On June 15, 2013 Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Alex Cobb was struck in the head with a line drive off the bat of Kansas City first baseman Eric Hosmer.  Alex Torres, now a relief pitcher of the San Diego Padres, watched the whole incident happen live as he was sitting in the bullpen as a member of the Rays at the time.

Since the incident with Cobb, MLB has worked extremely hard to make the game safer so fewer injuries occur on comebackers to the mound.  To make the game safer, MLB has created the isoblox hat, otherwise known as the “helmet hat.”

Torres, the fourth year Venezuelan southpaw, is the first person to wear the helmet hat in the big leagues. Although it may look silly and no one has seen anything ever like this, it takes a step in the right direction for the game to become safer.

The hat has padding on the inside that surrounds the whole cap that is a little more than a half-inch thicker in the front and an inch thicker on the sides by the temples than a standard hat.

“I think it might be a little awkward at first,” said EHS senior pitcher Daniel Lloyd. “But if it’s supposed to help prevent serious injury from line drives hit back at pitchers, I think it’s definitely a good idea.”

Over the past couple of years several pitchers other than Cobb have been hit in the head with line drives.  Brandon McCarthy of the New York Yankees was one pitcher who almost had his career end after being struck in the head with a line drive.

Most major league pitchers, including McCarthy, have said that the hat is too big and too hot and not yet ready for game action.  But apparently Torres doesn’t seem to mind.

“Personally I wouldn’t wear one because I feel like it’d mess with my game,” said EHS senior pitcher Jordan Hovey.  “Pitching is an art and having that on my head would work as a distraction to me.”

Two years ago, former EHS pitcher Drew Curtis was struck in the head with a line drive during a summer game for the Tigers.  Curtis had to be taken off the field by a stretcher and was given multiple stitches in his head.

“By playing the game you risk the chance of getting hurt,” said Hovey.  “It’s just the nature of the sport.”

The shape and size of the hat is probably the biggest turn off for a pitcher as it is not the most fashionable thing in the world.

“They make you look like Mario and Luigi which is kind of funny and it would be safe, but I wouldn’t wear one,” said EHS senior pitcher Aaron Jackson.

Regardless if Mario is pitching or Torres, the hat will make the pitcher feel safer out on the mound.  MLB is definitely moving in the right direction with this hat, but the only way it might stick is if the hat is introduced at lower level baseball and then the players come accustom to the new lid.