San Diego Padres reliever, Alex Torres became the first Major League pitcher to don the newly introduced isoBlox protective hat on Saturday night in the Padres 4-2 loss to the Dodgers, and man it’s something to see. Though, I’m positive the minor inconvenience of the added four ounces is worth saving these pitchers from some of the horrific head injuries we’ve had the misfortune of witnessing in the past.
According to Dennis Lin of U-T San Diego, Torres decided to wear the hat after a close call in spring training that scared him:
“Alex Torres said a close call in spring training scared him a bit. Ordered the protective cap about a month ago. Arrived a week ago.”
Torres Added: [The hat] “doesn’t feel bad,” adding, “the difference between the regular hat and this hat is not really that big.”
Although many will joke about the hat’s bulky look (as Colorado Rockies pitcher, Brett Anderson does in the following tweet), the benefits it may provide are plentiful. We can only hope the trend catches on across the league as quickly as possible.
You can hardly even notice it… pic.twitter.com/WF55Ziw9Mg
— Brett Anderson (@BAnderson_30) June 22, 2014
What are your thoughts on the hat?
[H/T Bleacher Report]