Spring Break
Safety experts advise baseball helmets, face masks for high school infielders
June 2, 2008
John Keilman and Colleen Kane - Chicago TribuneIssue date: 5/29/08 Section: Real News
Christy Collins' vision for the future of baseball can be glimpsed through the polycarbonate bars of a face mask.
The Ohio researcher examined data from dozens of high school teams and concluded that the best way to reduce serious injuries on the diamond would be to require that all infielders, from pitchers to shortstops, wear helmets and face protection.
Her suggestion, published Monday in the journal Pediatrics, would mean a huge change in the game's gear. Few think the idea will come to pass soon _ if ever _ but it has become part of a larger discussion about safety in America's Pastime, where a long-held culture of toughness is slowly giving way to more cautious attitudes.
"To have a starting pitcher wear a helmet the whole time could be a burden, but you have to weigh the pros and cons and the dangers of being hit in the head," said Mike Napoleon, head coach at New Trier High School. "Does it happen enough (to warrant a helmet)? I don't know. I haven't seen it happen, but one time might be enough."
Baseball is among the safest high school sports, with a total injury rate well below that of football and even soccer. But when it comes to serious harm, a 2000 study showed that it trails only wrestling for injuries that keep players sidelined for a week or more.
As part of a wider survey on sports injuries, Collins, a researcher at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, looked at two seasons of high school trainers' reports. She found that extreme injuries _ fractures, concussions and dental damage _ were more likely to afflict players who'd been hit by a batted ball.
"It can be pretty costly to treat head and face injuries, as well as having an impact on the player _ keeping them out of play, changing their outlook on sports," she said. "Sports are one of the major ways kids can have a physically fit and healthy lifestyle. If a player sustains an injury, they may quit in the long term, and we definitely don't want that to happen."
The Ohio researcher examined data from dozens of high school teams and concluded that the best way to reduce serious injuries on the diamond would be to require that all infielders, from pitchers to shortstops, wear helmets and face protection.
Her suggestion, published Monday in the journal Pediatrics, would mean a huge change in the game's gear. Few think the idea will come to pass soon _ if ever _ but it has become part of a larger discussion about safety in America's Pastime, where a long-held culture of toughness is slowly giving way to more cautious attitudes.
"To have a starting pitcher wear a helmet the whole time could be a burden, but you have to weigh the pros and cons and the dangers of being hit in the head," said Mike Napoleon, head coach at New Trier High School. "Does it happen enough (to warrant a helmet)? I don't know. I haven't seen it happen, but one time might be enough."
Baseball is among the safest high school sports, with a total injury rate well below that of football and even soccer. But when it comes to serious harm, a 2000 study showed that it trails only wrestling for injuries that keep players sidelined for a week or more.
As part of a wider survey on sports injuries, Collins, a researcher at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, looked at two seasons of high school trainers' reports. She found that extreme injuries _ fractures, concussions and dental damage _ were more likely to afflict players who'd been hit by a batted ball.
"It can be pretty costly to treat head and face injuries, as well as having an impact on the player _ keeping them out of play, changing their outlook on sports," she said. "Sports are one of the major ways kids can have a physically fit and healthy lifestyle. If a player sustains an injury, they may quit in the long term, and we definitely don't want that to happen."
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