On NESN's Sox pregame show tonight, they aired a segment filmed during Spring Training that followed David Ross around for a bit as he went through his game-day prep work.
He briefly showed off a customized catcher's mask he's been wearing that's designed to reduce the impact of foul balls and lower his risk of reinjury. As many are aware, when he returned from the DL last season he switched from a hockey-style mask (where the mask frame is bolted directly to the helmet) to a traditional padded mask with steel wire frame that's not directly secured to any head structure, but instead straps on over a standard helmet with elastic. The theory was that any blunt force might allow the mask to move around on his face rather than jarring an attached helmet and transferring the energy of that impact to his skull and brain.
With his new mask, which is also a traditional padded design, the steel wire frame isn't attached directly to the face padding, but rather to a subframe. In between are arrays of small springs that act as miniature shock absorbers. During the segment he noted that it was still a work in progress where it needs to be adjusted for proper tension. He also remarked that the springs on either side of his eyes are taking some getting used to, since they partially obscure his peripheral vision. Nothing was mentioned in the piece about any further refinements since early March when the footage was shot.
I found this a fascinating development, but can't find any other mention of it anywhere online. A Sports On Earth piece last November briefly discussed potential safety improvements in catchers' headgear, including possible issues with lightweight titanium frames, the stiffness of which may have contributed to the concussions suffered by Joe Mauer, Ryan Doumit, and other MLB catchers. That article also cited a previous report by St. Paul Pioneer-Press writer Mike Berardino, but there was nothing in either about any spring-loaded shock absorber set-ups.
In the video footage, which was brief, I didn't catch any indication of the manufacturer but I assume it's one of the larger mask suppliers: Easton, Wilson, Under Armour, Champion or Mizuno.
Anyone else in the know about this?
He briefly showed off a customized catcher's mask he's been wearing that's designed to reduce the impact of foul balls and lower his risk of reinjury. As many are aware, when he returned from the DL last season he switched from a hockey-style mask (where the mask frame is bolted directly to the helmet) to a traditional padded mask with steel wire frame that's not directly secured to any head structure, but instead straps on over a standard helmet with elastic. The theory was that any blunt force might allow the mask to move around on his face rather than jarring an attached helmet and transferring the energy of that impact to his skull and brain.
With his new mask, which is also a traditional padded design, the steel wire frame isn't attached directly to the face padding, but rather to a subframe. In between are arrays of small springs that act as miniature shock absorbers. During the segment he noted that it was still a work in progress where it needs to be adjusted for proper tension. He also remarked that the springs on either side of his eyes are taking some getting used to, since they partially obscure his peripheral vision. Nothing was mentioned in the piece about any further refinements since early March when the footage was shot.
I found this a fascinating development, but can't find any other mention of it anywhere online. A Sports On Earth piece last November briefly discussed potential safety improvements in catchers' headgear, including possible issues with lightweight titanium frames, the stiffness of which may have contributed to the concussions suffered by Joe Mauer, Ryan Doumit, and other MLB catchers. That article also cited a previous report by St. Paul Pioneer-Press writer Mike Berardino, but there was nothing in either about any spring-loaded shock absorber set-ups.
In the video footage, which was brief, I didn't catch any indication of the manufacturer but I assume it's one of the larger mask suppliers: Easton, Wilson, Under Armour, Champion or Mizuno.
Anyone else in the know about this?
