Article: Let's Create a Hard Hat Area on MLB Fields

[Matthew Trueblood]

The danger inherent to the game of baseball visited the Brewers Friday night. While it's hard to tell how long or how much Willy Adames's concussion will affect him, it's easy to see that some changes are in order.

Image courtesy of © Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

We’re all incredibly lucky. When Brian Anderson hit a sharp foul ball in the second inning Friday night against the Giants, it found Willy Adames’s skull, but glanced off without causing major damage. Let’s not wait to get less lucky before making MLB diamonds a safer workplace.

In July 2007, Tulsa Drillers first base coach Mike Coolbaugh was hit with a line-drive foul ball. It caught him in the neck, but with such force that it collapsed his vertebral artery and compromised blood flow to his brain. He died hours later. That incident is why, since 2008, on-field coaches in professional baseball have been required to wear helmets.

Obviously, Coolbaugh’s injury was a freak accident. The ball hit an area that would not have been protected by a helmet. Still, that was a sufficient impetus to make a pretty significant change. Since then, we’ve seen further changes to the playing field and its safety rules, such that every affiliated pro team now has netting well down its foul lines, to protect fans from hard-hit foul balls. Those, too, came in the wake of terrifying incidents.

By now, we need to be ready to acknowledge the realities here. Within a certain radius–100 feet is a good estimate from which to begin–of home plate, baseball is very dangerous, and anyone who wants to be that close needs to be properly protected. That’s not news. Catchers have worn protective equipment for well over 100 years. Umpires have, too. Batters have been required to wear helmets at the plate for about half that long. 

With every heart-stopping line drive back to the mound and every impossible-to-predict liner into a dugout, it’s becoming clear that we need to go farther. Pitchers should wear protective headwear. So should any player or coach who wants to have their head above the railings of the dugouts during play. There could just be hooks on which helmets hang for shared use, in any area designated as a risk. There are plenty of ways to do it. One way or another, though, it needs doing.

There will be, for a while yet, resistance to this idea. We know how many pitchers, even those who have had their lives or careers threatened by comebackers, will chafe at a requirement that they wear something that might make it harder for them to execute their delivery. Players think of the dugouts as safe and sacred spaces, and won’t appreciate any new rule constraining their behavior there. Change comes slowly because no one likes it.

When change comes too slowly, though, people get hurt. That’s true in all walks of life, but it’s easy to see in cases like this one. Baseball is a fun, edifying endeavor. It’s also a billion-dollar industry. In order to protect the image of it as the former, we sometimes ignore or downplay the latter. It’s still there, though, and an industry as big, moneyed, and carefully regulated as baseball has a responsibility to protect its employees from the risk of harm.

On any given day, at a construction site, the chance of equipment or material falling and hitting someone in the head with significant force is quite small. Nonetheless, workers on those sites wear hard hats, because probability isn’t the issue. If and when an accident does happen, there’s a real chance that it could alter or destroy a life. Thus, the reasonable course of action is to take precautions. That’s what MLB needs to do now.

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[Harold Hutchison]

The other option is to ban players from having their head over the railing in the dugout. That should have been a team rule.

[WAN2]

Don't they screen off batting practice pitchers?

[Brock Beauchamp]

5 minutes ago, WAN2 said:

Don't they screen off batting practice pitchers?

Welcome to Brewer Fanatic!

[jerichoholicninja]

A helmet wouldn't have saved Coolbaugh and a helmet wouldn't protect 99% of the pitchers who get hit on the mound because they almost always get hit in the face. Players getting hit in the dugout happens so infrequently that I see no reason to do anything about it. If something has to be done though just put nets in front of them. That would probably also stop some of the dumb bench clearing incidents too.

[Fear The Chorizo]

The only thing that needs to happen is for the entry/exit point on the homeplate end of the current dugouts to add a swing gate, and for players to sit on the bench of the dugout and not on the front of it on chairs where their heads are above the screen/netting.  The dugout is designed to protect players from these type of injuries by setting it up below ground, and players have removed that safety feature for themselves by opting to sit where most of them do during the game.

In short, if players want to stop getting hit in the head with line drive foul balls they can't avoid given how close they are to the field, they should use their head a little more.  

Every single one of the Brewer players/coaches are in line of fire in this image, yet the spots on the dugout bench that are completely safe are unoccupied.

 

[homer]

John Olerud approves

[Nola Beery]

1 hour ago, jerichoholicninja said:

A helmet wouldn't have saved Coolbaugh and a helmet wouldn't protect 99% of the pitchers who get hit on the mound because they almost always get hit in the face. Players getting hit in the dugout happens so infrequently that I see no reason to do anything about it. If something has to be done though just put nets in front of them. That would probably also stop some of the dumb bench clearing incidents too.

Notice how women softball pitchers wear a scaled-down version of a catcher's mask? Good move!!! Some years ago, my daughter ..our best pitcher.. broke her nose doing a goofy batting practice drill put in place by her idiotic coach (who was also her dad).  There was significant risk of dangerous bleeding if she got another knock on the schnozz.  When I suggested letting her pitch in the state tournament while wearing a mask, it was viewed with dismay, wonder, or contempt by almost everyone, including league officials.  She missed her spot in the rotation for the opening game.  Fortunately, her backup* rose to the occasion, pitched beautifully, and we won the game.  (We didn't win State that year, but we won it the next. )   

I also remember when hockey players --including goalies-- played without mask or helmets (and you could smoke on airplanes, &c., &c. heheh) 

* Her backup was a girl named Katie.  I wish I could remember her last name because she was a great teammate.  Fortunately, I had the rare good sense to praise her in front of the players and parents for stepping up in a great way. 

[Fire Manfred]

How about no.  Pay attention when you’re at you f’n job!

[Brock Beauchamp]

20 minutes ago, Fire Manfred said:

How about no.  Pay attention when you’re at you f’n job!

Welcome to the site. Out of curiosity, what's your take on the MLB commissioner?

[Axman59]

I think they should start using squishy balls like they do in T-ball. And they should use protective screens for the pitcher like they do in batting practice. I would also recommend that hitters start wearing full motorcycle helmets for added protection. And a throat guard for their neck.

[Samurai Bucky]

I have only been in one or two MLB dugouts and to a handful of college ball parks.  All of them are set up this way.  As a coach, when I would sit in the dugout, I would always be behind the netting that was there.  Two summers ago (IIRC), a Hitters coach was hit while in the bench at the Rock.  I think he passed away.  Those dugouts are very, very close.  Mike -- I would suggest full netting in front of the dugouts, please.

My oldest daughter hit a line drive back up the middle and hit a girl in the head playing High School fastpitch softball.  The pitcher ended up in the ICU, but ended up OK fortunately.  She was not wearing a mask.  A few weeks later, she ripped a line drive towards the third base coach which hit his hand -- which was in front of his sternum.  After five minutes, he was ok -- probably from the shock.

Three years later, we saw the same thing.  Same high school team -- different hitter.  No mask on the pitcher.

My three daughters always wore face masks on the infield.  One was a PO, the other two were on the left hand side of the infield.  There are some in the softball world who poo poo the notion.  After seeing one girl getting hauled off to the hospital and another being taken by her parents, I have become passionate about that.

However, these are grown men.  They can "make their own decisions," I guess.  Mandating that they sit below the netting will not work.  Putting netting all the way up in front of the railing will not solve the problem because players will still have their heads / arms near or above the netting.  I would like to see it, though.

Finally, unless a 100MPH ball just stops after hitting the back wall, the entire dugout is at risk.

I equate this to hockey players being required to wear a helmet.  It would be best if they work a full face cage, but they don't.  They get hit in the mouth with the puck and, although rare, it is a result of their choice.

[Axman59]

The wimpification of America continues. Why not shut the sport down and avoid all chance of injury to anyone?

[Matthew Trueblood]

2 hours ago, Fire Manfred said:

How about no.  Pay attention when you’re at you f’n job!

Do we have any evidence that Adames wasn’t paying attention? Coolbaugh wasn’t inattentive. There are a large number of valid things for players and coaches to be watching while on or near the field. If the ball isn’t their primary focus at a particular moment, it tells us really nothing about their level of engagement with the game. And even if it were true that guys are sometimes exposed and distracted, I’d argue that they’re making themselves visible and available to fans and teammates. Let’s eschew being judgmental and just protect people as best we can.

[homer]

Foul territory has decreased about 20% after the last run of new ballparks were built. Presumably the dugouts are much closer than back in the day when men were men. I can see making those safer. If a guy hits a 100mph screamer at your head you won't stand much chance even if you are paying attention.

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/ballpark-playing-surfaces-are-shrinking-in-a-surprising-way/

[Fear The Chorizo]

3 minutes ago, homer said:

Foul territory has decreased about 20% after the last run of new ballparks were built. Presumably the dugouts are much closer than back in the day when men were men. I can see making those safer. If a guy hits a 100mph screamer at your head you won't stand much chance even if you are paying attention.

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/ballpark-playing-surfaces-are-shrinking-in-a-surprising-way/

Dugouts are definitely pinned in closer to the playing surface in effort to cram as many premium field level seats into ballparks that all happen to be protected by netting - I think if the existing dugout safety design features were used/respected more by players/coaches this wouldn't be an issue, and it shouldn't take someone very long to add some minor safety features to virtually write off this risk altogether.  Endless youth and amateur ballfields have dugouts much, much closer to the field of play than MLB ballparks - they're largely protected by floor to roof chainlink screens and the entrance/exit points are set up where it's virtually impossible for a hard-hit ball to get inside them.

When the only times the bottom of the dugout is used by players is largely between innings or when a player comes back in the dugout for a team HR celebration, it's not really serving its intended purpose.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Can't believe just putting a net in front of guys or some other comparable measure is being labeled as part of the "wussification of America." Sorry, there is nothing tough or manly about taking a ball to the head at 105mph. It's just stupid. Correct, it rarely happens. Correct, Adames seems (hopefully) fine. Those are not valid reasons to do nothing. Luck is the only reason he is still breathing. Do something before someone is killed at the MLB level, because it will happen. 

IMO they all look like idiots leaning over the dugout, this is not knee-jerk either, I think that every single game I see it. I'd be the clown on the team sitting in the dugout the entire game. 

[Axman59]

6 hours ago, OldSchoolSnapper said:

Can't believe just putting a net in front of guys or some other comparable measure is being labeled as part of the "wussification of America."

 

 

This is what the article above was arguing for:

Quote

With every heart-stopping line drive back to the mound and every impossible-to-predict liner into a dugout, it’s becoming clear that we need to go farther. Pitchers should wear protective headwear. So should any player or coach who wants to have their head above the railings of the dugouts during play. There could just be hooks on which helmets hang for shared use, in any area designated as a risk. There are plenty of ways to do it. One way or another, though, it needs doing.

 

That's just stupid.

Players can sit in the dugout where there is a screen in front of them and there is no chance of ball hitting them. Many choose not to sit in those areas, which is fine, because they have assumed the risk. But here comes the nanny with a helmet for them to wear in the dugout.

[homer]

Guys, lay off calling other people's ideas "stupid". Thanks.

[jerichoholicninja]

There are seats built in the dugouts right next to the railing. They are literally designed for people to sit that close. Whether that's a good idea or not is another thing. Some of you are acting like the bench at the bottom is the only place to sit and players are just hanging out in areas that they shouldn't be. 

I would think sitting way down in the dugout is actually more dangerous because you don't have a good view of the field and if a line drive was to come in there you probably wouldn't see it and then have no idea where it would ricochet off the wall. In fact, it may have happened, but I can't remember anyone ever get hit at the railing. It's always someone down in the dugout.

[MrTPlush]

There is a way for them to be protected. There are seats down in the dugout if they want to be safe. If millionaires want to risk a freak accident...let them. Might as well place a net in front of the pitcher like in BP at this rate. 

I don't think every random freak accident needs some solution to make the chances of it happening again 0%. It just isn't feasible or realistic. You would quickly make the game unplayable. It is only a matter of time before someone jumps into the nets down the line and gets hurt in it...what then? Sometimes I think these safety measures provide a false sense of safety. I don't recall a ton of injuries at the brick walls in Chicago...probably because the players aren't idiots and know it won't end well. Yet guys think it is safe to dive headfirst into a padded wall...doesn't end well. Remember when Lorenzo Cain dove headfirst into that chain-link fence as a rookie? 

Balls are flying really fast...there is going to be some inherent risk and freak accident potential. 

[Fear The Chorizo]

1 hour ago, jerichoholicninja said:

There are seats built in the dugouts right next to the railing. They are literally designed for people to sit that close. Whether that's a good idea or not is another thing. Some of you are acting like the bench at the bottom is the only place to sit and players are just hanging out in areas that they shouldn't be. 

I would think sitting way down in the dugout is actually more dangerous because you don't have a good view of the field and if a line drive was to come in there you probably wouldn't see it and then have no idea where it would ricochet off the wall. In fact, it may have happened, but I can't remember anyone ever get hit at the railing. It's always someone down in the dugout.

It's a bench along the railing that was most likely put in at the players request - take it down and put a swing gate on that fence on the home plate side of each dugout and force them to actually use the bench that's protected inside the dugout.  

There's about a 1-foot vertical difference between the top of the existing fence and the roof of the dugout - it would also be very easy to extend that railing fence up a slight bit to match the height of the the dugout roof and make a hard-hit line drive virtually impossible to get into the dugout.  

All that being said and if they actually take these steps for player safety, players will probably find a way to bring step ladders in to stand on them and get their heads above the protective fencing anyways...I've seen plenty of guys literally sitting/sprawled out in the gaps between the fence where players enter/exit the dugouts during the game.  It's just comical to me thinking it was only a couple summers ago when MLB played an abbreviated season with no fans and with players/coaches having to wear masks in dugouts/bullpens in the spirit of player health/safety, and these same dudes would have any sort of heartburn being better protected from 100+ mph projectiles flying at their heads when they're not expecting it.

[Axman59]

24 minutes ago, Fear The Chorizo said:

It's a bench along the railing that was most likely put in at the players request - take it down and put a swing gate on that fence on the home plate side of each dugout and force them to actually use the bench that's protected inside the dugout.  

 

You are trying to protect people who choose not to be protected. Their choice, their risk, their problem.

[jerichoholicninja]

22 minutes ago, Axman59 said:

You are trying to protect people who choose not to be protected. Their choice, their risk, their problem.

Adames was sitting down in the dugout. Not at the rail. Didn't a Brewers coach get nailed in the dugout last year or a couple years ago too? It's the people in the "safe area" that are getting hurt. Most likely because they let their guard down because they think they're safe. I can't remember once instance of a player sitting by the rail getting hit.

[wiguy94]

1 minute ago, jerichoholicninja said:

Adames was sitting down in the dugout. Not at the rail. Didn't a Brewers coach get nailed in the dugout last year or a couple years ago too? It's the people in the "safe area" that are getting hurt. Most likely because they let their guard down because they think they're safe. I can't remember once instance of a player sitting by the rail getting hit.

Adames was on the rail. He also wasn't really paying attention that closely (although I'm not sure that would have made a difference). Here's a video of it.