MLB approves pitchers helmet for 2016

[Coach_Tom]

Don't know how many folks noticed this yet, but Major League Baseball has approved pitchers wearing a fielding helmet for safety this year:

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on...-the-new-protective-pitchers-helmet-in-action

When pro baseball players star wearing these, will college coaches still look down on teenage girls that do the same? Why doesn't the baseball version have a face mask?

Not surprisingly, initial feedback from some MLB pitchers was that the helmet feels great and they know it will protect them, but it looks silly so they are not going to wear it.

 

[chixdad]

It will be interesting to see if anyone will wear it.

 

[Pacerdad57]

at some point, someone is going to get killed from a comebacker. at that point it's going to become much closer to mandatory top wear some type of protective gear.
all i know is that the DD will always wear the mask, and hopefully never take one into it either.
can't believe it is frowned upon by college coaches......

 

[FastBat]

How are they going to get female pitchers to wear these, when 12 and 13 year old girls won't wear a basic fielding face mask? It just seems like most players aren't big "protective gear" fans. I would really like to see MLB strongly encourage all pitchers to wear that helmet, to make it more acceptable in the bb/sb community.

 

[Pacerdad57]

I'd like to see more parents have their children wear them. My opinion is there is no good reason not to.
As insurance goes it a pretty cheap policy.....

 

[yossarian]

How are they going to get female pitchers to wear these, when 12 and 13 year old girls won't wear a basic fielding face mask? It just seems like most players aren't big "protective gear" fans. I would really like to see MLB strongly encourage all pitchers to wear that helmet, to make it more acceptable in the bb/sb community.

Do you see a lot of 12/13 year old girls not wearing masks? I feel like I always see them worn.

 

[Pacerdad57]

for the most part i see the pitchers and corner wearing them now, which i think is great, the middles mostly don't, which worries me.
i've seen some pretty bad hops on some smashes, just know that if mine was a middle infielder she would still be wearing the mask.

 

[daboss]

People have been killed before. Line drives are not new to baseball. They are a part of the game and safety equipment has been around forever. Bad hops are a part of baseball too. Been hopping badly forever. It used to be rules established would not allow fielders to wear "hard" safety head gear because they felt it was more chance of injury from collisions with other players while fielding balls or making plays at a base. They had a honest reason for outlawing them. It's only been within my life time that functional head gear has become available for players. It still comes down to personal decisions as to how often and when this equipment be used. Don't fault others for deciding to not wear it. Cover your own and respect others to decide.

Keep in mind there are other factors to be considered. One might make the argument that with all the "protection" that it be human nature to get a false hope they are invincible and the game become more wreckless by putting people in more dangerous situations. I don't believe any of us want baseball or softball to become more like football. With the extra safety gear such as masks I have witnessed the "Supergirl" attitude and watched girls become more agressive on the field. I've witnessed masks become an issue with skin being ripped or gashes needing multiple stitches to close. Again, the equipment was the cause and not the cure.

Nobody in their right mind wants to see anyone hurt. We still need to respect the game. With mandatory rules for the equipment comes problems that could be worse than we can imagine. The only example I can share is the difference in serious injuries between Rugby and Football. Believe it or not, many argue Rugby is safe in comparison.

My last point of view is to answer the question on how to make the safety equipment mandatory to ease your anxiety. the answer is money. When insurance companies begin to get involved, that's when you'll see it made a rule. Until then, you need to trust our players to know when to and how to play the game at the best of their ability. That may mean actually getting out of the way.

 

[Pacerdad57]

People have been killed before. Line drives are not new to baseball. They are a part of the game and safety equipment has been around forever. Bad hops are a part of baseball too. Been hopping badly forever. It used to be rules established would not allow fielders to wear "hard" safety head gear because they felt it was more chance of injury from collisions with other players while fielding balls or making plays at a base. They had a honest reason for outlawing them. It's only been within my life time that functional head gear has become available for players. It still comes down to personal decisions as to how often and when this equipment be used. Don't fault others for deciding to not wear it. Cover your own and respect others to decide.

Keep in mind there are other factors to be considered. One might make the argument that with all the "protection" that it be human nature to get a false hope they are invincible and the game become more wreckless by putting people in more dangerous situations. I don't believe any of us want baseball or softball to become more like football. With the extra safety gear such as masks I have witnessed the "Supergirl" attitude and watched girls become more agressive on the field. I've witnessed masks become an issue with skin being ripped or gashes needing multiple stitches to close. Again, the equipment was the cause and not the cure.

Nobody in their right mind wants to see anyone hurt. We still need to respect the game. With mandatory rules for the equipment comes problems that could be worse than we can imagine. The only example I can share is the difference in serious injuries between Rugby and Football. Believe it or not, many argue Rugby is safe in comparison.

My last point of view is to answer the question on how to make the safety equipment mandatory to ease your anxiety. the answer is money. When insurance companies begin to get involved, that's when you'll see it made a rule. Until then, you need to trust our players to know when to and how to play the game at the best of their ability. That may mean actually getting out of the way.

I hope i'm misunderstanding, but are you actually saying death is nothing new and if it happens it happens? i'm all for letting an adult aged player decide for themselves, there is no way anyone under the age of 18 should be allowed to determine whether or not to use safety gear! they just simply don't have the experience, knowledge and the concept of serious injury that it takes to make that kind of decision. yeah someone might catch a liner in the face with the mask on and still need stitches, but that is a whole heck of a lot better than needing reconstructive surgery or worse yet an urn to put your ashes in. i have not witnessed anyone thinking they are invincible just because they have the mask on, but i have the masks instill in girls the self confidence to not be afraid in the infield. and it isn't a matter of their fielding abilities, it's a matter in a lot of cases having been nailed with a bad hop or liner without a mask. you're right, there have always been line shots and bad hops in the game. but there is no reason on God's green earth to put our children out there without a simple safety item. the game isn't turning towards football type head injuries that i've seen, and if you're thinking that the mask will cause this, the only instance i have witnessed that is similar is a middle infielder without a mask getting nailed by a kid wearing a batting helmet, so by the logic inferred, batting helmets shouldn't be used either??
i'm sure that i have just misunderstood your whole intent, and not trying to instigate anything, but i still feel there is no way they shouldn't be used, and should be mandatory for the younger ages. college or not, i still feel there is NEVER a reason for a pitcher to enter the circle without a mask on. life is just too damned short to put yourself at risk of serious injury or death.

 

[Stedman00]

Has anyone ever actually seen (or heard in person) a college coach come out and poo-poo the wearing of masks? I bet not with the ligation nightmare it would create.

My DD has wore a mask since 12U. No if, ands or buts. She crosses the lines, masks goes on. PERIOD. Whether she is pitching, infield or Outfield, game or practice.

After she gets to age 18, then I hope that she would exercise some common sense and continue to wear it.

 

[coachjwb]

Stedman ... there have been many examples cited here over the years where college coaches expressed dislike for using masks, to the point of saying they would never recruit a player who wore one. My sense is that between the fact that there is a growing number of young ladies moving up into the college ranks who do use them, and with the culture we have these days around litigation and political correctness, that you do hear less of it than you used to. By the way, I personally think they should be required of youth (i.e., <18) pitchers, so don't misconstrue my words around litigation/PC. Even though my own DD never wore one in her pitching career, which concluded 4 years ago, if she were just coming up now, she would be wearing one. We have a responsibility to protect youth in our society ... no difference to me than requiring car seats for little children and seat belts for all youth.

 

[maddball44]

I don't think it's something that needs to be regulated. It's a choice. I choose to let my dd decide. She has not worn one at ss since 14U. I'm sure 95% of her decision to not wear one is based on the "perceived" stigma with college coaches. She will wear one if she doesn't feel comfortable with the quality of the field.
Nice study done on catastrophic baseball / softball injuries; link below.

http://www.momsteam.com/5-7/baseball-softball-most-popular-among-safest-youth-sports

 

[coachjwb]

I think it's much different for a pitcher than a middle infielder. While either could be hit by a line drive or bad hop, the pitcher is much closer to the hitter and is not in a position waiting for a ball to be hit to her, though her finish to the pitch can put her in a slightly better position. It's like a goalie in hockey who has more protective equipment than other players. I am OK with adults making their own choices about safety ... but not children

 

[chixdad]

I agree Jeff, Mallory wear's a mask at 3rd base and while pitching but not in the middle infield. And I'm good with that.

 

[Pacerdad57]

Middle is different, can still be rough, just not like pitchers and corners. And agree with you Jeff, I would have no problem with it being mandatory for kids under 18. I still feel they just don't quite have the concept of the seriousness of injuries and the consequences of that decision at the age. And to infer that if they get seriously hurt or killed, oh well death happens is just plain ludicrous. The college concept is slowly changing, and yet even after last season when at least a couple of college pitchers got nailed that the feeling isn't changing kind of amazes me.