New Protective MLB Caps for Pitchers!

hohlernr · Jan 28, 2014

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_...rotective-caps-approved-major-league-baseball

Kinda cool new hat to protect pitchers against comebackers headed for their head. I'd be curious to see how the extra weight feels on the head. I could see ~25% of pitchers switcing to this.

rsmath · Jan 28, 2014

good luck with that! If you are hit by a comebacker, it's likely the ball will miss your cap and hit you on face, neck, etc. or the ball will hit your newfangled cap and your brain will still rattle around and vibrate inside your head causing a concussion or other potential health issues.

tpeichel · Jan 28, 2014

Jerry Seinfeld adds his two cents on activities requiring helmets.

"...Skydiving was definitely the scariest thing I've ever done. Let me ask you this question in regards to the skydiving: what is the point of the helmet in the skydiving? I mean, can you kinda make it? You jump out of that plane and that chute doesn't open, the helmet is now wearing youfor protection. Later on the helmet's talking with the other helmets going "It's a good thing that he was there or I would have hit the ground directly."
There are many things that we can point to that proof that the human being is not smart. The helmet is my personal favorite. The fact that we had to invent the helmet. Now why did we invent the helmet? Well, because we were participating in many activities that were cracking our heads. We looked at the situation. We chose not to avoid these activities, but to just make little plastic hats so that we can continue our head-cracking lifestyles.
The only thing dumber than the helmet is the helmet law, the point of which is to protect a brain that is functioning so poorly, it's not even trying to stop the cracking of the head that it's in..."

Super Mario · Jan 28, 2014

I wonder how well these large helmets will stay on the head of a pitcher with a quick delivery. Like Carlos Martinez, who has a fast delivery and kind of falls off to the side after letting go of the ball.

There would have to be a huge adjustment to these for pitchers who choose to wear them. Having that extra weight on top of their head might mess with some pitchers, no matter how light they are. They're still going to be heavier than a hat, and more awkward.

But in all seriousness, what's next? Chin straps to keep them on? Or face masks to prevent a line drive from hitting them in the face, which has happened in the past?

I'm jot against this, just asking follow up questions.

olerud363 · Jan 28, 2014

Of the five incidents mentioned in the article, only one involved being hit in a location that would have been covered by the hat.

To protect the pitcher fully, you'd need to have them wear something like batter's helmet with two earflaps and a mask like a cricket helmet, which would be ridulous. I don't think that would ever happen.
I suppose any protection is better than none though.

- Rodrick

rsmath · Jan 28, 2014

Super Mario said:
I wonder how well these large helmets will stay on the head of a pitcher with a quick delivery. Like Carlos Martinez, who has a fast delivery and kind of falls off to the side after letting go of the ball.

probably form-fitting (or custom fitted to the individual player). You don't see a batting helmet slosh around at all (or much) on a hitter and they have head movements transitioning from swing to running or to a lesser extent following ball from pitchers release into near the hitting zone.

Super Mario · Jan 28, 2014

rsmath said:
probably form-fitting (or custom fitted to the individual player). You don't see a batting helmet slosh around at all (or much) on a hitter and they have head movements transitioning from swing to running or to a lesser extent following ball from pitchers release into near the hitting zone.

They also have stableizing ear protectors that keep them in place too.

rsmath · Jan 28, 2014

olerud363 said:
To protect the pitcher fully, you'd need to have them wear something like batter's helmet with two earflaps and a mask like a cricket helmet, which would be ridulous. I don't think that would ever happen.

well, depends to what extend you want to try to have effective protection. I bet brandon mccarthy wouldn't mind a footballers like cage in front of his face (affecting field of vision) if it meant he would be safer from face comeback shots.

Over time, you could ask yourself who would want to have a batting helmet instead of soft cap at the plate, or who would want a neck flap, or who would want a hockey goalie-like mask but you can see some people wanted them and eventually it caught on. I think a caged pitcher helmet would catch on if you find a innovator like possibly mccarthy to use it and prove you can overcome the slight visual distration of the cage.

joey12508 · Jan 28, 2014

I think any protection is better than nothing. Pitchers have had none, this is a start.

tpeichel · Jan 28, 2014

olerud363 said:
Of the five incidents mentioned in the article, only one involved being hit in a location that would have been covered by the hat.

To protect the pitcher fully, you'd need to have them wear something like batter's helmet with two earflaps and a mask like a cricket helmet, which would be ridulous. I don't think that would ever happen.
I suppose any protection is better than none though.

- Rodrick

This would work. Plenty of extra protection if the batter charges the mound too.

scotty216brs · Jan 28, 2014

"and afford protection for frontal impact locations against line drives of up to 90 mph"

Don't line drives come off the bat over 100mph??

rsmath · Jan 29, 2014

scotty216brs said:
"and afford protection for frontal impact locations against line drives of up to 90 mph"

Don't line drives come off the bat over 100mph??

yes, but that's right off the bat at Home Plate! By the time the ball gets out to 55 feet or so where the pitcher is doing his throwing motion followthrough, it's lost some velocity, so 90 MPH may be sufficient where the pitcher is located.

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