Minor league coach killed by line drive

[fitump56]

Originally Posted by NFump

He means overall. He would've been better protected overall with a helmet than sans helmet.

That is correct. But let's examine what is now being reported.

"a burst or crushed blood vessel stopped blood flow to his brain"....a burst vessel does not have to be a direct strike to the neck (artery = to brain, vein = away from brain; "vessel" = either) either of those could well have been in areas where the helmet would have protected.

None of this discussion makes any hill of beans in the end result of things. The insurance companies dictate the desired protection rules.

[OzUmp]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

I heard briefly on the radio yesterday that the autopsy showed the cause of death as being a crushed artery in the neck. Does this mean that a helmet wouldn't have protected him?

This is effin scary. I saw just this weekend an ump take a 85 mph fastball right off the carotid artery. Apparently catcher called for a curve. That is not what was thrown. Ump stayed in there like we are taught to do and somehow the ball got in between his chest protector and face mask and got all meat. Dropped him like a sack of potatoes. You could see the contour of the skin go bumpy where he got hit.

[fitump56]

Originally Posted by OzUmp

This is effin scary. I saw just this weekend an ump take a 85 mph fastball right off the carotid artery. Apparently catcher called for a curve. That is not what was thrown. Ump stayed in there like we are taught to do and somehow the ball got in between his chest protector and face mask and got all meat. Dropped him like a sack of potatoes. You could see the contour of the skin go bumpy where he got hit.

In the case of this umpire, the first though I had was that an HSM much better covers that area.

The face mask vs the HSM safety (non)issue is about as arguable as putting your hands on the dashboard vs seat/shoulder harnesses in a high speed crash.