Protection Worth A Small Sacrifice

Last summer Jack finally reached the modified kid pitch level of Little League, which is the first level at which kids are allowed to pitch.

Jack had been eagerly awaiting the opportunity take the mound for quite some time. While watching major league games, he would often mimic the windups he'd be watching, pretending he was staring down a David Ortiz or Miguel Cabrera.

So as manager of Jack's team, I made sure to get Jack on the mound. It was a moment he had been dreaming about, but the decision to allow him to pitch did not come without trepidation or anxiety.

I wasn't worried about how he'd perform. That was the least of my concerns. Rather it was the images of Bryce Florie, David Huff, Brandon McCarthy and many others writhing in pain on the mound after taking a hard line drive off the head that gave me pause.

Major League Baseball on Tuesday took a step to help alleviate those concerns and improve player safety by approving a padded pitcher's hat. Unfortunately, major league pitchers, including McCarthy, are not rushing to embrace the new technology.