http://m.mlb.com/news/article/94278650/h...ation-fractures

I never liked hitting in baseball for that reason. Let's have a 90 mile per hour rock hurled at your face. Sometimes it'll hit you, sometimes it won't, but you probably won't need anything protecting your face

Maybe baseball should be banned? Or maybe MLB should just adopt the use of Nerf bats and balls?

You laugh now but you and I know the world is stupid enough to inch towards that...

The world series of wiffle ball.

I'm old enough to remember Tony Canigliaro and I'll never forget him getting hit by a pitch. That one ball forever changed his life. So when it comes to pitchers brushing the batter off the plate or hitting them for revenge I get a little pissed off wondering what that has to do with baseball....

There's no doubt in my mind, based on the record breaking numbers of his first few years, that Tony would have been talked about among the greats like Mantle or Williams. That night forever changed him and contributed to a stoke resulting in an eight year vegetative state before he died at 45.

http://m.mlb.com/video/v11201835/82010-a-look-at-the-career-of-tony-conigliaro

I do understand wanting to have full visibility to hit the ball, but it always struck me as a bit ridiculous for that reason. The catcher is outfitted like he's going to take a shotgun slug but the batter wears what amounts to a bike helmet, pants, and a shirt.

My neighbor Justin, who babysat my boys after school, was playing fall ball on a team coached by the high school coach. He was hoping to make the high school team and thought this would be a great opportunity to show off his skills. He was up to bat and took a pitch to the chest. It knocked him down then he got up to take his base. When he got to first base he collapsed. The pitch knocked his heart out of rhythm and he died. It was one of the saddest days of my life. My oldest boy never stepped onto a ball field again. My wife who owns a hair salon has been asked to fix the hair of her elder clients when they pass on and she is okay with it. But she said she would never do a child's hair. Well, Justin's mom asked if she would do his hair and she agreed. That was one of the hardest days of her life.

Every major sport has inherent risks of injury. There's really nothing a batter could wear that would completely prevent injury from a 90+ mph fastball.

Now who didn't love a good wiffle ball? You could get real tricky with pitching those things.

Presumably the batter being struck like this is very rare? Otherwise I can't see why something similar to a cricket helmet wouldn't make a lot of sense.

Agree with PM that nothing will make it completely safe, but it seems daft to forego any protection whatsoever if there is a risk.

i've never understood why then dont just wear a cricket helmet

The same reason the NHA forced the hockey mask on the goalies, the players don't want them.

As I was reading this, I thought wow that happened once before, near where I grew up. Then I saw your location, it's the same story.