I don’t know if there are more catcher concussions today than there used to be or if it’s more a matter of baseball better diagnosing them and people talking about and publicizing them. But given how much more seriously the matter of concussions is being taken these days this article about catcher masks by the Pioneer Press is interesting.
The issue: whether the newer generation of catcher’s masks -- made with lightweight titanium -- are less safe than the old school steel ones. Catcher are increasingly going to them for the weight and comfort, but they may be worse at absorbing shock. Ultimately it’s about force absorption, right? And the greater mass of the steel masks helps in that regard.
