DETROIT – Catcher's gear has been referred to as "the tools of ignorance," but what can't be ignored is that protection isn't guaranteed when a foul tip flies toward the facemask of the guy behind the plate.
And it could force catchers such as Twins All-Star Joe Mauer to consider a position switch sooner than later.
On Monday, Mauer was jarred by a foul tip off the bat of Mets first baseman Ike Davis and landed on the seven-day concussion disabled list a day later when he reported feeling dizzy. He will undergo tests Thursday and hopes to be cleared to fly back to the Twin Cities and continue his recovery.
As of Wednesday, there were six players on Major League Baseball's concussion disabled list. Five of them were catchers — Mauer, Colorado's Yorvit Torrealba, Houston's Carlos Corporan, Detroit's Alex Avila and Oakland's John Jaso.
Dr. Gary Green, MLB's medical director, said Wednesday that so many catchers on the list at one time could be a coincidence. But he did acknowledge that around 40 percent of players on the concussion DL have been catchers. He pointed out that, other than the pitcher, the catcher handles the ball the most on the field, and foul tips and collisions at home plate come with the territory.
"I am concerned about the catchers," Green said, "and we're focused on ways to help the catchers, gathering information and making recommendations to MLB."
Mauer is the fourth Twin to land on the concussion DL this season — and the second catcher. Ryan Doumit returned to action recently after he had his bell rung by a foul tip.
"It's a concern for the entire industry when it's increasingly a hazard for that position when your best player is a catcher," said Twins assistant general manager Rob Antony. "Fortunately, he has not had any issues in the past. You hope this is an isolated thing and not a trend for all catchers. You hope it works out as well as it did for Doumit where a week later, he felt fine."
