Should Pitchers be Required to Wear Helmets?

Today after watching what happen to Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Aroldis Chapmann I think it’s safe to say that Major League Baseball needs to start looking at pitcher safety. There have been too many times now in the game of baseball where a line drive to the head or face of a pitcher has caused a lot of damage. Baseball is protecting catchers by not allowing deliberate home plate collisions. They need to think about all the players, not just one position

In the NFL, NBA, and NHL if you have a concussion you have to sit out until you can pass a series of tests. How is a pitcher suppose to comeback from a line drive if they have no protection? When a batter gets hit in the head with a pitch they have a helmet. It still hurts, and it still rattles their cage but atleast they have some form of protection.

John Olerud is the only player I know of that’s ever wore a helmet but that was because he suffered a brain aneurysm in College. However you have to ask the question, what if pitchers were require to wear a helmet or some sort of protective head gear. I think with a horrible incident like Chapmanns the discussion has to be started and the exploration of possible ways to increase safety need to be looked at.

Major League Baseball should not wait for something traumatic to happen. For example, it took Dale Earnhardt’s death for NASCAR to require all drivers to wear the HANS device. What would happen if Justin Verlander or Clayton Kershaw took a line drive to the head and became permanently disable or worse? Would MLB then enforce safety measures or precautions to protect pitchers. My advice to Major League Baseball would be to not wait until someones career or life ends because they didn’t take care of the problem

I would just like to end by saying that Aroldis Chapmman is in my thoughts and prayers and I hope he can recover from this and resume his career.