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Just 375 at-bats into his young career, the Cubs outfielder experienced a case of wrong place, wrong time.
Tyler Colvin appeared to be in a prime place — 90 feet away from home plate when his teammate, Wellington Castillo, smashed a double to left field. MLB.com reports that the rookie eyed the ball as it landed fair in the outfield, and then turned to scamper home.
That’s when a sharp segment of Castillo’s bat nailed Colvin near his collarbone, ending his season. His condition as of Monday afternoon was stable, but the subsequent ire across the baseball community stems around prevention. Could the league have done something to stop the freak injury?
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Weeks before Colvin’s horror, Fox Sports Arizona color commentator and former Chicago Cubs slugger Mark Grace brought attention to a safety alternative. BatGlove.com manufactures a thin protective covering called “transparent polymeric safety film.” The material’s tape-like nature would extend from the bat handle up to the 18-inch league limit on substances that improve a player’s hold. Yahoo! Sports adds that the material costs under $5 per bat, making it a financially reasonable addition for all 30 teams.
The southwest-based television network conducted a three-part series, which includes visuals of how normal maple bats compare against bats boosted by BatGlove’s product.
Part I – The Problem
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Part II – The Product
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Part III – The Implementation
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