Major League Baseball needs to do a better job of protecting pitchers from getting hit by line drives and come backers. The new voluntary “cap system” will do little to help pitchers.
The caps, which are supposed protect pitchers from baseballs hitting them at 83 miles per hour, added several ounces of weight to pitchers' heads. Dan Halem, executive vice president for labor relations at Major League Baseball, told ESPN in January that he is very happy about the product.
Fantasy baseball 2014 sleepers
"We're excited to have a product that meets our safety criteria," said Halem. "MLB is committed to working with manufacturers to develop products that offer maximum protection to our players, and we're not stopping at all."
It's great that Major League Baseball wants to focus their efforts on player safety. No pitcher should have to worry about being hit by a line drive. That worry would just interfere with getting the job done. However these caps will do nothing but interfere with pitchers trying to pitch. The extra weight from the caps on their heads will deteriorate their level of success on the mound.
J.A. Happ, who suffered a fractured skull after being hit by a line drive in early May, isn't too crazy about using the caps as of right now.
“Does it feel close enough to a regular cap?” said Happ in January to ESPN. “You don't want to be out there thinking about it and have it take away from your focus on what you're doing."
Angels starting pitcher C.J. Wilson told the Los Angeles Times yesterday "it's like wearing a bucket on your head."
"I'm trying to think of a polite way to say this: Literally, they're terrible," said Wilson. "They're a terrible design. They're cumbersome. It's impossible to pitch with one of those on."
Wilson was hit in the head by a line drive while pitching batting practice on Tuesday. He made these comments to the LA Times after the fact. Wilson is not alone in his sentiments about the caps. Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Brandon McCarthy, who was hit in the head by a line drive off the bat of the Angels' Erick Aybar while pitching for the Athletics in 2012, will not use the cap during games either.
“It's too big, too hot and doesn't feel right,” McCarthy told ESPN. "The technology is there, It helps. It's proven to help. But I don't think it's ready yet as a major league-ready product. And I told them that. I told them that's where it's at."
So pitchers who have been hit in the head with line drives will not be using these caps during regular season games. I'm not sure how many players will use the caps this season. It should be noted Halem said in past interviews that he believes players who have been hit by come backers will be “early adapters” to the caps.
Halem also stated that he doesn't see a big market for these caps at the Major League level, but rather the youth baseball level. While I believe in protecting youth baseball players from line drives and injuries, how exactly does this cap help Major League Baseball players?
If Major League Baseball wants to improve safety for pitchers, they'll need better technology for lightweight protective caps. Pitchers will not use a cap that interferes with their work on the mound. Expecting pitchers to sacrifice statistics and money for an off-chance incident is wrong. They will not do that.
Safety should always be a concern from Major League Baseball front offices, but they need to be proactive with their approach. These caps, the way they are currently designed, will do nothing in the long run for pitchers.
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
