High School Player Hit In The Face

[Ken B]

Pretty sure that in a short time, many slow pitch pitchers will be wearing similar gear:



Seriously---Who in their right mind would stand in front of Brian Wegman without a full suit of armor?!?!

 

[knightsb]

As recent as a few years ago, there was a negative connotation regarding a mask being a sign of weakness or a lack of confidence especially at the higher travel ball level and at the collegiate level. I believe the perception has changed for those pitchers wearing a mask. I don't see the same negative reaction toward the mask at the pitchers position as there once was. IMHO, the turning point came when Finucane was hit in the face and it was reinforced when Lowery was also hit by a hard line drive. In the last couple years you see Barnhill, Kliest, and several others wearing a mask. I personally don't think today's college coaches regard the mask as a negative for the pitchers.

 

[Rocketech1]

As recent as a few years ago, there was a negative connotation regarding a mask being a sign of weakness or a lack of confidence especially at the higher travel ball level and at the collegiate level. I believe the perception has changed for those pitchers wearing a mask. I don't see the same negative reaction toward the mask at the pitchers position as there once was. IMHO, the turning point came when Finucane was hit in the face and it was reinforced when Lowery was also hit by a hard line drive. In the last couple years you see Barnhill, Kliest, and several others wearing a mask. I personally don't think today's college coaches regard the mask as a negative for the pitchers.

Yes, and the technology (e.g. Rip-It face masks, etc) finally caught up to the need of safety equipment that protected the players but was still light weight and strong enough for comfort and safety. I know this new safety equipment drove some purist of the game crazy just like the introduction of catcher's masks in baseball and goalie masks in ice hockey must have....thank god common sense ruled out without it becoming an issue of someone's civil liberties being taken away by being required to wear safety equipment playing sports.

 

[InsidePitch]

I think if you want to wear the mask or if you want your DD to wear a mask go for it. My fear is that the do-gooders will force this on all 9 in the field. I base this on seeing 10-12U teams with 9 masked kids in the field. If you ever hope to have some semblance of parity to baseball you can't put them all behind masks.

It seems there are some here that champion the mask and won't be satisfied with their kid wearing one. It won't be satisfied until it's mandated for girls.

Putting my nomex on now...

 

[obbay]

I don't know if she's still the coach or not, but a few years ago the Georgetown coach wrote an article about how masks are a sign of weakness and any player who wears a mask is basically a cowardly little girl who doesn't belong in the game. she would never allow any of her players to wear a mask and then it would only be if there was a bona fide medical reason for it.

Georgetown's performance always validates her cutting edge coaching skills as they are always in the running for last place in their conference.

 

[Westwind]

Most of the coaches that are known mask haters played in a world where pitchers dominated from a 40' pitching rubber and bats looked like they were turned from a solid aluminum billet.

Fastpitch used to be a pitchers game, now it's a hitters game.

 

[MoparFin]

Never required any of the girls on my teams to wear masks, but all the infielders always wore one. Outfielders only wear them sometimes. My DD's both wear one when in the infield or when DD2 is pitching. Outfield they take them off.

 

[ScottyDont]

There used to be a real disparity in ability between girls who wore masks and those who didn't. That disparity no longer exists. It's time for college and travel ball coaches to recognize that safety and talent do not have to be mutually exclusive.

 

[Rocketech1]

There used to be a real disparity in ability between girls who wore masks and those who didn't. That disparity no longer exists. It's time for college and travel ball coaches to recognize that safety and talent do not have to be mutually exclusive.

I don't know if this is true or not. When my DD started pitching 7 years ago, the rec league made all pitchers wear a mask and had nothing to do with fielding ability. In fact, I think you could make the argument that wearing a mask helps you be a better fielder because you don't have to worry about a bad hop or line drive doing significant damage to the face.

 

[nanotech14]

Pretty sure that in a short time, many slow pitch pitchers will be wearing similar gear:

View attachment 11754

Seriously---Who in their right mind would stand in front of Brian Wegman without a full suit of armor?!?!

thats the same lacrosse helmet my dd wore, except hers was white. She doesn't wear it now, she wears her mask and carbon fiber inserts in her head band. The helmet was so hot for her to wear in the summer heat. The lacrosse helmet was the first thing I could come up with after her brain surgery to allow her to play again. Found the carbon fiber inserts from a company call SST out of Atlanta, really meant more for baseball. But fit well in the right kind of headband.