Catcher's helmet under mask: bill forward

[JHSump]

Yankees vs Red Sox, ESPN, right now (Sunday night, August 18).

 

Red Sox carcher Saltalamacchia appears to be wearing a helmet under his mask with the bill facing forward.  I have never seen that before.  Granderson just stole 2B and after the throw Saltalamacchia put his mask on over the helmet, with the bill facing forward.

[Replacematt]

It's not that uncommon.

[JHSump]

Really?  I always see the bill worn backwards by the catcher.  (Example: the Yankees catcher.)  Of course, I might have not noticed the others, before now.

[KLAH316]

I've seen quite a few MLB Catchers doing it lately.....

[BRUMP]

Now if they would just take it off with their left hand.

[Jimurray]

I see one problem with that, which I have posted before on some MLB umpire head hits. I have not been taken seriously and I'm not sure I should be but I still wonder if the hard bill of the hat might transfer a blow from the ball to the the mask and then transfer the blow to the forehead through the bill of the helmet, or in the case of the umpires the eight stitch hat, before the pads fully compress.

[mstaylor]

I wear an eight stitch and never found this as a problem. Also, many catchers have started wearing it forward. Some of my local adults do too. 

[Mudder]

I wear an eight stitch and never found this as a problem. Also, many catchers have started wearing it forward. Some of my local adults do too. 

 

I not a gear guru like a lot of you guys, with hats can someone explain the diff between the 4 stitch, 6 stitch, 8 stitch, etc., and what do most people wear, and how different do they look?

[mstaylor]

They are bill lengths, the 2 seam is the old time beanie. They wore an eight seam on the bases and beanie on the plate. Then they developed the four seam as a combo hat that could be worn either place but looked a little odd on the bases, so you still bought two hats. Then they came up with the six seam so the bases look better. I wear an eight in both positions. 

To tell you simply count the rows of stitches on the bill. The longer the brim the better it looks but you will have trouble with an eight seam and some low profile masks, at that point you have to use a six. 

[Concernedcitizen2]

I never saw it until about 5 years ago, but ever since then I would say maybe 1/4 of two-piece mask wearing catchers wear the hat part forwards

[Mudder]

They are bill lengths, the 2 seam is the old time beanie. They wore an eight seam on the bases and beanie on the plate. Then they developed the four seam as a combo hat that could be worn either place but looked a little odd on the bases, so you still bought two hats. Then they came up with the six seam so the bases look better. I wear an eight in both positions. 

To tell you simply count the rows of stitches on the bill. The longer the brim the better it looks but you will have trouble with an eight seam and some low profile masks, at that point you have to use a six. 

 

Ok, didn't know the stitch refers to the length of the brim, in that case I wear a four stitch (combo) behind the plate and a 6 stitch, as its longer, on the bases.

 

I have a beanie that a retired ump gave me years ago that I rarely wear, but sometimes when I'm doing multiple plates on very very hot days, and some of my other hats are too soaked or dirty, I may take it out.  Seems to make me feel cooler with the short brim and improves my visibility under my TSM .  OK flame on!

[BRUMP]

[cyclonehokiece]

Now if they would just take it off with their left hand.

Glove face!