3rd baseman hit with line drive

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

Oct 22, 2009
1,532
0
PA
From reading the research it's not clear to me that these actually work.

Commotio cordis (sudden cardiac arrest from a blow to the chest) is a very rare event (thankfully). It is impossible to do a study large enough to demonstrate that any specific intervention can change the outcome. Commotio cordis has also been reported to occur in baseball catchers, who generally wear thicker padding than the Heart Gard. For me, it was worth the $90 to buy an Evo Shield for my DD 2 years ago even without the evidence that it worked. Unfortunately, she hated it because it was really hot to wear under her uniform. She didn't wear it more than once or twice as far as I know. Like all sports, there is a risk, and it is up to each parent, team, and league to decide what level of protection is appropriate.

Amy, I hope the player is OK. Too scary to think about!
 
Last edited:
Aug 29, 2011
2,581
83
NorCal
I was not aware of this ever having been an issue in softball, interesting question.

I believe a player was killed last year or the year before from a linedrive that stopped her heart while pitching. A very sad story. Though still extremely rare.

I guess that 3B should just learn to play without a mask? Yes that is sarcasm for those of you didn't pick it up in my post. Honestly I can't understand any girl playing a corner infield spot or pitcher without a mask these days. Between the short distance, speed of the pitch, quality of hitting instruction and hot bats you'd be nuts to not wear one when the reaction time off the bat is less than 0.5 seconds. Heck it is probably less then 0.25 seconds for the hardest hit balls back to the pitcher. And unlike the heart problem which is quite rare, balls to the face are all too common.

Thoughts and prayers go out to the injured girl.
 
Last edited:

MTR

Jun 22, 2008
3,438
48
These sort of things are just hard to stomach. They are becoming way too frequent. It is time for something to be done. I know a lot of people blame the bats (which is a problem) , but also the mentality that a player is less skilled due to wearing a mask has to be squashed.

There is nothing showing this wouldn't have happened with a wood bat, especially the manner in which the corners crash the plate. Want to reduce the chance of this happening again? Remove the reason the corners charge the batter.

At an earlier point in time, the bunt was not legal in softball. Maybe they need to return to that point, but it will never happen for one, simple reason, the NCAA will not support such a move. Actually, I don't think any organization would support the move, it is too engrained in their perception of the game.
 
Jan 24, 2011
1,157
0
I think there are other ways to protect the kids without changing the rules of play. The answer is simply common sense approach to equipment.
 
Feb 4, 2013
63
0
My DD is a high school freshman 3b and wears a facemask. She has been told by other players and coaches that she will not get recruited if she continues to wear one. She doesn'rt care. The safety and security it gives her allows her to play that position aggressively.
 
Jun 18, 2010
2,624
38
Stacey Nuveman:

Softball players should ‘toughen up’


Stacey Nuveman, San Diego State University assistant softball coach, offended some viewers when she said on national TV that her players should “toughen up” instead of wearing batting face masks.

Also an ESPN commentator, Nuveman made her comment during the Kentucky vs. California Super Regional game on Sunday, May 29.

“I don’t like (face masks). I think they’re cumbersome. I tell my (SDSU) girls who wear them, ‘come on, toughen up’.”

Her words aren’t on YouTube, but Nuveman’s statement—and the above quote—made it into a couple of online softball forums.

She was commenting on Baylor freshman catcher Clare Hosack hitting a foul ball into her own face (see above) during a Super Regional game vs. Georgia on Saturday, May 28.

With Baylor University playing in this year’s Women’s College World Series we’ll probably hear more about face masks and Hosack’s injury.
 
May 7, 2008
8,506
48
Tucson
Yeah. People responded by saying that Stacy N. wears the best protective equipment made, behind the plate. So, how does she know?
 
Jan 24, 2011
1,157
0
Yeah. People responded by saying that Stacy N. wears the best protective equipment made, behind the plate. So, how does she know?

Definitely not the type of coach I would want my DD to play for anyway. As far as not getting recruited because of a mask , oh well , I think I will just pay for school. Not worth the chance of losing my DD
 

Forum statistics

Threads
42,830
Messages
679,478
Members
21,445
Latest member
Bmac81802
Top