Batting Helmets

Do you like those new-fangled batting helmets that more and more players are wearing? Get used to them. I read the ESPN.com Uni-Watch column, which says that when the season starts several more teams will start wearing them…including the Braves. The D’Backs are among the teams wearing them in the spring, but some players have opted for the standard helmet. Hopefully that will be the case with the Braves.

Supposedly the main reason why a new helmet style was developed was not because a higher-tech helmet was needed / there was nothing wrong with the old one. But in some cases MLB doesn’t allow manufacturers to place their logos on their products that go on the field. Rawlings wasn’t able to put their logo on the old helmet, so they designed a distinctive helmet that could be recognized as a Rawlings model.

We’ll see if other teams follow the Mets’ lead and adopt multi-colored designs, like Little Leaguers wear. I hear Vlad had to start the year with a clean helmet.

I recently bought Will one of them, of course because the price was right. It has the Nike logos on the front and back, clean and shiny. He hasn’t worn it, but takes it to games. He’s still wearing his dirty old helmet that has lots of stickers on the back. It is popular with his teammates as well.

Just got word that the Shaw Park team Will plays with wants him to play in a Suwanee tourney this weekend. Will is going to want to go to the Braves game Saturday, but we’ll see if he can only play on Sunday. A co-worker’s grandson is playing on another team, and I see where one of the teams is called the ‘home school Barons’.

Will has made an effort to 'slap the towel' more, though last night against a bunch of big Hobgood hitters, on a muddy mound, he was back at three quarters. He did strike out two good hitters in the inning he pitched, and got another to bounce one back to him.

Will knows where the Cooney's went...either East Cobb or Fullers Park. As good as Clay is, little brother Tate is turning out to be even better.

You can see Corey make the same little move in the batters box before a pitch, where he turns his back foot, that helps him remember to turn his hips. I think he started it on the Tigers. He's been doing a good job as the catcher as well.

Corey's mom was distressed that the Duke loss would mess up both of her brackets, including her money tournament. When Will's team turned a 5-3-2-1-5-6 double play, she was rattling off what the scoring was. She can score Will's games while I'm up at Matthew's games.

Will is in denial about Matthew's hitting, since "it's Pinto!" But I'm not sure Will ever had six straight hits.