Another minor uniform change - back to old-school helmets

[David]

I noticed that most of the Cubs are wearing the old style batting helmets. Is that just for Spring Training or do most players not like the "Airflow" helmets?

-- Stewart Y., Bettendorf, Iowa

 

The Cubs have discontinued the "Airflow" helmets because they kept breaking. They went through 40-50 helmets last year and have returned to the old style ones. Also, no red bill on their caps.

[David]

I have no idea why I made a thread for this. There's not much to discuss here. But I figured I'd pass it on.

 

The new road hats should look much better, though.

[CoolHandLuke]

I hated those future helmets so I am pleased with this. I really love the matte helmets like the Japanese team wore in the WBC.

[David]

On a somewhat related note, I think going to one color for the names and numbers (preferably blue) on the back of the road unis would help a lot.

 

I'm not a fan of the two-tone look, unique as it may be.

[Roast]

I actually like the two-tone look.

 

Anyway, i thought the reason that baseball (and football) was moving towards airflow helmets was because they were supposed to break LESS. I thought incidents like this:

 

http://sportsmed.starwave.com/media/mlb/2003/0420/photo/sosa_0420_hi.jpg

 

were the reason for going to those helmets all along. Oh well.

[David]

Really? I thought it was just about air flow and keeping their heads cooler (no pun).

 

I never have thought of helmet breakage (especially like Sammy's) to be a major problem. Seems like more of a fluke than anything else.

[Roast]

Really? I thought it was just about air flow and keeping their heads cooler (no pun).

 

I never have thought of helmet breakage (especially like Sammy's) to be a major problem. Seems like more of a fluke than anything else.

I remember that being talked about a lot when they made the switch. I could be crazy, but I though that's what it was.

[jersey cubs fan]

Really? I thought it was just about air flow and keeping their heads cooler (no pun).

 

I never have thought of helmet breakage (especially like Sammy's) to be a major problem. Seems like more of a fluke than anything else.

I remember that being talked about a lot when they made the switch. I could be crazy, but I though that's what it was.

 

I don't remember hearing anything about the change being related to them breaking.

[OleMissCub]

In 10 years when some schmuck breaks his jaw from a pitch they'll probably make everyone wear these dopey things:

 

http://www.worldofstock.com/slides/PRE8495.jpg

[Mephistopheles]

werent the helmets designed to break easier to absorb some of the force from a thrown ball?

[ManCrushOnNomar]

I really like the red billed caps. Oh well.

[JonnyRed]

I just wish they would do something about our road unis...they couldn't be any more dull. Going old school while on the road would liven things up a bit. It's hard to make plain grey look good.

[Twiggy]

I agree, I hate the dull grey looking road uni's. An all white with Blue Cubs across the front would look pretty cool I think.

[SouthSideRyan]

You can't wear white on the road unless that was 2 different thoughts. I love our road unis.

[biittner77]

In 10 years when some schmuck breaks his jaw from a pitch they'll probably make everyone wear these dopey things:

 

http://www.worldofstock.com/slides/PRE8495.jpg

 

I've actually seen them wearing facemasks in the field.

[Roast]

werent the helmets designed to break easier to absorb some of the force from a thrown ball?

Maybe that was it.

[Balsa]

Thank god, those airflow helmets were terrible.

 

Looking very much forward to the regular ones.

[Butterscup1679666578]

come on now, the all-grey roads are fantastic. the only reason they should get rid of them is to bring back the Cuba jerseys.

[BCVM22]

come on now, the all-grey roads are fantastic.

 

This, and they'll look better now that they'll be paired with the all-blue hat.

[Illini Iceman]

In 10 years when some schmuck breaks his jaw from a pitch they'll probably make everyone wear these dopey things:

 

http://www.worldofstock.com/slides/PRE8495.jpg

 

I've actually seen them wearing facemasks in the field.

 

They require kids in our Tee-Ball league to wear the cage on the helmet. I guess in case the ball jumps up off the tee and hits them in the face.

 

Honestly, requiring major leaguers to wear this would not be any stupider than making base coaches wear helmets so I wouldn't be at all surprised to see it happen some day.

[Roast]

 

Honestly, requiring major leaguers to wear this would not be any stupider than making base coaches wear helmets so I wouldn't be at all surprised to see it happen some day.

 

??

 

Why is that stupid? Line drives come zipping down past them all the time, and unlike fielders they may not always be completely focused on the ball at all times if they are watching their base runners, timing the pitchers release, or something like that. Why wouldn't you want them wearing helmets?

[Illini Iceman]

 

Honestly, requiring major leaguers to wear this would not be any stupider than making base coaches wear helmets so I wouldn't be at all surprised to see it happen some day.

 

??

 

Why is that stupid? Line drives come zipping down past them all the time, and unlike fielders they may not always be completely focused on the ball at all times if they are watching their base runners, timing the pitchers release, or something like that. Why wouldn't you want them wearing helmets?

 

More players get hurt by getting hit in the face with baseballs than coaches get hurt by line drives to the head so if it is that big of a concern I guess you would also be in favor of the face guards.

 

If a coach really wants to wear a helmet he should be able to do it, but to require them like it is some big safety concern is an overreaction. Why not make them wear catcher's gear as well? They can't be completely focused on the ball at all times and they could get hit by a line drive in the shin so they should have necessary protection, right?

[Roast]

 

Honestly, requiring major leaguers to wear this would not be any stupider than making base coaches wear helmets so I wouldn't be at all surprised to see it happen some day.

 

??

 

Why is that stupid? Line drives come zipping down past them all the time, and unlike fielders they may not always be completely focused on the ball at all times if they are watching their base runners, timing the pitchers release, or something like that. Why wouldn't you want them wearing helmets?

 

More players get hurt by getting hit in the face with baseballs than coaches get hurt by line drives to the head so if it is that big of a concern I guess you would also be in favor of the face guards.

 

If a coach really wants to wear a helmet he should be able to do it, but to require them like it is some big safety concern is an overreaction. Why not make them wear catcher's gear as well? They can't be completely focused on the ball at all times and they could get hit by a line drive in the shin so they should have necessary protection, right?

Come on now, a line drive to the shin and a line drive to the face is a little different. All I'm saying is that I don't see the big problem with requiring them to wear a batting helmet while on the field. Hell, the couple times I've been on the field for games I've had to wear one even though i'm tucked away by the wall, next to the bullpen. It's just a precaution.

 

No one is saying they should go out there in bubble wrap, but having something hard to protect their dome from a line drive shouldn't be a big deal.

[loukycub]

come on now, the all-grey roads are fantastic.

 

This, and they'll look better now that they'll be paired with the all-blue hat.

 

one fan's opinion- the grey set with the all-blue hat will never look better because all grey sucks. and so did ditching the road hat.

 

baseball is the only team sport where the color of the jersey of the team doesn't matter in any fashion of gameplay whatsoever. not in scoring, not in officiating, not offense, defense, nothing at all. and with the advent of color television, baseball has been aggravatingly slow in modernizing the uniforms to where they actually look good on television. and with hdtv technology, even moreso. you do not need grey road uniforms anymore. i like the astros for that practice last year for either not, or very rarely, wearing a grey top on the road. we have better manufacturing technology so that unis can be made of team colors now cheaper than they could a grey uniform. i would encourage baseball now to do what the other sports do and have a colored set to wear on the road. it looks better on television and that doesn't hurt.

[jersey cubs fan]

come on now, the all-grey roads are fantastic.

 

This, and they'll look better now that they'll be paired with the all-blue hat.

 

one fan's opinion- the grey set with the all-blue hat will never look better because all grey sucks. and so did ditching the road hat.

 

The greys absolutely do suck.