Opinions on pitcher protection...

[markakis8]

Brandon McCarthy (needing surgery) was a very unfortunate situation, but he wasn't the first. The 24/7 media we have just ran with it. Now, this year, there have been two pitchers struck in the head by line drives - JA Happ and tonight, Alex Cobb. After Happ's incident, watching any MLB coverage, I thought we were within weeks of pitchers wearing batting helmets...and after that...now with Cobb getting hit so close...I feel like the coverage is just going to be a circus.

I was a pitcher up until Division 1 level in college. I have been hit by many line drives. But I was always taught the ideal follow through to protect my face and my lower region and I was fortunate enough never to have a baseball off an aluminum bat hit me in the face/head. I understand there may be freak occurrences where a pitcher has hardly any time to react...but I feel it's part of the game. It makes me cringe imagining Justin Verlander and Clayton Kershaw out there with helmets/face masks on...or any other pitcher.

I almost feel like with the over exuberance football has to "avoid" concussions, that MLB is following suit. But in reality, it is just a FREAK accident EVERY time. And it's rare. Very rare. It just happens that every time it occurs, the "elephant in the room" magnifies itself.

IMO, they would be better off teach pitchers how to protect themselves. Some of the pitchers that have gotten hit in the head or face have had HORRIBLE follow throughs.

What are you thoughts?

 

[Lars]

I maybe in the minority but not matter how funky you follow through is, sometimes you just aren't going to be able to not get hit with a line drive up the middle.

 

[DeliciousBacon]

That's why I could never pitch during my Little League days, an overwhelming fear of being hit by a line drive. Even throwing BP in the cage freaked me out, especially after a few balls getting smoked into the fence I was pitching behind. If you're a pitcher, you can't have that fear, so I don't really think there's much MLB can do (apart from some sort of protective cap for pitchers). You go out to pitch and worry about getting hit, you lose focus on the game, and you're done.

 

[Waxov]

 

[joey12508]

I could see if someone wanted to wear a face guard or something, but not mandatory.

 

[David Campos]

I had to look it up but amazingly, only two people have died on the field of play.

Ray Chapman in 1920 after being hit by a pitch and Mike Powers, who died from internal injuries while chasing a foul ball in Shibe Park's inaugural game, April 12, 1909.

I do know that an umpire died on the field of play as well after collapsing. John McSherry in 1996.

John McSherry - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia