It's time to protect pitchers -- at all levels
When Toronto Blue Jays pitcher J.A. Happ hit the ground Tuesday evening after taking a line drive to the face off the bat of Desmond Jennings, it once again reminded us of the dangers of this game.
As Happ laid at the base of the mound, motionless with his face in his hands, the look in the eyes of the players on the field said it all.
Tuesday night, baseball was very fortunate, but we won't be that lucky forever. One of these days the story will not have a happy ending and will instead envelope our nation's past time in tragedy.
The time has come for a change.
Because baseball is a slower-paced sport, less focused on physical contact than hockey or football, we have a tendency to forget that there are serious dangers present every time a player steps foot on the field.
From line drives to broken bats, head first slides to head-on collisions, there are plenty of ways for a player to be seriously hurt or even killed on a baseball field.
Some argue that it's just part of the game, but there's more to it than that. Sure, we want to protect the integrity of the game, but at what cost.
Before we get too in depth, there are some things to take into consideration.
A pitcher being hit by a line drive is not a regular occurrence. Statistically speaking, it's extremely rare, but that argument only goes so far.
Plane crashes are extremely rare, in fact, even more rare. Does that mean we shouldn't take whatever means necessary to protect against airplane crashes?
Of course not.
Pitchers are more vulnerable to this than any player on the field. Aside from the fact that they are the closest to the plate, at the time the pitcher releases the ball they are in a terrible position to defend themselves from a hit up the middle.
Standing off balance on one leg with forward momentum is a recipe for disaster when a 230-pound slugger turns around a 100 mph fastball at your head.
We're dealing in, literally, fractions of a second. That kind of reaction time for a pitcher flailing through his motion is barely even possible.
As it stands now, pitchers can in fact wear a protective device-even a helmet (however unpractical that may be).
If a pitcher finds some type of device he wants to wear under his hat for added protection, that's acceptable.
The device would need to conform to uniform colors and styles. Obviously, it wouldn't be acceptable for a New York Yankees pitcher to wear a red helmet.
No pitcher, at least to my knowledge, wears any type of device for protection at this point in time. Is it because they simply don't want the protection or because there still isn't a practical alternative?
This situation for pitchers is very similar to what hitters dealt with when helmets were introduced to the game.
Players were reluctant to the idea of a batting helmet for a variety of reasons: functionality, appearance, comfort. Some even felt that it made them look weak. Today, it's the most fashionable baseball accessory of common sense.
The helmets arrival in MLB began voluntarily. A decent product was found (and more than 60 years later is still being perfected), but it took some time before a team finally mandated their use.
Time was spent designing a helmet that was lightweight yet effective, strong but not too ugly, and functional all at the same time.
Now, MLB is dealing with a very similar situation with pitchers and are facing the same roadblocks.
Thursday evening, Pat Courtney with MLB Public Relations said that MLB is actively working with multiple companies in an attempt to develop a product that will meet the needs of today's MLB pitcher.
While some of the results have been "promising," he said that no company has yet developed a product to satisfy all of the testing criteria MLB is hoping to see.
Either it's strong enough and not practical or it's sleek but doesn't offer adequate protection.
Courtney couldn't discuss specifically what they are looking for, but presumably it would be some type of Kevlar-type device to go under a player's cap. A normal helmet with a faceguard, similar to what women wear in fast pitch softball, isn't practical for a major league pitcher.
Any device would have to be functional and offer some benefit without affecting how the pitcher does his job. Nobody wants to see pitchers who suddenly can't execute because when they throw they find themselves looking through the earhole of a helmet.
As a result, it's also important to understand that no device will "remove" the risk--ever. There will always be risk in any professional sport.
Injuries are a part of baseball. Brain bleeds, however, should not be.
The goal will be to prevent serious, life-threatening injuries--and death. There will still be bruises and concussions even with whatever device is eventually accepted by MLB and the MLB Players Association.
When the day comes, it may very well begin as something that is voluntary with hopes that it will catch on throughout the league. The best way to make that happen is by starting young because these same risks are present at every level of baseball.
Not just professional ball, but college, high school and even little league.
If the transition begins in little league and high school baseball (where it is equally as important), the use of a protective device will be second nature by the time the next generation of players reach the major league level.
That's how batting helmets eventually became commonplace.
Obviously, there is no clear cut answer to this issue. There will be, but we're not quite there yet.
That answer may come in the form of a cap liner, a streamlined helmet or some other type of device we haven't yet considered. Regardless of what's decided, the time for a change is now.
Today, the idea of a batter stepping up to the player without a helmet seems ridiculous. The day will come when we feel the same about a pitcher with some type of headgear.
Hopefully, that day comes before a line drive costs a pitcher his life.
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Corey Noles is a Cardinals Writer and Columnist for The Daily Statesman. His work is featured in numerous publications, as well as both regional and national websites. Contact him at cnoles@dailystatesman.com or on Twitter @coreynoles.
Comments
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