# MLB. Buster Posey gets clocked! **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 12, 2017, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-buster-posey-gets-clocked/784286 "2017-04-12T02:45:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-buster-posey-gets-clocked/784286/1 "2017-04-12T02:45:40Z")
Videos of this show he was clearly dazed. Granted, this wasn’t a glancing blow. And he is on the seven day disabled list. He was wearing protection, the helmet. And it is not a frequent event. But, is there better head protection available? ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-buster-posey-gets-clocked/784286/2 "2017-04-12T13:48:58Z")
Rawlings made improvements to MLB helmets several years ago to hold up against a 100mph fastball. But I believe those helmets were available as an option and some players felt they were too heavy. Not sure if Posey had the best available helmet. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-buster-posey-gets-clocked/784286/3 "2017-04-12T14:04:34Z")
Aw, fa chrissakes, he’s a catcher. Dust him off and stand him up for the next pitch. (Having him out of the lineup is going to hurt, not that the Jints are struggling to hang on to first place or anything…) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-buster-posey-gets-clocked/784286/4 "2017-04-12T14:11:47Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > Rawlings made improvements to MLB helmets several years ago to hold up against a 100mph fastball. But I believe those helmets were available as an option and some players felt they were too heavy. Not sure if Posey had the best available helmet. Was it [this one?](http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/13/sports/baseball/13helmet.html) I fail to see the ugly. > [@](#): > > As helpful as the new helmet may be, there is resistance to it from some major league players who are not prepared to sacrifice comfort and style for added protection. Gonzalez is not among them. “After this happened to me, I would wear anything,” he said. “I don’t care how goofy it is, as long as it could help protect me.” > > “No, I am absolutely not wearing that,” Mets right fielder Jeff Francoeur said with a laugh after seeing a prototype, as if he were being asked to put a pumpkin on his head. “I could care less what they say, I’m not wearing it. There’s got to be a way to have a more protective helmet without all that padding. It’s brutal. We’re going to look like a bunch of clowns out there.” ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-buster-posey-gets-clocked/784286/5 "2017-04-12T14:27:55Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Was it [this one?](http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/13/sports/baseball/13helmet.html) > I fail to see the ugly. Yes, I think that’s probably it. Can’t understand Francoeur’s complaints related to style, but as I mentioned, some players thought it was too heavy. I can understand if it’s uncomfortable. Where there has been a lot of pushback on safety equipment due to style is the pitchers’ headgear. Almost no MLB pitchers were protective headgear and most of what I’ve heard is they just think it looks goofy. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-buster-posey-gets-clocked/784286/6 "2017-04-12T14:40:38Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > Yes, I think that’s probably it. Can’t understand Francoeur’s complaints related to style, but as I mentioned, some players thought it was too heavy. I can understand if it’s uncomfortable. > > Where there has been a lot of pushback on safety equipment due to style is the pitchers’ headgear. Almost no MLB pitchers were protective headgear and most of what I’ve heard is they just think it looks goofy. [It does.](http://larrybrownsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/alex-torres-mets-hat.jpg) [Here’s a different take](http://www.uni-watch.com/2016/02/13/new-protective-headgear-for-pitchers-in-2016/), more of a partial helmet with ear/temple protection. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-buster-posey-gets-clocked/784286/7 "2017-04-12T14:58:21Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > Where there has been a lot of pushback on safety equipment… …is just about every decade since it was called “town ball.” (Back when bike helmets were first being enforced for kids, I heard a father actually say, “It makes him look like a retard and I won’t have him out there riding around like that.” Not much more sensible or logical than most MLB player pushback on everything from padded gloves to new helmets.) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-buster-posey-gets-clocked/784286/8 "2017-04-12T15:31:19Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-buster-posey-gets-clocked/784286/9 "2017-04-12T15:52:01Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > [It does.](http://larrybrownsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/alex-torres-mets-hat.jpg) I’m not sure I’d want to wear that one. It looks doofussy. But if I were a pitcher, I might wear a batting helmet. They’re not as funny looking. Those hot hits come fast! ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-buster-posey-gets-clocked/784286/10 "2017-04-12T15:57:19Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I’m not sure I’d want to wear that one. It looks doofussy. I can’t decide whether it genuinely looks more doofussy than other protective gear, like a batter’s helmet or catcher’s gear, or whether it just seems that way because we’re not used to it. It does look like it’d be uncomfortable on hot summer days, though. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-buster-posey-gets-clocked/784286/11 "2017-04-12T17:15:24Z")
How doofusy does drooling all over yourself look because you were too proud to wear adequate protection and took one to the temple? Just me, but as long as the checks clear while I’m in the prime of my life making serious bank, I think I’d be okay with wearing a Mario Brothers looking cap on the mound. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-buster-posey-gets-clocked/784286/12 "2017-04-12T17:38:12Z")
> [@Casey1505](#): > > How doofusy does drooling all over yourself look because you were too proud to wear adequate protection and took one to the temple? > > Just me, but as long as the checks clear while I’m in the prime of my life making serious bank, I think I’d be okay with wearing a Mario Brothers looking cap on the mound. Like I said - I’d be OK with a batter’s helmet while pitching. The padded pitcher’s “hat” not only doesn’t seem to protect the temples well enough, it looks like something out of [Star Wars](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/d2/f4/83/d2f4838640e3145ed4f257355d1bdfff.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-buster-posey-gets-clocked/784286/13 "2017-04-12T18:24:19Z")
The nasty dent over the left ear, and the smiling countenance on Leia, shows that it would be very effective at protecting the wearer, looks aside. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-buster-posey-gets-clocked/784286/14 "2017-04-13T15:18:55Z")
I don’t understand MLB culture. The next game, [Samardzija hit Goldschmidt in “official payback”](http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/news/paul-goldschmidt-retaliation-hit-by-pitch-diamondbacks-giants-jeff-samardzija-buster-posey-hit-in-head/15j33cxcgdblw1owfn3zvwrlbu). Quote: Mock the whole dance if you want. This stuff matters to players, so it’s notable when the steps are so graceful. But I never get why the dance goes this way. You want payback, hit the pitcher. He’s the one that threw the ball. Dumass unwritten rules. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-buster-posey-gets-clocked/784286/15 "2017-04-13T15:35:10Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I don’t understand MLB culture. > > The next game, [Samardzija hit Goldschmidt in “official payback”](http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/news/paul-goldschmidt-retaliation-hit-by-pitch-diamondbacks-giants-jeff-samardzija-buster-posey-hit-in-head/15j33cxcgdblw1owfn3zvwrlbu). This is one issue where I completely surrender my man/macho card. I despise retaliation in sports. To the point where I really think assault charges should be filed. _That_ would cut down on violence and fighting in sport. Hockey, baseball, football, whatever - it just fills me with grrr. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-buster-posey-gets-clocked/784286/16 "2017-04-13T15:51:50Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I don’t understand MLB culture. > > The next game, [Samardzija hit Goldschmidt in “official payback”](http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/news/paul-goldschmidt-retaliation-hit-by-pitch-diamondbacks-giants-jeff-samardzija-buster-posey-hit-in-head/15j33cxcgdblw1owfn3zvwrlbu). > > Quote: Mock the whole dance if you want. This stuff matters to players, so it’s notable when the steps are so graceful. > > But I never get why the dance goes this way. You want payback, hit the pitcher. He’s the one that threw the ball. Dumass unwritten rules. What about when the pitcher doesn’t bat? Do we get a Designated Hittee? ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-buster-posey-gets-clocked/784286/17 "2017-04-13T16:03:51Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > What about when the pitcher doesn’t bat? Do we get a Designated Hittee? Well, in your imaginary world, where someone thought that it was a good idea that some players could be exempted from parts of the game, I guess we’d need that. 🙂 On yesterday’s broadcast, Dbacks announcer Bob Brenly (former SF catcher himself) waxed about how he thinks payback is a necessary and good part of the game. He’s another “old schooler”, though. I’m not sure his partner Berthiaume agrees. I don’t agree, but then, they never asked me. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2017, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-buster-posey-gets-clocked/784286/18 "2017-04-15T12:34:06Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I’m not sure I’d want to wear that one. It looks doofussy… I was going to respond with 'who cares what it looks like if it protects your noggin" Then I clicked on the photo. You make a good point. mmm