Comments on: Adrian Beltre is friggin' nuts

By: Richard Gadsden

Richard Gadsden — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:14:42 +0000

To be fair, the foot hasn’t changed much in that period, but shoes certainly have.
I’m surprised that none of the sports-equipment manufacturers have tried to redesign it in all those years, but if he’s having real trouble, he could try a box instead (boxes are made for cricketers, who get hit in that location a lot more often than baseballers).

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 23:59:59 +0000

It’s true. A-Rod clearly continued to use his testicles regardless.

By: JoeD

JoeD — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 22:18:22 +0000

Steroid use can shrink your testicles too but that didn’t stop players from using them.

By: Flup

Flup — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:39:36 +0000

Also worth considering is how much I’d be paid to take the risk of the very rare nutcracker, and if wearing a cup might lead to less pay, which is also probably part of Beltre’s thought process.

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:22:59 +0000

This may be an apocryphal story, Craig, but I think I heard once – and it might well have been from my dad’s late buddy Eric Blau, too, but I’m not sure – that Yogi Berra once caught a foul ball off the plate right in the huevos and reportedly described it as “a cross between the fear of death and the fear of not dying.” That…er…ring any bells?

By: Stone

Stone — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:15:39 +0000

Is it the chance of getting beaned in the nuts or is it a guarantee that you will be beaned in the nuts? I would take the chance for sure but the guarantee would give me real pause.

By: Craig Calcaterra

Craig Calcaterra — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:07:47 +0000

To be fair, the nutsack hasn’t been redesigned in that time either.

By: Cleareye

Cleareye — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:04:50 +0000

Seems to me the cup should be modernized. It’s the same design from 50 years ago.

By: HP3

HP3 — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:46:34 +0000

Two words -”Nutty Buddy”

By: MarkH

MarkH — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:41:16 +0000

If the question is actually, “Would you risk the minuscule chance of taking one in the jewels on every ground ball, rather than constantly wearing a cup so uncomfortable that you began to wonder if it was worth it to protect you from the aforementioned minuscule chance” — which I imagine was more or less Beltre’s thought process — then yes, I’d take that “chance” too.

By: Big Harold

Big Harold — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:27:38 +0000

“Show of hands: how many of you would take a traumatic testicle injury every decade or so in exchange for being a tad more comfortable on a day to day basis?”
I would but I’m 50 years old with three kids and I’m steadfastly looking to avoid having any more.
Actually I do understand his point of view. I did in fact play two years of HS football and never wore a cup. I couldn’t run in them.

By: Charles Gates

Charles Gates — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 11:49:11 +0000

In a related story, the Boston grounds keepers have devoted significant resources to smoothing out the left side of the Fenway infield.

By: YANKEES1996

YANKEES1996 — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 11:39:57 +0000

Is this immense bravery and confidence or pure lunacy? Most people would think that being injured like he was would be enough motivation to forego the comfort issue.

By: Keith A

Keith A — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:40:30 +0000

Sheesh. I guess that’s why you get two.

By: OldNo7

OldNo7 — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:37:42 +0000

Plaxico Burress had a similar comfort/safety dilemma: holster or sweatpants?

By: Josh Fisher

Josh Fisher — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:36:01 +0000

What early-to-mid-90′s Cincinnati Red (I think) suffered a similar injury, and then finally chose to wear a cup, only to be knocking the thing incessantly? I gave a speech on this in high school (the knocking on it part, not the…other part). And for the life of me, I can’t remember who this was.
Josh