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Let's Wear Helmets - Jul 24, 2007
posted by: Josh
Every Wednesday and Thursday during the fall baseball season at Brandeis, we would scrimmage for most of our time at practice. This provided a perfect opportunity for the upperclassmen to convince the younger guys that they needed helmets to coach first base. Each time, the inexperienced players would jog out to first wearing a helmet, realizing a few minutes later that at the college level, base coaches who wear helmets are geeks. In high school, players can’t get close to the coaching box without wearing a helmet. Yet in college, helmets are reserved solely for those in the batter’s box. Those watching the game from just outside the baseline no longer have to cover up their domes, instead wearing their caps and looking cool for the fans. In the professional game, coaches never wear helmets while on the field, but after the tragic death of Mike Coolbaugh on Sunday, I have to wonder why. Coolbaugh was struck in the head by a line drive while coaching first base for the Tulsa Drillers on Sunday, and died soon after. Coolbaugh was the father of two boys and his wife Amanda is pregnant with their third child. Could a helmet have saved Mike Coolbaugh? Perhaps. Why don’t our base coaches at the college and professional levels don the safety caps? I have seen fielders struck in the head during games and they have gloves on their hands. Why don’t coaches have helmets and/or gloves? What is the rationale for standing on the sideline, a prime target for a ball traveling 100+ miles per hour? I am deeply saddened by the loss of Mike Coolbaugh and would like to propose that helmets be worn by base coaches from this point forward. I will send this post to my college coach, not to alert him of the game he already knows happens each fall, but to ask him to protect our players. I will also send it to others in the baseball community. Maybe Coolbaugh’s passing can save a life or two in the future. 
CommentsThere absolutely IS NO good reason for first and third base coaches to not wear helmets on the field. Baserunners wear helmets, don't they? They don't have fielding gloves on, so it makes sense. Base coaches don't have fielding gloves on either, so wearing what the baserunners wear is a logical step to reduce injuries. Unfortunately, an incident like this was bound to happen sometime. I've seen several things like this. I've seen umpires at 1st base get drilled and I've seen seats explode from foul balls. The thing is, when the NHL experienced slapshots going into the stands and killing people, they took action by putting up nets. It seems though that baseball would react to an idea like this negatively for baseball has always been a sport that the playing field is completely open and fans are basically sitting on the field. Hockey has always had a 10 foot piece of glass to section off the fans. Who knows? John Olerud knew what he was doing with his helmet while he played first base, but does Bud Selig know? Players in the field do not wear helmets. Although it's an unfortunate incident, the fact that it's only happened once indicates it's not a problem. Freak occurrences happen, end of story. Typically they have time to react to either move out of the way or shield themselves from getting hit in the same way a third baseman does. When a pitcher gets hit by a line drive and dies, which probably will happen someday, will we all start asking for pitchers to wear helmets? I am a 15-year college coach that was struck directly in the head by a foul ball while standing in the dugout coaching a game. I was ready and alert to the hitter, looking directly at him. At 45 years of age I feel my reflexes are not that bad. The dugouts are where it is not safe! Many, many facilities are built poorly with no protection in front of the players sitting in the dugouts. Many of these dugouts are built very close to the field. Have you ever noticed how many people ARE NOT paying any attention to the game in the dugout? You are on the right path of considering protection while on the field but you need to add facilities! Post a Comment |
  
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