Major League Baseball has approved a pitcher's protective head gear product for optional use this coming season. The gear—which looks like an ordinary baseball cap—is made by the 4Licensing Corporation subsidiary of
isoBlox, and will be offered to pitchers for spring training use this February. According to the manufacturer, the caps are only one-half inch thicker in the front and one inch thicker at the temples than a typical on-field cap. The new protective cap can take a frontal impact of up to 90 MPH and a side impact of up to 85 MPH. The soft padding on the inside is made of 'plastic injection molded polymers combined with a foam substrate'. Hopefully, the fact that this gear is not too dissimilar from ordinary caps will encourage a majority of pitchers to use it. Good move, MLB!
