Pirates GM Has Ridiculous Take on How MLB Should Handle Players Passing In-Game Concussion Tests

The reputation of professional sports leagues are on the line when it comes to the treatment of concussions. With our knowledge of CTE's effect on the brain, teams have to be careful about the well-being of their players.

But apparently Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Neal Huntington didn't get the memo. He stepped up to the podium on Sunday and stated his belief that a player should be allowed to re-enter the game if they pass a concussion test after leaving with a head injury.

"Any player that had an obvious concussion-risk incident should be allowed to be removed from the game, taken off the field, taken into the locker room, assessed by a doctor, assessed by a trainer, go through an extended period of time and then re-enter the game," said Huntington, via ESPN. "Because right now, all of this has to happen on the field.

"The player has to feel pressure as he’s standing there with 30,000 or 10,000 or 50,000 eyes on him," Huntington added. "He has to feel pressure to make a decision whether (he’s) in or (he’s) out of this game. He knows if he takes himself out and he’s the catcher, there’s only one other catcher, and the game becomes a fiasco if that other catcher gets hurt."

This is an idea that Huntington wants to propose to the league, and quite frankly, it's a step backward in terms supporting players' health. What if said player is one foul tip to the facemask or fastball to the helmet away from actually suffering a serious head injury?

Also, this literally goes against the rules of baseball. So now if a player is forced to leave a game with, say, a leg injury, and actually ends up being OK an inning or two later, should they be allowed back in the game? No, because those aren't the rules.

Huntington's take on the concussion test comes after Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli, was hit in the back of the helmet by the bat of Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson on Saturday. Cervelli would remain in the game before he took himself out. It was later revealed that Cervelli indeed suffered a concussion and hit the seven-day injured list as a result.

The league created the concussion protocol after years of players failing to report symptoms in order to remain in the game. The rules were made to take the decision out of the players' hands in order to preserve their health.

Huntington is determined to bring this proposal to Commissioner Rob Manfred, but we can only hope this out-dated approach will be shot down.