Hand and glove clutching the back of his head in fear and disbelief, Mike Fiers of the Brewers could only look on from the mound as he watched the opposing batter, Giancarlo Stanton, fall to the ground and lay practically motionless. An inch higher and Fiers’ 88-mph fastball could have blinded the Marlins slugger, in addition to the several other broken bones and teeth he did in fact suffer that September night.
So how do you protect and prevent the player, who two months later signed a dozen year contract worth $325 million, from experiencing another career-ending head injury? Provide him with a custom-built helmet designed with a faceguard.
Stanton is the lucky, or not so lucky player after the events which led to its creation, to wear such a helmet starting in the 2015 season.
Created by Schutt Sports in Litchfield, Illinois according to instructions given exclusively by him, Stanton’s new headgear won’t be like anything seen before on the traditional batting helmet with a solid faceguard. Similar to a football face mask, Stanton’s million dollar face will be protected by a carbon steel frame, part of which forms a G, representing the person behind the product’s creation.
The faceguard is designed to withstand a direct pitch of up to 100 mph, according to testing done at the Schutt facility. The helmet provides comfort in movement but also has clear sight lines, something which was extremely crucial to Stanton during the design of the helmet.
Holding a price tag of $500-$1,000, the helmet won’t necessarily be cheap. However, Stanton hopes that the new design will motivate players, especially young ones afraid of being hit, to get back in the batter’s box and know that their face is strongly, and stylishly, protected. Like that of the MLB’s highest paid player.