Alex Torres & the ISOBlox Cap

I remember in the early stages of the 2015 New York Mets season, there was a little bit of chatter regarding a pick-up made for the bullpen prior to Opening Day.

On March 30, 2015, Mets General Manager Sandy Alderson traded prospects Cory Mazzoni and Brad Wieck to the San Diego Padres for third-year reliever Alex Torres. Although not necessarily known for his pitching, which was of average statistics, there was talk about Torres for another reason: his hat.

In fact, it was his ISOBlox protective baseball cap.

On June 21, 2014, Torres became the first man to wear a ISOBlox prototype safety cap on the mound in a game against the Dodgers. Many people, including commentators and players, were caught snickering (I caught you, Clayton Kershaw) at the headgear Torres was rocking.

As a fan, I really respected Mr. Torres’ ability to stand out, in spite of ridicule.

The reason that Torres agreed to be a figurative “guinea pig” for the ISOBlox cap was because of what he witnessed on June 15, 2013. A member of the Tampa Bay Rays, Torres was in the bullpen when he saw Alex Cobb, starting pitcher and teammate, get whacked with a line drive from Kansas City Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer. Having to come in after Cobb was knocked out and taken off Tropicana Field on a stretcher, Torres was traumatized. Even though he got the win, the fear was always there.

When these prototype caps were released and offered in 2014, Torres was the only man to test and wear it in the Major Leagues. I will be honest…the initial prototype was sized like the hat that the Great Gazoo from the Flintstones.

Despite the worry about it affecting overall ability on the mound, due to the extra weight the cap would possess, Torres was pretty decent in 2014, pitching in 70 games, going 2-1 with a 3.33 ERA, with 51 strikeouts and 33 walks in 54 innings of work.

The next year, the model Torres would wear would be a lot different. Instead of a bulkier cap, Torres would have a Pinwrest protective cushion wrapped around his cap, embroidered with the Mets logo in front and an MLB patch in back. On April 18, 2015, he would get his first (and only) Major League save, striking out Christian Yelich, who lost control of his bat, to end the game and to provide the Mets with a 5-4 victory.

Jon Harder, our fearless leader on the site, actually wrote an article for Legends on Deck about the cap at the time, detailing Torres’ history with it, calling him an “inspiration for safety”. He actually echoed similar sentiments regarding this.

Ironically, Torres’ wouldn’t be able to continue his unique cap in MLB for much longer. Struggling against lefties through the 2015 season, Torres, despite his 3.15 ERA, was designated for assignment on August 4, outrighted to AAA, and never pitched in MLB ever again.

Furthermore, he was the ONLY one to actually utilize it on the mound.

By the grace of God, there haven’t been many comebackers, and permanent injury hasn’t happened. But, with Torres as the guinea pig, why wouldn’t other players try the ISOBlox Cap or the Pinwrest cushion?

In my opinion: VANITY.

The fact that the cap or the cushion didn’t look “intimidating” turned off a lot of players to the concept. With the mimicking from other players and commentators, many were, in my opinion, scared to wear it. They didn’t want to be laughed at.

Instead, over the years, players were, in turn, provided with different types of protection, lighter and easily undetectable inside of baseball caps, beginning with Kevlar. Limited weight made easier mobility on the hill. They felt safer. At the very least, they still looked “cool”.

It’s actually interesting that in an era where pitchers are throwing harder and hitters are hitting the ball with more ferocity than ever before, this style of cap was never seen again in MLB.

But to me, there was, is, and will be that fear.

I honestly believe that Alex Torres showed a lot of guts going out there and pitching with that type of cap, in spite of public ridicule. Even though his career in Major League Baseball wound up not lasting all that long, it showcased that there are alternate methods to protecting oneself on the mound, in case something arose.

To those that mimicked and mocked, shame on you. I’m just a blogger, but I truly think that the players were shortsighted in their views on the ISOBlox cap. It might not have looked cool, but it was a case of safety above all else.

Thank you, Alex Torres. Seriously, it took guts.

Bankie Bruce

BankieBruce@gmail.com