New Reinforced Baseball Helmets by Rawling
Can New Technology Protect Major League Players From Concussion?
Biomechanics is the science of physics applied to human movement. Biomechanics looks at how to improve sports performance through applying the principles of physics (i.e., speed, velocity, momentum, friction). In this case, science has provided the foundation for the development of a helmet that can withstand the force of a 100mph ball without damage.
Wright Sustains Concussion After Being Hit in the Head
There are plenty of examples of major league ball players who have been hit in the head by pitched balls. One of the more recent examples was New York Mets’ third baseman David Wright who was recently hit in the head by a 94mph fastball. Wright sustained a concussion after being struck on the side of the head in the fourth inning in a game between the Mets and the Giants.
Wright laid face down for almost a minute while the athletic training staff tended to him. He spent the night in a hospital for observation and then was released. Wright is one athlete who is supportive of the new helmet (New York Times, August 13, 2009).
National Operating Committee for Athletic Equipment
It is interesting to note that the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment does not currently certify many of the helmets used by major league baseball players because “they do not have enough interior padding and do not have two earflaps” (Witz, B., New York Times, August 13, 2009).
The National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) sets standards for a number of different sports including football, baseball, softball, and lacrosse (Foundations of Athletic Training, 3rd ed, 2005). Football helmets actually need to be recertified annually in order to be used each year.
The NCAA requires that all football helmets are certified by NOCSAE and that they also have a warning label regarding the risk of injury. The warning label states that severe brain or neck injury may occur during the sport of football, that not all injuries can be prevented by the use of a helmet, and that players play at their own risk.
Although safety standards for protective equipment exist to protect athletes from head injury, it appears that major league baseball does not utilize the same standards as other sport organizations. The hope is that individual athletes will choose to wear equipment that has been proven to withstand the same type of force in a laboratory setting as the athletes face everyday on the field.
It appears that athletes who have been hit in the head (Edgar Gonzalez, San Diego Padres and David Wright, Mets) are eager to try the new helmets, whereas others are a little less eager to sport the new helmet.
Concerns About the New Helmet
Some of the concerns regarding the new helmet include an increase in the weight of the helmet along with the look of the helmet. The new helmet features a composite insert and an expanded liner made of Polypropylene (Singer, August 31, 2009). Polypropylene is a material regularly used in industrial and bicycle helmets because of its strength. The slightly heavier weight of the helmet will take the athletes a little time to get used to it.
The new Rawlings S100 is currently being tested by major league teams. Each team was provided with six helmets for their athletes to try. According to Tom Singer who writes for MLB.com (August 31, 2009), the new helmet will be mandatory in 16 Minor Leagues and for 185 Minor League Teams beginning in 2010.
The choice to use or not use the Rawlings S100 at the professional level is up to the individual athlete. The hope for the future is that young athletes will grow up using the safer helmets and that they will be better protected because of the science behind the helmet.
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