Infield Face Masks and College

[Sweet Lou]

#1 Until your DD is hit by a line drive, it is impossible to pass judgement.

DD age 13 will wear a mask whenever she plays IF or P or even taking grounders in practice. This is not optional, it is a condition of her playing. I wish I knew about these when she started 10U and her coach knocked out her front tooth in the last practice before 1st tournament. Tooth hung on for 3 years but recently required a root canal. She'll have permanent crown and cap forever.

I won't pass judgement on anyone who won't wear a mask, god knows I played years without one. But I do tell parents that a ~$40 face mask is a lot less expensive than cosmetic dentistry.

DD age 7 wears a mask only when pitching because her league uses the squishy incrediball but if she moves to a tournament team or older league where they use a real hard softball, she'll be wearing a mask too. In fact I require all the pitchers on the 8U team to wear the mask when pitching unless parents tell me specifically it is OK for their DD to pitch without one.

 

[MTR]

MTR - are you saying only bad parents let their kids not wear masks?

If so, that seems like a reach.

I think it is bad parenting to leave the decision up to the child especially if you know it may be the wrong decision for the wrong reason.

I'm at least glad to see the reduction in number of posts where the alleged parents whine and complain that the sanctioning bodies don't mandate the masks. See, I've got this old-school belief that parents should be parents and effect that responsibility instead of expecting and waiting on someone else to do their job. It is pretty unbelievable how many alleged parents do not have the maturity to act like a parent.

 

[Jr10234]

It'll take one hit for my DD to appreciate the mask, if she doesn't get a glove on it. She thinks it interferes with her sight so she's the one playing. Never had them in my day and when I hit IF to her she'll either back up or gear up. I pay for her to play, doesn't mean I control her on the field. If I thought she was at risk against a heavy batter, she'd back up or protect herself..or learn.

 

[MTR]

It'll take one hit for my DD to appreciate the mask, if she doesn't get a glove on it. She thinks it interferes with her sight so she's the one playing. Never had them in my day and when I hit IF to her she'll either back up or gear up. I pay for her to play, doesn't mean I control her on the field.

Yep, there it is.

 

[JAD]

JAD:
THen make your son (if you have one) wear one too.

I am not 14 but I would not play on a team that made me wear a mask.

Don't have a son, so it is not an issue at my house. Baseball pitchers are at 60FT, softball 40-43FT (depending on age and sanction). How many baseball 3rd baseman play inside the bag at 50FT? My DD pitches and she has been hit by sharp line drives several times (thankfully never in the face). I have seen a pitcher hit in the face by a line drive, while wearing a face mask. Her eye still swelled up like Mike Tyson had knocked her out. I hate to think what would have happened if she did not have on a mask (girl is a great athlete, so reaction time/reflexes were not the issue). I know a pitcher who has lost sight in one eye after being struck by a line drive. My DD also has @ $5K worth of dental work (braces) I would like for her to keep!

BTW - you don't have to wear a mask to play on our team. You can play outfield or DH!

 

[Lozza]

In all my years playing I've seen it happen twice. Both juniors. One was from a girl who had been told time and time again that she was not fielding properly after letting the ball go. (well that and she was 12 playing adult women. I don't agree with that for that exact reason) The other was a 16 year old who was charging a bunt.

I've never seen an adult cop a ball to the face. Ever. I put my own experience here from a couple of weeks ago. My reaction was pure reflex. I didn't see the ball. At all. And I don't have fast reflexes. But I was taught how to field a batted ball after pitching it.

People don't seem to play fastpitch in America past 17/18 years of age. (excepting the elite of course) So it might be a moot point, because I could see a lot of kids who have to wear them choosing to stop wearing them when they became adults (just from my own experiences, I have batted without a helmet against very fast pitchers, I no longer wear shin guards and I keep forgetting to wear my mouth guard)

 

[Sweet Lou]

I've never seen an adult cop a ball to the face. Ever.

Not sure if you get MLB games down under but it happens more often than you think even in MLB, though I doubt you'll see MLB pitchers wearing masks anytime soon. I've seen some nasty injuries from MLB pitchers taking a ball off the noggin and at least one pitching career was ended prematurly by a rocket back to the face, Bryce Florie of the Red Sox who tried a comeback afterward but was never the same.

I did see one pitcher in the Australian baseball series get a line drive off his shoulder that was caught in the air by the SS for a DP as he tagged the runner that was going on the pitch. That was unusual. Pitcher was not hurt.

 

[Jr10234]

Matter of opinion MTR. Masks weren't around long ago. Do you wear shin guards in IF too?

 

[Sweet Lou]

Matter of opinion MTR. Masks weren't around long ago. Do you wear shin guards in IF too?

Small point to consider. Shins heal. Teeth and eyes, not so much.

 

[dadonachair]

Masks are a part of the modern part of the game.. Same as the heart guard shirts and masks on batting helmets. Just because they didn't have them in the good ole days does not mean they are evil. When I was a kid my father did not take me to a hitting coach when I was 10 just so I could keep up with the other hitters out there. I did not go to a pitching coach. I didn't have a $300 bat. The game has changed. Masks are part of it. If a collage coach didn't want my kid cause she wore a mask then I would not want that coach to coach my kid.

Seat belts in cars. Don't drink and drive. Don't text and drive. Airbags. Child safety caps. All the baby proofing you did in your home when your kids were born. Child car seats. I can go on and on. These are the things we do to keep our kids safe. I am sure most of you responsible parents out there did those things for your kids. Is a mask that big of a deal?