C-flap saves Broxton
New helmet spares serious head injury
The aftermath was gnarly — a badly swollen nose, with rolled-up gauze stuffed in his nostril to help stanch the bleeding.
Still, Keon Broxton knew the aftermath could have been worse. Much, much worse. The Milwaukee Brewers centerfielder sustained what manager Craig Counsell termed a small nasal fracture after being hit in the helmet with a 93-mph fastball thrown by Colorado Rockies pitcher Antonio Senzatela, a rookie making his first major-league start in a 2-1 Brewers loss Thursday afternoon at Miller Park.
The play itself was scary, with Broxton going down to the ground in a heap and remaining there for a couple minutes while head athletic trainer Dan Wright tended to him. But Broxton was able to get up under his own power and walk off the field, and later, address the media in the Brewers’ clubhouse.
That probably wouldn’t have been the case had Broxton not decided in spring training to begin using a batting helmet with an extended flap — known as a C-flap — that covered his left cheek.
“I feel very blessed to be in this position and be able to stand here and talk to you guys,” he said. “Especially after seeing this happen to a
number of people in the past. That C-flap, man, that thing just saved my life.
“That’s a blessing from God to even have the opportunity to put that on and try it out in spring training and take it over into the game.”
Broxton wasn’t on the Brewers yet when Mike Fiers hit Miami’s Giancarlo Stanton in the face with a fastball late in 2014, a mishap that cost the slugger the rest of his season. But he did see teammate Rymer Liriano get hit in the face last spring, with Liriano later having to undergo surgery and miss all of 2016.
Heading into this spring, Brewers equipment manager Jason Shawger along with Counsell made it known to all players that helmets with the C-flaps were available for the asking. Jonathan Villar, a switch-hitter, began using them late last season when he noticed that pitchers were throwing more up and in to him.
Broxton decided to give it a try, more so in order to protect his face from throws on steal attempts and slides into bases. He wore it throughout the spring, but admitted he recently was toying with the idea of going back to a regular helmet because the C-flap does slightly affect a hitter’s vision.
In retrospect, keeping the C-flap was one of the smartest things Broxton’s ever done. He said Senzatela’s pitch would have hit him square in the eye socket had he not had the extra protection, and he very well could have found himself in the same situation Liriano did.
“Once the ball hit my head I think I was doing a 360 on the ground or something like that, and as I was falling I was like, ‘Thank God for the Cflap.’ Because it wasn’t that bad,” Broxton said
“It just felt like I got punched by Mike Tyson. But other than that I feel good. I’m blessed. I’m blessed to be able to be here. I have no broken bones. Everything’s good. I’ve just got to wait until the swelling goes down and I’ll get back to playing ball.”
Other Brewers players like Yadiel Rivera, Lewis Brinson and Michael Reed used the C-flap in spring games. After his ordeal Thursday, Broxton took the opportunity to encourage other players to try them out as well.
“I’m grateful I kept that thing on, and I encourage every player to use it,” he said. “Even if you’re uncomfortable with it, guys, it saved me. I know it’ll help out a lot of other players as well. The best thing about this game is being healthy and being on the field.
“That’s the only way we’re going to make our money. That’s the only way we’re going to play. That’s the only way we’re going to win.”
Broxton said he was going to work with Shawger to explore possibly adding even more protection to his helmet once he’s able to return, either with a double-earflap helmet or a helmet with two Cflaps, in order to better protect his face.
In the meantime, Broxton has been listed as day to day and won’t need to be placed on the disabled list. Kirk Nieuwenhuis took Broxton’s place in Thursday’s game and homered for the Brewers’ only run, and Hernán Pérez is also capable of playing in center.
“There’s a possibility he could play tomorrow,” said Counsell, who himself suffered a seasonending broken jaw when he was hit in the face by a pitch during the 1998 season. “He’s good. We’re very lucky, for sure.”
Beyond Broxton’s close call, the story of the game for the Brewers was the strong outing turned in by Chase Anderson.
The right-hander allowed three hits and two walks while striking out four over six innings – the longest outing by a Brewers starter this season. He allowed just one run, on a third-inning home run by Mark Reynolds.
“It was a good first start for Chase,” Counsell said. “It was kind of like an extension of what he did in that final exhibition game, I thought he did a good job beating some hitters. He pitched great.
“A really nice ballgame.”
Anderson spoke after that exhibition start against the Chicago White Sox about the 10 pounds he added that resulted in a few more clicks on his fastball and more stamina to help him go deeper in games. He touched 94 mph early in the game Thursday; by comparison, his fastball averaged just over 91 mph in 2016.
“I kept the same mentality going into the game - just attack hitters,” Anderson said. “That’s what I did all spring training and it benefited me. When you’re the hunter and not the hunted, usually things go your way.
“I let the guys play defense behind me and tried to pitch deep into the game. That helps your pitch count when you’re attacking guys.”