As we all know the head is the single heaviest pound for pound part of body. Any excess movement can cause inaccuracy, so if this device adds weight(which it presumably does), it might cause some issues.
If this protective device can be shown to prevent catastrophic injury then I think it merits further investigation. However that is a far cry from mandating it's use.
I'll have to look into this subject more regarding statistics because I do not honestly know how many pitchers it would help.
Then again if your son is the one who gets hit, percentages will mean nothing.
This discussion reminds me of the people that get upset when an atm fee is raised by a 50 cents rather than being outraged that you work almost the first five months to pay taxes on the year. When was the last time you saw a pitcher seriously injured after a hit to the head and then take a look around and see how many pitchers require surgery on their elbows or shoulders in high school and college each year. Where should the focus be?
quote:I'm going to be the one to disagree here. I don't like the helmet for the pitchers. I hate the fact that pitchers get hurt and they take a chance on every pitch but you can't get rid of all the risk that comes with the game.
Coach you are right in that you cannot get rid of all the risk. However, have you never heard of risk management?
I'm not making a case for wearing these things, but if someone decides to err on the side of safety, is there really a problem with that? Someone had to be the first to wear a batting helmet, a hockey mask and so forth. Girl softball pitchers often wear a protective mask.
On this subject; Luis Salazar, a Braves Minor league coach, was struck by a line drive today off the bat of Brian McCann while seated in the dugout. He has been air lifted to the hospital. MLB baseball is late to the party with protective guards in front of the dugouts. I guess it probably isn't worth doing to protect an occasional terrible accident like this.
Who said earlier, we should worry more about Pitcher TJ and shoulder surgeries since they occur more frequently. Hmmm, have any of those proved to be life altering?
I think I'll lock myself in my basement so nothing bad can ever happen to me.
Prime9 I have heard of risk management and sometimes if err on the side of safety as a kneejerk reaction to an isolated case can be more detrimental to actually accomplishing something that will be even better.