Georgia pitchers (and others) wearing a mask

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Mar 2, 2016
20
1
Let me ask this of those coaches that don't like players that wear mask......How about the hitters that wear evo shield on their elbow and over their feet? How many college player come up to bat without anything on? Does this make them less of a hitter?? To me let the coach who doesn't like mask get out there and field with out one on then lets see if he/she still doesn't like it....both the mask and the plate protection just give confidence to face the situation of a hot shot/inside pitch...
 
I see face masks as an integral part of the equipment. My DD is a second year 12U. When she was 9 she started pitching and has worn one when pitching at all times. As she's gotten older, she began wearing it in the infield as well. Now in her first year of TB she plays some OF when not pitching and she (as well as most of her teammates) wear one there as well.

Unfortunately, our DDs don't all play on turf or SEC level prepared fields. The infields are often unpredictable here as well as the outfield which is almost always more like a farm field than a fairway. DD played a 2 hop single to left perfectly last week, but the second hop hit an unseen bump and the ball flew up high and left and caught the edge of her mask. Still didn't feel good but not many 12 year old girls want to get hit in the face for any reason. Our infields often have balls squirt left, right or up as well. Wearing a mask simply gives those girls protection from something they can't possibly control.

On a side note, I saw a game this past week on TV (Texas???) where the batter got her helmet taken right off by a foul ball up and in. She had a cage on the helmet and the ball hit the bottom of the cage. I notice a lot of teams wearing cages as well this year, seems like more than past years.

I don't foresee DD playing without a mask any time soon.
 
Mar 10, 2019
1
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Protective gear for fielders and pitchers

A lot of young players are afraid of the ball. It seems like a mostly normal phase to go through, especially since the young ones are still learning the skills they need to field effectively & can get injured due to that. And yes, the mask may help them have the confidence to learn faster. Mine was definitely a little more scared after she took a hop to the chin at pitcher when she was in 8U. The mask definitely did help her move past it. I imagine by the time they're high school aged, college aged, etc, if they're successful players they're not scared and using the facemask for confidence anymore. Most college players don't look particularly scared of the ball, whether they wear a mask or not. It's just another safety measure, and if they've been playing with a mask for years and years it's not going to impact their play negatively.

Yes I could not agree more but do you think this applies to pitches beyond the standard face mask/guard players wear?

Hello I am a sophomore at Queens University of Charlotte. I am entering my schools’ pitch competition later this month and am currently doing market research for a pitching helmet that I am designing. This would be an alternative to the face guards that softball pitchers currently wear while also being designed for pitchers in baseball. I understand that your time is very valuable but if you could take a moment to answer these six questions it will help me get an understanding of the potential demand for a product such as this. I greatly appreciate any feedback you could provide!

Sincerely,
Charles Bradbary
Queens University of Charlotte Class of 2021

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/F2ZQ99F
 

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