MiLB and Rawlings S100

[sgtcluels]

It was mentioned in Mass Haas post earlier, but I figure it should probably get more attention. Minor leagues are next year requiring all players to use the S100 helmet. It's designed to mitigate a 100mph hit to the head, but it looks rather bulky. Each club was sent 6 helmets for field testing, and David Wright is going to wear one once he returns Tuesday from the DL after taking a fastball to the dome.

 

Here's a Video of Dempster AB with it on. Pretty bulky looking..

 

And two pictures...

 

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_OWL7f99PJ_A/SoViJcNz8bI/AAAAAAAAANo/BkVjhx5XOdQ/s320/S100-N_lg.jpg

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/08/13/sports/13helmet.1.600.jpg

 

My guess is that it won't be adopted by most major league players till the MiLB players hit the pros and are used to the helmet. Then I'd assume it may go mandatory for MLB via the grandfather style that hockey used. It looks very very bulky and I'd hope Rawlings can take some of the improvements from the S100 and come up with a solution that's slimmer yet offers more protection from the stuff we have today.

[TheCrew07]

It looks more like a modern football helmet more than a baseball helmet. Not that the look is good or bad, there's no simple way to protect from concussions. I had 2 different sets of parents tell me that they wanted their son in a helmet that prevented concussions... well if there was such a thing don't you think we'd put every kid into one?

 

Studies have shown that most football concussions are caused by impacts around the jaw which is why the modern football helmets are elongated to provide better protection. In baseball a glancing blow to the helmet wouldn't be a problem, but I wonder how the helmet mitigates the force on a direct strike in the area above the ear hole? Basically where the black stripe on the helmet is... does the shell distribute the force of the blow outward? Does the padding inside the helmet do the majority of the work? A combination between them?

[TooLiveBrew]

Here's a link to an article from the NY Times on the helmet. Unfortunately, it doesn't really answer any of TheCrew's specific questions.

 

"Major league players do not play with a helmet that meets any standards," he said. "It's remarkable to me. Once the earflap is removed, it can't be certified." -- David Halstead, Technical Director (National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment)

[DougJones43]

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/deadspin/2009/09/wright_01.jpg

 

Ummmm....I thought it looked cool in the pictures before it was actually put on somebody's head. It's a monstrosity. No wonder it can stop a 100-mph when it's that size. It looks like the player would sway back and forth with it on while running before eventually succumbing to the top-heaviness and toppling over.

[CheezWizHed]

Looks like he accidentally put on Kevin Mench's helmet...

[sbrylski]

Reminds me of Space Balls:

 

http://www.ladyrattlerathletics.com/dark%20helmet.jpg

[sgtcluels]

He took a ludicrous speed blow to the dome and kept going.

 

Hopefully rawlings will take the improvements from the s100 and put them into a midsized helmet that offers increased protection compared to what we have now with out that amount of bulk. But I don't blame Wright at all for wearing it, sure it helps his plate confidence as well, not so afraid of a blow to the head.

[DatHoser]

Reminds me of the great gazoo.

 

I wonder if instead of the extra padding on the inside, they go the way of some of the NFL helmets and put padding on the outside (think Don Beebe). Still bulky, but it ends up moving some of the impact between inner padding and skull to between outer padding and helmet.

[pitchleague]

It reminds me of imputing the "Big Heads" code on some of those 90s sports video games.