Helmet rule leaves 51s coaches hot under collar

A year ago this week, a line drive struck and killed Mike Coolbaugh of the Double-A Tulsa Drillers as he coached first base during a game in North Little Rock, Ark.

In response to the tragic, fluke accident, Major League Baseball implemented a rule requiring base coaches to wear protective headgear -- and it appears most of them are against it.

"I don't like the rule, and I'd say 99.9 percent of coaches out there don't like the rule," said 51s hitting coach John Moses, in his 28th year of professional baseball. "I would like to see them get rid of that rule."

There are several reasons why base coaches don't like donning the helmets -- which are akin to the ones worn by some catchers, without the ear flaps -- starting with the fact they wouldn't have prevented the death of Coolbaugh, who was hit in the neck, below his left ear.

Las Vegas manager Lorenzo Bundy said Coolbaugh would've been against the rule.

"I knew Mike Coolbaugh, and I'm really sorry for his family, but I know if Mike Coolbaugh was sitting here, he'd be the first to say 'I'm not wearing a helmet,' " said Bundy, who coached with Coolbaugh's brother Scott. "It was a tragic accident, but that's just what it was -- an accident. It's the first time it happened in baseball in over 100 years, and it probably won't happen again in the next 100 years."

Bundy, who thinks the rule was "a knee-jerk reaction," said the helmets are uncomfortable and can get extremely hot, especially in the harsh summer heat of Las Vegas.

At the end of each inning, Moses said, Bundy "comes in just dripping sweat."

"You can just wring the inside of his helmet, and sweat will just be pouring out," Moses said. "That's what's bad. We're in 105-degree heat every day."

Moses, who coached first base most of the season, said "the helmets get heavy, feel awkward when they're on and just (don't) look right."

51s infielder Rex Rundgren, who coached first during part of Saturday's game against the Iowa Cubs at Cashman Field, agrees.

"It feels a little goofy, like you have this gigantic thing on your head, but it's not a problem for me," he said. "I think it's kind of ridiculous, but I guess you've got to do it because of what happened. The chances of you getting hit in the head, if you're paying attention, are pretty (slim)."

Coaches also don't like the fact umpires aren't required to wear helmets and fans are left unprotected as well.

"I don't see why coaches have to wear them and not the umpires," Moses said. "They're just as liable to get hit as we are, especially when the guy's in the middle of the infield."

Because many fans don't watch every pitch, as Bundy does, "they're at more risk than I am, and they don't have helmets," he said.

Bundy thinks wearing a helmet should be optional.

"I've been in this league long enough; I should have a choice if I want to wear the helmet," he said. "I feel like, at worst, I should be able to sign a waiver saying I take responsibility for me. Give me the option."

• NOTE -- The Dodgers optioned third baseman Blake DeWitt to the 51s. DeWitt hit .257 with five homers and 35 RBIs in 88 games for Los Angeles.

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0354.