One might think that headline pertains to great sweeping social change, but really its just means that we are about to see the batting helmets of the past 3 years disappear.  MLB has agreed to require all minor leaguers to wear the S100 model helmet next season, and Rawlings is sending three different models to them for the last few weeks of the season.

The S100 is seemingly an oversized helmet, with inches of foam padding that makes the current helmet look like a Yoga mat.  Ryan Dempster was the first to wear the new version, and he was quoted as saying “It felt like my own bobblehead day today”  in a piece by Tom Singer. David Wright chose to wear it last night as he returned from the disabled list after getting hit in the head with a fastball.  Pictures abound of Wright wearing the S100, including this photo included with the Josh Alper piece on the NBC Miami website. By the way, Alper’s piece is titled “David Wright’s Hemet is Visible from Space.”  That should say it all.

David sporting the S100- from NBC Miami's website.

Major leaguers all seem disinterested in wearing the new helmet, except in cases where there is already concern about concussions.  They do look ridiculous, but so do bicycle helmets, and yet we know wearing them is the right thing to do.  To require major leaguers to wear them MLB will have to negotiate with the players association.  But, really, how dumb do you have to be to say there is no way you are wearing one?  If David Wright can do it, so can the rest of them.