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Locally, perhaps the most infamous incident in recent times on a baseball field happened in May of 1991 when Foran freshman Peter Butanowicz was killed when he was hit in the back of the head by a line drive during a practice drill. It was a sad, sad day in Milford and in the local baseball community. Butanowicz, obviously, wasn’t wearing a helmet and after a brief period where people discussed players wearing helmets on the field at all times, it was dropped.

Three weeks after that incident, while pitching batting practice in preparation for the American Legion season, I was hit with a line drive directly in the face. Luckily, I escaped with just a concussion, a severely swollen face, and a broken nose, and missed only a couple weeks of action. But it wasn’t lost on me then or now that the difference between the two was only inches.

Two years later, Tim Belcher - now the Lyman Hall hockey coach - was struck by lightning while pitching an American Legion game in North Haven. Like me, he obviously lived to tell about it. Of course, there are freak accidents and then there is what happened to minor league coach Mike Coolbaugh last July as he was coaching first base for the Tulsa Drillers.

A left-handed batter turned on a fastball and hit a foul line drive that was headed right for Coolbaugh. Now, if you’ve watched a lot of baseball like me, usually this story ends comically: the ball barely misses the coach and everyone laughs or it hits him in an extremity, leaves a battle wound, and eventually everyone laughs. But it became obvious quickly last July that this was no jovial matter. As it turned out, the line drive had hit Coolbaugh - who had just retired from playing the year before - in the back of his head, severing an artery. He died on the way to the hospital, leaving behind a pregnant wife and two other boys, ages 5 and 3.

Soon after the incident, as you’ve probably seen on television this season, helmets were made mandatory for base coaches in both major and minor league baseball, starting in 2008. American Legion baseball and many other youth organizations followed suit, however, as you’ve probably noticed by now, high school coaches are not wearing helmets on the bases this season, even though some of the coaches in the SCC bought helmets for just such a purpose. Ignorance? Stupidity? Well, actually, it was just mostly a matter of timing, at least for now.

You see, the rule requiring base coaches to wear helmets in professional baseball was not officially passed until February. While sometimes these rules start from the bottom up, because the most publicized tragedy happened in professional baseball, this one will probably go from the top down.

Therefore, the National Federation (which governs all high school athletics in the U.S.) and the NCAA did not really have time to put in such a rule for this season. It is widely rumored that coaches will wear helmets for the 2009 season once everyone has a chance to go through all the facts. Some coaches, who don’t want to go public, say that the helmets are basically stupid and an overreaction to a singular incident that was - as the first line in the story suggested - a freak accident.

Larry Bowa, the fiery former manager of the Phillies and coach with the Yankees, went with Joe Torre to Los Angeles this season. When word came down he would have to wear a helmet, he sounded a lot like an adolescent told by his parents.

“My question is, how can I be in the league 40 years and the league says who wears a helmet and who doesn’t? One guy got killed and I’m sorry it happened. But bats break and they can be a deadly weapon. Do something about bats. Umpires get hit with line drives; I’ve probably seen 50 of them get hit. If coaches have to wear helmets, umpires should. I’ll sign a waiver. And there should be a grandfather clause. These things are very cumbersome,” Bowa told mlb.com.

Bowa makes a decent point about the umpires (the most serious incident I saw in my playing days like this involved a base umpire getting hit by a thrown ball), but his lack of general diplomacy with the situation could probably win him a job in the Bush Administration.

Most times, I side with the freedom to willfully put yourself in harm’s way as long as it doesn’t harm anyone else: see motorcycle helmets, seat belts, etc. However, there has to be a higher standard when it comes to setting an example at the high school level for such things. And I think it speaks to the peer pressure that pervades society that I haven’t found any SCC coaches wearing helmets while coaching the bases (if there is someone out there, please e-mail me).

“As someone who coached at the college level for a couple of years, I used to be very aware when certain hitters came up while I was coaching first base, especially when a runner was on base, “ SCC commissioner and former stand-out baseball player Al Carbone said. “Players who coach the bases have to wear a helmet, so why not the coaches?”

After Bowa said he would not wear a helmet no matter what the fine was, Major League Baseball said he would be ejected from any game in which he didn’t wear a helmet. Bowa had a helmet on the next day. Of course, as much as I think that it’s so easy that coaches might as well put the stupid helmets on, the complete issue of safety is not that simple.

Some experts think a helmet might not have saved Coolbaugh because the ball hit near the base of his skull. But was it such a freak accident after all? Last month in Washington, D.C., St. Albans Prep junior varsity coach Stephen Wheeler had his skull broken while coaching third base, although the circumstances were much different than what happened to Coolbaugh.

Wheeler was directing a runner to third on a close play when the throw skipped past the third baseman. The base runner got up and was trying to score while the third baseman hurried to get the ball and fired home, only to hit Wheeler who was approximately 10 feet away. According to the Washington Post, Wheeler was initially listed in critical condition, but was upgraded to fair condition and is expected to make a nearly full recovery.

Butanowicz and Coolbaugh, as well as their families, obviously don’t have that luxury. And when things go wrong, you obviously look for answers. What if this or what if that? But sometimes the answers aren’t always there, and the easiest thing to do is just to try your best to make sure something similar doesn’t happen to anyone else, even if it’s just a small gesture like putting a helmet on while coaching.

SCC TOURNAMENT UPDATE: Yes, the headline does have SCC Tournament update on it, but we really don‘t have too much of an update for you with only a week to go until the end of the regular season.

What I can tell you as I’m writing this is that the divisions appear to be in safe hands, although that can change this week. It looks like Xavier has the inside track in the Quinnipiac Division, and they have yet to lose in division play. Amity is the favorite in the Housatonic Division, although they do have a loss to Sheehan on their resume and could be vulnerable against Sheehan or Shelton the second time around. Guilford, with its recent hot streak, has taken command in the Hammonasset Division, and will win the title if it can get through the Milford duo of Foran and Law this week. And in the Oronoque Division, it’s Branford’s title to lose, although Career and East Haven (who have yet to meet this season), still might have say in what happens down the stretch.

The top two of those four teams will receive byes in the first round, which is important when you’re dealing with pitching staffs (not playing three games in five days to win the title). It appears Guilford and Xavier has the inside track on those two spots, although there is still much to be determined.

And good luck trying to figure out the wild card situation. Jonathan Law, Sheehan, East Haven, Career, and others still have a shot to try to get the last two spots in the tournament. Of the teams listed, it would be biggest for Career, who has been hot of late and has never been to the SCC Tournament. We’ll know much more by next week.

AROUND THE HORN: With heavy hearts, Shelton returned to the field Wednesday, and lost to Sheehan 4-3, but they did rebound to take care of Foran on Friday in anticipation of its showdown with Amity on Monday. The Gaels will qualify for the state tournament, but appear unlikely to make the SCC Tournament ...

Notre Dame played three of its home games at the friendly confines of Noyes Field at Painter Park in West Haven, the former home of the Blue Devils. Not only did the Green Knights win three straight, but two of them were by shutout, even with the tiny dimensions. Maybe they've found a home for themselves after all ...

Sheehan also moved its home game last Wednesday, but that was due to weather, beating Shelton at West Side Field ...

Guilford continued its torrid pace, scoring 39 runs in three wins last week ...

Law and Hand were slated to play two games last Tuesday, the first a continuation of an early season game that was called after 11 innings due to darkness. But both it and the regularly scheduled game were rained out, meaning that the Tigers were technically scheduled to play five games this week.

GAME OF THE WEEK Notre Dame at Xavier, Friday, 3:45 p.m. – The Falcons have been very impressive this season, and the Green Knights were also expected to contend for the Quinnipiac Division crown, but at least they appear to be peaking at the right time, and could rain on the Xavier Quinnipiac Division parade on Friday.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK Rick Mangione, Notre Dame – Mangione continued the suddenly hot pitching by the Green Knights by throwing a three-hitter, striking out 10, as Notre Dame defeated Hamden, 1-0, in eight innings last Friday. It was the second shutout of the week for Notre Dame, who won its last three games last week.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 12

Number of losses for Fairfield Prep through 13 games this season, putting the Jesuits on the brink of being the first team in the SCC to be eliminated from post-season play.

POWER RANKINGS

1) Guilford (12-2; Last Week 1) – Doesn't look like any stopping Indians now, Jolin returns on the mound.

2) Xavier (11-2; LW 2) – Opened up game against West Haven with a little-seen 11-spot in fifth.

3) Branford (10-3; LW 3) – Not many losses at the top, Hornets allowed only one run last week.

4) Amity (10-3; LW 4) – Spartans also faced little competition last week, a nice break for them.

5) Notre Dame (9-5; LW 11) – Answered my call from last week, pitching suddenly a strength.

6) Jonathan Law (7-5; LW 5) – Played Branford tough, but lack of scoring raised its ugly head again.

7) Sheehan (7-6; LW 6) – Things will get tough for Titans down the stretch, but they should be ready.

8) Career (8-4; LW 7) – Branford dealt them a loss, but it didn't appear to slow them down too much.

9) Shelton (8-4; LW 8) – Record is still solid, should be emotionally charged the rest of the way.

10) Foran (7-6; LW 10) – Lions were able to avenge loss against Prep, but fell to Law for first time.

11) Hand (6-6; LW 16) – I think I cheated the Tigers out of a win last week, sorry about that guys.

12) East Haven (8-5; LW 9) – Toppled North Haven for the first time in a few years last week.

13) West Haven (9-5; LW 13) – Strength of schedule isn't impressive, but the record certainly is.

14) Hamden (5-9; LW 12) – Might be a battle until the end to get themselves to the magic 8-win mark.

15) North Haven (4-9; LW 14) – Gave up 26 runs in two losses last week, have to get it done this week.

16) Cheshire (4-9; LW 15) – Loss to Hamden may have been a state tournament elimination game.

17) Derby (6-7; LW 17) – How hard will it be for the Raiders to get those last two wins to qualify?

18) Lyman Hall (3-10; LW 18) – Moving toward the precipice of extinction again this season.

19) Fairfield Prep (1-12; LW 19) – At least there's nowhere to go but up for the Jesuits the rest of the way.

20) Wilbur Cross (2-12; LW 21) – Got revenge for the earlier season loss against Hillhouse.

21) Hillhouse (2-12; LW 20) – Pitching is getting better, but can't really find the offense to match