The Protective Hat for MLB Pitchers is Absurdly Large
On Friday, Toronto Blue Jay Todd Redmond was provided one of the new protective hats for Major League pitchers. So far we've yet to see anybody wear them in play, and for good reason: they're massive. (I mean seriously, look at that thing. I'm all for better protecting players but that hat looks cartoonish.)
Redmond, as noted above, isn't exactly a fan of the look. But what about pitchers who've recently been hit in the head with a line drive? Well, they're not big on it either. Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Brandon McCarthy, who took a devastating drive off his head a few seasons ago, blasted the new cap, suggesting he wouldn't wear it in its current form. "The technology is there," he said. "It helps. It's proven to help. But I don't think it's ready yet as a major league-ready product. And I told them that. I told them that's where it's at."
In addition to the absurd size, there are other problems with the cap, including weight and heat. According to McCarthy, the hat retains much more heat and the extra padding adds seven ounces to the weight -- a considerable amount given the current Major League Baseball lid comes in at three to four ounces.
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