Say yes or no to the face mask?

[riseball]

lets stick to the facts. at third or pitcher a hot liner to the face is not defensible by reflex...

That is pure nonsense. It can be done otherwise pitchers and corners would always get hit.

 

[Westwind]

If there was an internet in the 80's I wonder if Riseball would have spent all day trying to convince every hockey goalie that facemasks were a travesty to the game.

As late as the 90's some hockey players still were not wearing masks. Masks ruined that game, those guys are such sissies now.

It's great that there are dinosaurs around who played ball without a mask with alloy bats that are still rolling around the bottom of some batting cage in frigging Toledo 30 years later. (Bet you would have killed to have a Rocketech in the rumble seat of your Model T). Don't expect us to do the same just because your equipment sucked and the girlie hitters were dominated by 55 mile an hour pitching. My 12 year old would rip that crap today, even at 40' or whatever stupid pitching distance they pitched from back then.

Things change. Mostly for the better. Masks are an example of that. Quit griping about it.

 

[riseball]

If there was an internet in the 80's I wonder if Riseball would have spent all day trying to convince every hockey goalie that facemasks were a travesty to the game.

As late as the 90's some hockey players still were not wearing masks. Masks ruined that game, those guys are such sissies now.

It's great that there are dinosaurs around who played ball without a mask with alloy bats that are still rolling around the bottom of some batting cage in frigging Toledo 30 years later. (Bet you would have killed to have a Rocketech in the rumble seat of your Model T). Don't expect us to do the same just because your equipment sucked and the girlie hitters were dominated by 55 mile an hour pitching. My 12 year old would rip that crap today, even at 40' or whatever stupid pitching distance they pitched from back then.

Things change. Mostly for the better. Masks are an example of that. Quit griping about it.

If you are going to pop off about hockey and the history of goaltender masks you should get your facts straight. As to your 12 year old daughter ripping the pitching of players like Lisa Fernandez, Michelle Smith, and Michele Granger, you are clearly delusional.

I have no issue with players wearing masks. I have 2 players on my team that wear them. Just wish people would get off the soapbox and save the self righteous preaching. If you want your DD to wear one, good for you. I you want self validation go join a support group. Like I said before if there was as much noise about teaching good defensive skills there would be far fewer injuries in general and a much higher level of play.

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[marriard]

If you are going to pop off about hockey and the history of goaltender masks you should get your facts straight. As to your 12 year old daughter ripping the pitching of players like Lisa Fernandez, Michelle Smith, and Michele Granger, you are clearly delusional.

I have no issue with players wearing masks. I have 2 players on my team that wear them. Just wish people would get off the soapbox and save the self righteous preaching. If you want your DD to wear one, good for you. I you want self validation go join a support group. Like I said before if there was as much noise about teaching good defensive skills there would be far fewer injuries in general and a much higher level of play.

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It's OK riseball... eventually the insurance companies we all use will catch on that it will save them money, they will mandate them and no one will have a choice.

I'm actually stunned this hasn't happened for baseball already for batting helmet cages.

 

[riseball]

It's OK riseball... eventually the insurance companies we all use will catch on that it will save them money, they will mandate them and no one will have a choice.

I'm actually stunned this hasn't happened for baseball already for batting helmet cages.

That is because in the grand scheme of things it will not affect the bottom line of the insurance company. If it did you can be sure they would be mandated.

What surprises me is when a kid takes one off a facemask it seems to be cause for celebration. It is like a badge of honor to take one in the grille and get saved by a facemask. "It was a laser shot, she couldn't react and would have been seriously injured or worse. Thank god she had a facemask." It is always assumed that there was "no time to react". However, when you observe many of the infielders especially at the 8U-12U level, all too often they are flat footed with fairly upright posture. It is no wonder they are failing to react to a hard hit ball.

I am all for safety gear and have a high level of appreciation for them. I use a seat belt when I drive, have airbags in my truck, and I still have a flak jacket and helmet in my safe. On the subject of facemasks people often equate facemasks with seat belts - "You wouldn't drive without a seat belt so why would you play without a face mask?" I will agree that is a fair comparison. However, you would have to agree that when you drive you need to have a proper level of skill, pay attention, and be prepared to react quickly to any situation. Which is why texting while driving is widely considered a very bad habit.

The same can be said for playing infield, especially corners. When a kid is flat footed, upright, and reacting to the ball after the first bounce they are demonstrating the softball equivalent of texting while driving. I think you would be hard pressed not to agree that such a player needs to further develop their skills and learn some better habits. Otherwise with or without a facemask they are probably going to get hurt.

A facemask like a seat belt is for when something goes wrong and all else fails. Neither is a substitute for an enhanced level of skill and proper habits. People are very quick to pluck down $40 for a facemask. But where is the commitment to the development of skills and proper habits so the facemask like the seat belt is never needed? That said I have to ask those who so enthusiastically promote the use of a facemask - What are you doing this week so the facemask you proudly bought for your DD is never needed?

 

[Westwind]

Right, because I hear all the time how the now middle age moms who played travel ball and college in my area faced all those history making players practically every weekend. What they really faced were 50-60 mile per hour fast ball pitchers at 40' that dominated hitters who were trying to put the ball in play any way they could.

Delusional? Here is what I know- my kid plays with 10 girls who can hit fast pitching all day long because they hit 5-6 days per week. They are not the exception, they are the norm. They all seem to have a bag full of great bats especially at ASA tournaments. Of course they wouldn't hit the top players of a bygone era, (that's just dumb), but they are certainly not being dominated by pitching that would have been killer 15-20 years ago.

The game has changed. It's a hitters game. I know change is hard for some people because Change is Different.

You are the one on the soapbox, if my kid puts a mask on when she goes to the pitching rubber it's none of your business. Quit harping about it. In my area the best teams who have nothing to prove wear masks in the infield through at least 14's and it's the weaker teams who seem to put pitchers on the field without masks. I hope it isn't my kid who smokes her, she will feel bad and it won't be her fault. Please don't put her in that position.

The problem isn't the ultra protective nanny state. It isn't that coaches don't teach the kids to field. The problem is dinosaurs who put a stigma on a piece of safety equipment that is detrimental to the game in no way whatsoever THAT WORKS.

Ten pages of this baloney, it happens every time and I can not believe it.

 

[mr19]

Again sticking my nose in. Like I said my DD wears face mask, although I admit I was a bit surprised when we showed up to our first serious softball practice last year and realized they were wearing face-masks. Like many of you I've played a lot of baseball in my life and have never once been on the field where a pitcher has been hit in the head (I've been hit in the rear a few times due to crappy follow-through leaving me falling toward first in a horrible defensive position, but that's a different story). Never once was I worried about being hit in the head.

According to the article here:

Line drive to head? Pitchers don't think about it - MLB - Sporting News

there is less than a 0.001% chance of a pitcher getting hit in the head by a batted ball at the MLB level. That's not to say it won't happen, but I also might get hit by a bus after I post this and walk across the street for a bagel. As i said earlier I'm more concerned about the 3B that is creeping dangerously close to the hitter in bunt situation (at least that is what went on last year with our team).

And from this link FUNNY2™ - The Odds #1 I found some funny things that are more likely to happen:

Odds of dating a supermodel: 88,000 to 1
Odds of becoming a pro athlete: 22,000 to 1

Not saying you shouldn't wear a mask, just trying to put it in perspective a little (at least for me).

 

[Westwind]

MR, I have a really hard time comparing bb to sb in this discussion. Do boys get hit in face because I really don't know- there are so many differences I don't know if they can be compared, posture of pitchers finish, distance from hitters at finish, bats etc.

I'm going to add that I have a huge bias, I am really underwhelmed by boys hitting that I see in this area at all ages. They just don't seem to work at it very hard.

 

[josh]

My daughter wears a mask and has never needed it, thankfully. I don't know that she needs it, she has caught some amazing line drives, her reflexes are scary good, but the 8U pitching distance is also scary short. So we have a rule that pitchers wear mask in our league.

What I don't like to see is when coaches slap a mask on players and then put them in a position they really don't have the skill to play. I am not against masks at all, I actually am more in favor than against, I don't like the way they are used, to placate parents whose children want "their turn" to play 1st or 3rd base when they do not have the skill to do so safely. A hit to the chest can be pretty bad too, nor does the mask cover the top of the head when they are looking at their feet! Ok, that is my rant on coaches and parents... not really the mask's fault.

 

[Little Angels Softball]

I've seen a kid injured by the mask. Bad enough for at least a couple of dozen stitches in her face and a pretty big scar for life (read by lawyer: disfigurement). If her coach was requiring her to wear the mask, who is responsible?

As long as college scouts continue to tell me they aren't looking at girls who wear masks, I am not going to argue with any girl on my team who chooses not to wear one. Not that I would, anyway.