Mask or No Mask

[Sweet Lou]

So who is more skilled and confident, the lion hunter that stands in the open using only a spear or the one that hides inside a truck with a rifle?

I know which one is likely to kill more lions and get mauled less. Does that help?

 

[InsidePitch]

IMO we are in a transition phase in the sport where 5-10 years from now, it won't even be a topic of discussion as the vast majority of infielders will be wearing some sort of face protection. I think we are a step in the right direction...

I would agree that many pitchers will wear a mask. I doubt most older MIs and 1st base will wear one. I also don't feel that every kid who wears a mask does so due to some deficiency in their fielding however there are a number who do and their in lies the rub.

ON a side note. I feel like the mask was a hendrance to KY pitcher. She was a kid prone to a lot of perspiration and you could see it beading up in the mask. Most pitchers without just wipe it away. Not so with the mask.

 

[Rocketech1]

I would agree that many pitchers will wear a mask. I doubt most older MIs and 1st base will wear one. I also don't feel that every kid who wears a mask does so due to some deficiency in their fielding however there are a number who do and their in lies the rub.

Well, when DD first started to pitch at 7YO her rec league required her to pitch with a mask so that is all she knows. I personally have not seen a correlation between a pitcher wearing a mask and their fielding (or pitching) skills. The Rip-It mask has high visibility and is very light weight. In fact, I think that one could argue that a 3rd baseman wearing a mask would make them less tentative (i.e. less worried about a bad hop to the face) especially with a very hard hit grounder on a less than perfect dirt infield, which are most of the infields softball is played on.

Again, I think this whole discussion will become moot as time goes on...but it is an interesting topic that transcends into people's opinions on how much authority and control organizations and governing bodies should have over the individual player's right to decide what equipment they want to use.

 

[riseball]

I know which one is likely to kill more lions and get mauled less. Does that help?

Again that goes to effectiveness and arguably common sense. Certainly the way I would go as I have no skill with a spear but I am exceptional with a long gun. However, the context of the question was about skill and confidence. Just pointing out the fallacy of the original analogy regarding hunting lions with bare hands.

 

[schwabach]

Again that goes to effectiveness and arguably common sense. Certainly the way I would go as I have no skill with a spear but I am exceptional with a long gun. However, the context of the question was about skill and confidence. Just pointing out the fallacy of the original analogy regarding hunting lions with bare hands.

Dang, and I thought I had made the final, decisive comment on this issue.

 

[Sweet Lou]

Dang, and I thought I had made the final, decisive comment on this issue.

Only if you are Sampson.

 

[ScottyDont]

The whole "if a kid is a stud, it won't matter" argument is pretty tired. Of course the studs will be recruited no matter what.

The question is for the 95% of softball players who are looking for any advantage in the recruiting process. A kid with no mask is going to be looked at more favorably than one without by some (many?) coaches. Even if only 20% of coaches are anti-mask, it still reduces the pool of potential scholarships for the masked player by 20%.

I'm not saying I agree with the status quo, but no one can say it doesn't exist.

 

[MTR]

I don't much care for that comment from the D1 coach to the effect that masks indicate some sort of deficiency.

I agree, but in some cases it can create a deficiency.

 

[BobInMadison]

I agree that in 5-10 years this won't be a controversy anymore.
5 years ago I didn't know masks even existed.

 

[Rocketech1]

I agree, but in some cases it can create a deficiency.

And than we wonder why so many of us have to defend the use of masks with this attitude that seems to persist.... I guess goalie, football, and catcher masks create deficiencies in some cases and, what is the "logical" conclusion?, that we should not draft kids that want to wear them?