Adrian Beltre is going to have his name be synonymous with pain for a while, the way Michael Barrett, Chris Snyder, and Josias Manzanillo were for a time before him. Men everywhere will watch the video — though MLB.com has elected not to show it — and cringe. Beltre injured himself on a grounder and no, he was not wearing a cup, according to manager Don Wakamatsu. He continued to play and “felt it” on two plays, including one where he dove into first base.
Ouch.
While Beltre will miss at least a week, more if surgery is required, the question is “Why the bleep wasn’t he wearing a cup?” While we can talk about new helmets, gloves, pitcher protection, and other advances, is there any excuse for a player not wearing the most basic of devices?
No. No there’s not.
It’s a “comfort thing,” said one MLB Trainer. A player said “some guys do, some guys don’t.” When asked how many don’t, he quickly said “I don’t check,” but neither does anyone. These players are grown men, making their own choices. However, there’s no rule against a team requiring them, or any other safety device.
I’ll propose a rule change: MLB will certify equipment as “state of the art.” They’ll take the very best and fund research into making that even better. Once certified, that becomes the baseball standard. Every player is required to wear it, but they can elect to opt out. Don’t want to wear the new helmet or padded glove? Fine, but if you’re injured and the equipment would have prevented the injury, there’s no DL for you.
I’m always concerned with protecting players, especially when it might trickle down. It’s one thing if Jeff Francouer is too vain to wear a helmet that could help prevent injuries and quite another if a high school sophomore doesn’t. Let’s hope when kids were looking up to Adrian Beltre, they weren’t looking down.
I knew this was going to be about Beltre as soon as I saw the title....but there's really no excuse for not wearing a cup. I seem to remember catching a TV show demoing new technology this summer where they demonstrated a new cup that is supposedly more comfortable and effective. The creator and host each wore it and took a 90 mph ball straight to the groin from a pitching machine a couple feet away and had no ill effects.
I guess I just don't understand how any man could witness the injuries that players have suffered and be enough of a risk seeker to not wear a cup no matter how uncomfortable it is.
It means he is still on the 25 man roster and it's punishment for the team not enforcing equipment rules. I like it, but the only issue is that someone still needs to check.
I did see the show Ben referenced above, but assuming he is using an older cup, if you took a shot to the boys when I played, it still rocked the general region and I think all men can relate to that. So, bottom line is that someone would still "need to check."
I guess if Clemens could find someone to rub some Icy Hot on his balls, there are people out there who are willing to check.
I can see your point for infielders, but as an outfielder myself I no longer wear a cup. There is virtually no risk for an outfielder, and the comfort tradeoff is certainly worth it in my experience.
What sold me on mandatory cup wearing for everyone was watching our catcher get hit while batting, attempting to get out of the way of an inside pitch. The ball ricocheted well over 15 feet. I can only imagine how that would have felt without the cup.
Not even on the base paths? I find it tough to believe the "comfort tradeoff" doesn't work out in favor of wearing a cup when the alternative is potentially getting an infielder's spikes in your junk.
Hey, I agree, but it's not like anything is done with players who drink and drive, do drugs, or get into beanball wars. Besides, if a person really cared about personal safety, they wouldn't play sports.
Also, the rule change idea is a bit problematic too. Would a catcher have to be prevented from going on the DL if they wore an old-style catcher's mask and a ball hit their neck?
As interesting as some may find it, I hope Will doesn't feel obligated give us a detailed description of this type of surgery. And please, no youtube videos!
My coaches in little league and high school had a "cup check" policy. They lined up the team, and said they'd do random cup checks by poking (gently) with the bat. Anyone could opt out and not play that day. They hardly ever "checked" but it was enough to scare us all straight.
I'm not sure what the fuss is about re Beltre and his playing sans cup. If he's stupid enough to play 3B in the Bigs, with screaming liners (and more likely, awkward short hops, as those who have played 3b will attest) aiming directly for his junk, then, well, so be it.
This is far different than playing without a batting helmet. Personally, I'm fine with his junk being his business.
I agree on one level -- but he's seriously let his team down by exercising that freedom. As with Ron Gant's broken leg, this sounds like one where the player should not get paid during the downtime.
Fair enough. But should a team not pay a player because he didn't stretch properly pre game, and proceeds to pull a hamstring? And NFL WRs and RBs often take out their thigh pads, the ones that normally sit above the knee. Why? Comfort. Fair to say the risk is higher in NFL.
Agreed that Beltre wearing a cup would have helped him here. But how often does this type of, ahem, injury occur?
IF we were to legislate this equipment requirement, I'd personally only require infielders, including catchers, excluding pitchers. No need for outfielders.
Why exclude pitchers? They are closer to the batter than any of the other infielders.
When I was playing ball in high school I witnessed a teammate take a line drive to the privates while pitching batting practice. We were on a side field that had no protective screen for the pitcher, a major oversight in retrospect, but he also was NOT wearing a cup.
I've never seen someone experience the level of pain he felt immediately after that. He had to be hauled off in an ambulance and had one of his testicles removed. The whole episode made be so thankful that I had always chosen to wear a cup.
I used to umpire high school baseball here in Texas and, as the home plate umpire, we were supposed to ask each coach prior to the game if each player was properly equipped. Mostly, that meant "Is everyone -- especially the catcher -- wearing a cup?" I was never told no but neither did we ever check anyone.
It's been a very long time since I read Jim Brosnan's "The Long Season," but didn't he tell the story of someone (Eddie Mathews, maybe) hitting one back at him and breaking his cup?
An outfielder on my HS team took a bad hop to the groin and didn't wear a cup. I was an outfielder (into college and now play adult hardball) and I don't go near a field without a cup. You wear it for a while, you get comfortable (someone tell Beltre). But the ability to procreate is too important to lose because of a bad hop or an inside fastball.
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I knew this was going to be about Beltre as soon as I saw the title....but there's really no excuse for not wearing a cup. I seem to remember catching a TV show demoing new technology this summer where they demonstrated a new cup that is supposedly more comfortable and effective. The creator and host each wore it and took a 90 mph ball straight to the groin from a pitching machine a couple feet away and had no ill effects.
I guess I just don't understand how any man could witness the injuries that players have suffered and be enough of a risk seeker to not wear a cup no matter how uncomfortable it is.
That person was Mark Littel - he of Chris Chambliss historic homerun fame - selling the NuttyBuddy