MLB not reay to approve padded caps for Pitchers

[Sportsguy9695]

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Major League Baseball begins spring training without an approved choice of protective headgear for pitchers, and it's uncertain whether any product will receive approval in time for the regular season, MLB senior vice president Dan Halem told "Outside the Lines" on Monday.[/background][background=transparent]
Halem said baseball officials have spent the offseason considering and testing padded linings for caps, with the hope that by spring training, MLB would be able to approve and present to the players association multiple options for pitchers to try out on a voluntary basis.[/background][background=transparent]
"We're not going to approve a product unless our experts say it provides adequate protection," Halem said.[/background]
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So far, said Halem, no new cap design satisfies requirements MLB set for providing head protection against high-speed batted balls. He said proposals from six companies are being considered, but that only two have submitted actual prototypes for MLB to test at a University of Massachusetts-Lowell laboratory.[/background]
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http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/8937766/mlb-not-ready-approve-padded-caps-pitchers[/background]

 

[Pugz]

it sounds decent and all but thosw things are going to make your head so hot and in the hotter states no one is going to want to wear them.

 

[Giantmetfan07]

How often are there head injuries for pitchers? I've never really taken a look at any of the statistics but I never thought it was a serious enough problem that they needed to pad the caps. Regardless I can understand the urgent need to implement something like this, however I think improving the helmets while not making them any bulkier should be a higher priority.

There are so many times when the ball is hit right back up the middle and the pitcher somehow manages to duck out of the way just in time, really makes you wonder. I don't think it should be an urgent issue, though. They have time to decide on something, and I can see them having some pitchers later this year try them out to see if they feel any different, feel hotter, etc. as they try to decide between some different proposals and narrow it down to two.

 

[RipCity32]

it sounds decent and all but thosw things are going to make your head so hot and in the hotter states no one is going to want to wear them.

That's a good point. Didn't think of that.

 

[Teagz]

Not a terrible idea imo. It'd be nice option for the guys who want to wear them.