MLB Approves Pitcher Protective Cap

MLB Approves Pitcher Protective Cap

After the number of injuries in the ranks of pitchers rose considerably in the last couple of years the MLB association approved a new type of protective cap, hoping to reduce damage suffered from line drives to the head.

The new hats will be heavier and larger and will be available starting next Tuesday for testing on a voluntary basis for the duration of spring training. No decision to make the new helmet mandatory has been taken and for the moment, players in both major and minor league can chose not to wear the new protective gear.

Clayton Kershaw a double "Cy Young" Award winner and player for the Los Angeles Dodgers said that he is definitely not against the new cap, however, he does think that wearing it will need a lot of getting used to. He also added that the cap won’t make anyone look particularly “cool”, and that this might be one of the major reasons why a lot of players, both young and old, will refuse to wear it.

The hats will be custom fitted to each player and weigh about seven ounces more than currently used hats. They will offer extra protection to the forehead and cover the temples and sides of the head. The extra safety plates will make the new caps approximately half of an inch thicker in the front part and a whole inch wider on the sides.

Posted by Andre Monohan on Saturday February 01 2014, 4:50 AM EST. Ref: trivalleycentral. Link. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0