Twenty MLB pitchers during Spring Training "are expected to receive newly designed protective headwear resulting from a collaboration" between the league and MLBPA, according to William Weinbaum of ESPN.com. MLB VP & Deputy General Counsel Patrick Houlihan said players will wear a "hybrid of a cap and a helmet" that weighs between 10-12 ounces. Boombang, the company hired to make the headwear, said that the "average thickness is about 0.7 inches." League and union officials "declined to answer repeated questions about the amount of money invested in the joint project, other than to characterize it as a 'significant sum' and 'substantial outlay'" (ESPN.com, 2/12). In N.Y., Kate Feldman noted the gear "won’t be mandatory for pitchers, but the experiment will be a first test on finding a comfortable solution to protect players" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 2/13).
LOOKS ARE IMPORTANT: L.A. Times Bill Plaschke said players will not wear the new headgear, as "these guys are all about looking manly." Plaschke: "That doesn't look very manly to these guys. They should wear it, I don’t see anybody wearing it at first.” The Washington Post’s Kevin Blackistone: “This is Spring Training. I have to think in some Spring Training game somebody is going to put it on and just try it out. As soon as it happens, we’ll all be writing about it” (“Around The Horn,” ESPN, 2/12). YAHOO SPORTS' Mark Townsend noted players will "undoubtedly go for comfort or at least headgear that feels natural while they're in the middle of an intense battle." Sometimes cosmetics "will play into it too, because how one wears the uniform can be turned into a fashion statement." Perhaps the Boombang model "will be viewed as a step in the right direction on one or both fronts, or maybe even the solution many pitchers are looking for." Townsend: "Time will tell, but at the very least it should give more insight into what will work and what will be accepted" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 2/13).
TAKE A PAGE FROM THE NHL: ESPN’s Michael Wilbon said pitchers have “made it known, even guys who have been slammed in the head, they don't want to wear anything." Wilbon: "But it’s time to be a little bit more like hockey and say, ‘We’re not leaving it up to you. These are the rules. Some of you … can be grandfathered in, you can do what you want. Everybody else coming in wears them.” ESPN’s Tony Kornheiser: “Hitters did not want batting helmets when they came in. Now no hitter would think of walking up there without a batting helmet. Pitchers need to be protected this way … If people don't want to do that, you just automatically say, ‘In the minors, we're starting right now’” ("PTI,” ESPN, 2/12).
