Should Major League Baseball Implement Protective Headgear?

Happ was taken off on a stretcher after being hit in the head

J.A. Happ became the latest pitcher to fall victim to a vicious line drive right back at him during a Major League Baseball game. Happ, pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays, took a Desmond Jennings' liner off the left side of his head during the second inning of last night's game against the Tampa Bay Rays. He was taken off of the field on a stretcher, but fortunately he is in good condition and was released today from a Florida hospital. However, Happ's injury is becoming all too familiar in the game of baseball. It begs the question: should the MLB implement protective head gear for pitchers?

Think about it. A pitcher starts just 60 feet, six inches away from home plate. When he releases the ball he is inside 60 feet and he is throwing the ball, depending on the level of baseball, at about 80-100 miles per hour. The ball comes off of the bat even faster than that and the reaction time is so minute it's nearly impossible to get out of the way. The man must get lucky. Happ attempted to put his glove up, but it was no use. The ball hit him square and he collapsed to the Tropicana Field turf.

So far, despite the amount of injuries, Major League pitchers have not been in favor of the protective headgear. There have been talks about using padded hats or helmets, but pitchers have not liked the proposed changes. It remains to be seen what the MLB will do, but a possibility is that they could implement the headgear in the minor leagues. To have it in the Major Leagues though it would have to be passed by the MLBPA and as of now that doesn't seem likely. Also, while the padding would help, the reality is that the impact will still be absurdly forceful. Yes, some padding is better than none, but this is an issue that is difficult to fix.

Here's the other thing about pitchers that will most likely keep the protective headgear out of the game: they know the risks. Baseball is a game that has been around for a long, long time and unfortunately this is something that could very easily happen. Many pitchers have expressed that they understand the dangers of pitching and, because they do, they are able to recover and go pitch again after a horrific hit to the head.

When I was a junior in high school I had a similar thing happen to me. I took a line drive off of my rib cage and I had to go to the hospital. I was sore for quite some time and I missed a few games, but it was never really something I thought about while pitching. I think, as a pitcher, you aren't worried about those things when doing your job. With that being said, I still don't think that's an excuse to ignore the issue that is at hand.

All it will take is one man to die from a blow to the head and the game will drastically change. All sports are experiencing issues with dangerous plays. Because men are getting bigger, faster and stronger all of our games are changing. Suddenly, the games aren't what they once were. Football is more dangerous than it was 30 years ago. Baseball players can hit a ball back at a pitcher faster and harder than ever before. Hockey players are more physical than the past and the same can be said for basketball. As the science of conditioning and weight lifting continues to advance, sports will continue to get more dangerous.

The MLB should look into ways to help pitchers, but it is a very difficult problem. There is no way to fix it and it will be hard for veteran pitchers to change the gear they use after using the same stuff since they were kids. This is a change that will come the hard way or a change that will have to start at the bottom in youth baseball. It's not something that baseball can ignore, but it is something that we have to understand is part of the game.

The November Classic??

A snowy World Series may be a more common sight if MLB decides to
keep the regular season at 162 games

The MLB playoff races are coming to a close and it is hard to tear your eyes away with the Wild Card races so tight. The St. Louis Cardinals and Tampa Bay Rays are making a late postseason push while the Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox try to hold them off. If the Cardinals win today they will close within one game of the Braves and St. Louis has a much more favorable schedule the rest of the way. However, by the time the regular season is over with it will be September 28th. The playoffs will begin in early October and the World Series may not conclude until October 27th. That's awfully late in the year and it could be an awfully cold Series if, say, the Yankees and Phillies go head-to-head. What's worse is that baseball is now talking about expanding the playoffs to include more teams (we are in the time of expansion you know) and if they do that then the regular season must be shortened.

Since 1961 the MLB has had a 162-game season, as opposed to the 154-game schedule they had prior to that. The Wild Card was introduced 1995 which allowed four teams per league to qualify for the playoffs and I am in full agreement with that move. It would be a shame if the Red Sox and Yankees could never play each other in the playoffs or a team like the Braves, who has had a great year but just happens to be in the same division as the Phillies, got left out of October baseball. The Wild Card teams have always been very successful and it's usually because they HAD to win at the end of the regular season so they come in hot. Now, Bud Selig and the Gang want to expand the playoffs to ten teams which means two Wild Cards in each league.

I will agree with the playoff expansion if, and only if, MLB realizes that it needs a shorter regular season. 162 games is a ton of games and players break down after awhile. Also, the Cubs and Astros don't need to still be playing right now. It's absurd and it just prolongs the agony of a terrible season. I recently read a column by Sports Illustrated's Joe Posnanski and he suggested that the schedule be shortened back to 154 games. I could not agree more with that. Obviously there would be disputes with the record book because, for a long time, players had eight more games to compile statistics. That's something that would have to be figured out but it's a no-brainer that the schedule must be shortened.

The game has changed over time. 15 wins is what 20 wins was back in the day. Saves and holds are more important than ever and 30 home runs is a common sight. What MLB can't be worried about is the statistics and numbers. Yes, with eight fewer games there probably won't be many 20-game winners and less home runs will be hit along with fewer RBIs. It's not about any of that though. Less games means the players will be better at the end of the year and that means more fans in the stands and better games televised nationally. Thus, MLB puts out a better product. Also, if the season stayed at 162 games and the playoff were expanded that would push the Fall Classic into November. That can't happen for two huge reasons. One would be the weather. The other, and most important, is that MLB couldn't compete with the NFL and the start of the NBA. The World Series hasn't been getting good ratings and the longer the baseball season drags on, the longer they must compete with the NFL. That's fighting a losing battle.

There has been no mention of shortening the schedule but the playoffs will be expanded for sure. Bud Selig has been highly criticized during his time in office but if he were to make this move it might go down as the best move during his tenure. It's better for the players. It's better for the fans and, most importantly, it's best for the game of baseball.

MLB Preseason Predictions: American League East Preview

Carl Crawford                            Adrian Gonzalez

For the next several posts I will be breaking down the MLB, division by division and giving my preseason picks and predictions. After last year's unlikely World Series matchup and some huge offseason signings by the Red Sox and Phillies, the 2011 year has big storylines and should be a competitive year. I will start with the American League East which is, once again, going to be the power division in baseball. The Red Sox upgraded with offseason signings and the Yankees still have one of the meanest lineups in the game. The Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles should be interesting to watch for different reasons. The Rays lost a few key players and we will see how they respond while the O's added a slugger in Vladimir Guerrero. Toronto has made a home with being mediocre and we shouldn't expect anything different this year. So, without further ado, let's get into these predictions and breakdowns.

1. Boston Red Sox
After an injury plagued 2010 the Red Sox are looking to get back on track and back in the postseason. The usual core is back of Kevin Youkilis, David Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia but two offseason free agent signings have made the BoSox lineup even scarier. Carl Crawford, from the Tampa Bay Rays, and Adrian Gonzalez of the San Diego Padres both signed for big bucks and Boston should score runs in bunches. The pitching rotation is strong and the Sox added Bobby Jenks to the bullpen. If this year's club stays healthy they should be playing in the Fall Classic.

2. New York Yankees
As always, the Bronx Bombers are going to drive in runs with Robinson Cano, Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixiera in the middle of the lineup but what could set the Yankees back is their pitching. They failed to sign Cliff Lee but C.C. Sabathia is a clear-cut ace and we know what to expect from him. Phil Hughes was excellent last year and should pitch like that again but A.J. Burnett, the Yanks other huge free agent signing a few years back, had a rocky 2010 and needs to bounce back. Otherwise, New York could be in trouble. The American League is loaded this year and it won't be a cakewalk to the playoffs like it normally is. It's no secret that Derek Jeter's career is coming to a close in the next few years and it would be nice to see him get another ring, however, the Yanks will need the bottom of their rotation to step up.

3. Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays lost Carlos Pena and Matt Garza to the Cubs but rookie pitcher, Jeremy Hellickson, is a player to watch. He dominated in little action last year and is expected to be in the rotation from Day 1 in '11. Carl Crawford also left but two former Red Sox, Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez, have joined the Rays in hopes to keep them in the playoff hunt. Both are up in their years but can still hit the ball. David Price is always a Cy Young candidate and will anchor a rotation that has been strong the last few years.

4. Baltimore Orioles
This is a risk picking the O's anywhere but the basement of the division but they seem to have added enough bats to their lineup. Derrek Lee and Vladimir Guerrero have both been great hitters in their respective careers and the O's hope that they can produce in a lineup of young players. Luke Scott provides pop and Felix Pie and Corey Patterson have shown flashes of brilliance. Pitching is suspect in Baltimore but perhaps they can score enough runs to put fans back in the seats of their beautiful ballpark.

5. Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays dwell in mediocrity and this year shouldn't be much different. They have a superb lineup and it will be interesting to see if Jose Bautista's 2010 season was a fluke. Juan Rivera was added for some extra pop along with Adam Lind. Vernon Wells left for the Angels and that hurts. The Blue Jays can never seem to get over the hump and I don't think that will happen anytime soon.

Best Lineup: Boston
Best Pitching Staff: Tampa Bay

Best Player: Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees
Best Pitcher: David Price, Tampa Bay Rays