PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Jared Hughes is embracing baseball’s newest piece of safety equipment; the pitching helmet.
“It’s a helmet, a protective cap, or whatever you want to call it,” Hughes said. “It’s definitely going to keep us safer.”
The new helmet weighs about ten ounces. It has a plastic shell with a padded inner core.
“The game is going to bring it in eventually,” Hughes said. “We’re all going to wear them so I’d like to at least get a head start on it and give good feedback.”
Hughes isn’t concerned with the unusual look of the helmet.
“What are the negatives of wearing it?” Hughes said. “It might look funny, but those things don’t bother me at all.”
Hughes pitched to hitters during the Pirates’ first full team practice while wearing the helmet and turned in a solid performance.
Cox Media Group
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