Pitcher Protection Device

About our project

 

In a typical Major League Baseball season, comprising of 2,430 games, the number of pitches thrown approaches one million.  Of these pitches, batters typically make contact with the ball about 80% of the time.  When the batter makes contact, roughly 20% of those hits are line drives (not necessarily at the pitcher).16 Statistics on how often the pitcher is struck or nearly struck by these line drives are not kept, but it has been estimated that less than 0.001% of the million pitches in a season will result in a pitcher being struck in the head by a line drive.17 

 

While this event is a rare occurrence in baseball, the injuries that can be sustained are some of the worst injuries in any sport.  In 2012, Brandon McCarthy was struck in the head, and, incredibly, walked off the field under his own power.  Soon after, he required life-saving brain surgery due to an epidural hemorrhage, a brain contusion, and a skull fracture.  In 1994, Mike Wilson was struck in the mouth. The impact knocked out many of his teeth, one of which landed at second base, and damaged his nasal cavity.18  In 2007, minor league first base coach Mike Coolbaugh died after being struck in the head by a line drive.19

 

Clearly, these types of injuries need to be prevented, yet there is currently only one MLB-approved protection device available to pitchers. There has been widespread resistance to wearing additional equipment, since pitchers are concerned that any change to their equipment will affect their pitching.  Thus, there is need for a device that pitchers can use unnoticed on the 99.999% of plays that do not result in a head injury, but that can be deployed to deflect the ball and protect the pitcher if he is in danger. It is the goal of the project to design such a device.