[Kevin Finnerty]

I was watching Beltre taking grounders when he first came up with the Dodgers in 1998. He made two absolutely unconscious stabs, including a bad hop right at his jewels. One of his coaches commented on his quick hands: "Where'd you get such quick hands?" His reply was, "I never wore a cup, so I learned real quick." (The conversation was in Spanish, but it was translated by the coach.)

It took a dozen years to catch up to him.

I wear a cup at all times, like Brian said. I too was an infelder--third base and short--and I still move better than most guys my age due to that. But I am also a bright person without a colossal ego that makes me think I can get the center of my body out of the way of any thrown or batted ball like some people insist they can. So it's a no-brainer. I suppose you can get away without one doing youth ball, but at any level of true hardball, it can be a sign of both stupidity and misplaced pride to go without a cup on the bases.

My lone personal experience: My son was pitching in a tournament in Arizona a couple of years back. He walked a guy and then tried to pick him off. His uncaught bullet throw clipped the corner of the bag and deflected directly into the U1's jewels (three-man). The umpire was laid out on the ground, screaming and kicking his legs and rolling in the dirt. He was eventually carted to an ambulance on a groundskeeper's cart and taken to a hospital. After that experience, I no longer felt like a wuss for wearing my cup on the bases. I spend more on Gold Bond each year, but it's well worth it.