12/22/24
March 21, 2011
Morneau Urges Players to Wear Safer Helmet: Eight months into rehab for a concussion, Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau has begun wearing the heavier, safer Rawlings S100 helmet. The new helmet is designed to provide safety for balls traveling at 100 mph, compared to just 70 mph for the helmets worn today by most players. is rated for a Little League pitch compared to a big-league fastball. Morneau said the older helmet "is rated for a Little League pitch compared to a big-league fastball. I'm sure Major League Baseball and the union won't be happy with me saying that."
I can't imagine any player over the age of 21 or 22 not wanting to wear these because of looks (this isn't the NBA); they'd have to be crazy, and once they get past earning the league minimum they won't risk their health so foolishly (just go ahead and stop with the steroid comparison, you know that's not the same thing).
I also don't think MLB or the union would be "unhappy" that Morneau's mentioning this; this isn't like the Big Three quashing a 100mpg super-efficient engine, why would MLB or the MLBPA want less-safe helmets? It seems like common sense, and I suspect most people just don't know the helmets aren't rated for the speeds involved with major league players. I sure didn't, and it sounds like plenty of players had no idea either. Helmets, like jerseys and stirrups, aren't an area they focus on, they just get them from the team equipment manager.
The players will spend gobs of cash on the best shows, on custom bats, and will wear enough personally fitted wrist, arm, elbow, knee, and shin guards to qualify for the Primus, so I don't think they'd not wear this helmet simply because it looked funny. In an article linked from the FPP article, apparently David Wright wore a similar helmet but felt it was too bulky and unwieldy. Players won't put up with a helmet that is distracting or difficult to play while wearing; if the S100 can become more comfortable, players will and should wear it.
posted by hincandenza at 12:50 PM on March 21, 2011
Maybe someday a team owner (or even a whole league) will promote this kind of safety gear by either:
1) Rewarding players with contract incentives to do so, or
2) Penalizing players who choose not to (obviously only effective at the league level).
Is anyone aware of a team/league that has taken this approach?
posted by Uncle Toby at 02:53 PM on March 21, 2011
Helmets, like jerseys and stirrups, aren't an area they focus on, they just get them from the team equipment manager.
That sounds right to me, and it suggests that there's plenty of room for players to work with helmet makers in the off-season to build a better helmet, with the encouragement of the teams and league, because there's clearly an incentive for the front desk (and their insurance policies) to avoid head injuries.
posted by etagloh at 03:04 PM on March 21, 2011
Major league baseball will have a problem getting this type of helmet to be made mandatory, if they choose to pursue it, mainly because of the "uncool" stigma attached to it. I applaud Morneau for being man enough to be willing to withstand the ribbing he knows he'll probably receive. It's too bad players have to experience a serious injury themselves before it dawns on them that there are safer options.