Why aren't Pitchers wearing helmets?

[CJ_18]

It feels like the Hockey Goalie mask. Now in 2014, we look back to 1940 and wonder what the heck we were thinking: How could Goalies have not been wearing masks? We can’t comprehend it.

I applaud Alex Torres for taking the initiative to wear the padded hat, and then idiotic fans mocked him for it. Shame on Alex Torres for not wanting to have his brain mashed to pieces, be paralyzed, or die. Football players wear amazingly protective helmets and facemasks with amazing technology and it still is the toughest sport in the world. Baseball isn’t tough, and yet people made fun of him for wanting to protect his head. So it’s perfectly normal for hitters to wear a helmet when they’re getting 95mph pitches thrown, but it’s ridiculed if someone who gets baseballs hit 100+ mph at him.

It drives me nuts because it’s SO BLATANTLY OBVIOUS. It’s not like we can’t see it coming. Someone will get hit in the head and die if they don’t do it. Why are they waiting?

[trevor0333]

Have you ever pitched? Like literally little league atleast? Not saying you doth know cause you haven't but it seriously F's with that.

It bothered me as a little leaguer, I can't imagine with all that I'm the majors.

[mhsiao]

Hitters wear helmet due to the fact pitchers can actually throw at hitters' heads if they want and if wild pitch happen there is chance to hit hitter's head.

While pitcher does have less time to react compare to other infielder, however it usually freak accident for pitchers got hit from return and at same time hitters don't to have same type of control where the ball is going like pitcher.

It takes more than just the arm to throw the pitch, the extra weight from the helmet will mess up the throw unless pitcher has been using it since young. Perhaps in the future sport scientist can develop better helmet for pitcher, until than most pitchers will take their chance.

[Mad Guru]

That's part of the danger of the sport.

[DanyBravo]

I think they dont need it. Hitters have more chances of ball hit on head as compared to the pitchers. Plus pitcher's throw will be effected due to helmet.

[Hendrix]

I think you have a point OP, and haven't seen anything in this thread that really addresses the issue. I think finding some sort of protection that doesn't hurt performance would be a good thing. Not hurting performance is a must though, can't be a big clunky thing.

Regarding some of the responses in this thread...

1) That's part of the danger of the sport.

Why is it inherently good to have 'danger' in the sport? Danger is not a good thing. Less danger is better if all other things are equal. I don't see how that's even debatable.


2) Pitchers have less of a chance at getting hit in comparison to batters because....

So? There's still a chance right? If you can lessen some risk of serious injury the odd time it does happen, that is a good thing right? I have less of a chance at getting in a serious accident in the city vs. on the highway. That doesn't mean I should only wear a seat-belt on the highway does it?

3) Helmets are big and clunky, and bothered me in little league
Agreed that they shouldn't wear the type of helmets we wore in little league. But, they can invent a new helmet. Doesn't have to be some big clunky thing. There can be a happy medium where there's some extra protection. Even a strip of 1/2" foam around the outside of the hat would prob have a significant reduction on the forces involved with a baseball hitting someone in the head

[Luv those Knicks]

It's being discussed in some circles. So far, one pitcher has worn a protective cap in a major league game.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/11120 ... ective-cap




I totally get not wanting to wear that thing, but it makes sense.