Another Pitcher Hit in the Face

[RetiredCoach]

I asked her about masks on one of our visits and the answer we got surprised me. She didn't like the masks because the natural reaction to a ball coming at your face is to turn your head, thus rendering the mask useless.

I've personally witnessed two pitchers get hit in the face by line drives and none on the side of the head. Go figure!

 

[iMlearning]

masks

I asked her about masks on one of our visits and the answer we got surprised me. She didn't like the masks because the natural reaction to a ball coming at your face is to turn your head, thus rendering the mask useless.

I've personally witnessed two pitchers get hit in the face by line drives and none on the side of the head. Go figure!

Our mask completely covers the temple area and a little father back despite the fact that her coach had argued that it wouldn't protect that area. It clearly does.

 

[starsnuffer]

I've personally witnessed two pitchers get hit in the face by line drives and none on the side of the head. Go figure!

I was going to say, if the kid is flinching and turning her face to the side to field a ball, there's some serious mechanical issues there. I totally agree that you can't "instruct" the ability to have superhuman reflexes to field every ball to the face, but the basic mechanics of how to field a ball, even if the reaction time is too slow, should be there.

 

[pumpkinbear]

Given that a youth playing baseball/softball is twice as likely to die from a shot to the heart vs the head how do you reconcile parents having their child take the field in a bulky mask with its attached stigma and NOT wearing an unobtrusive heart guard?

riseball

I agree with your logic so as one of the parents you describe above, here's my rationale.

My dd has both a face mask and an EvoShield (not a heart guard--I don't know if heart guard shares EvoShield's issues). She always wears the face mask but usually not the EvoShield.

DD finds neither the face mask or EvoShield obtrusive, but she has practical issues with the EvoShield.

The first EvoShield issue is that the compression undershirt has a sleeveless "wifebeater" design that chafes her in the armpit area when she pitches. I emailed the company about a compression shirt with sleeves. Unfortunately, EvoShield doesn't sell one.

The second issue is that the EvoShield protective inserts (which are well-designed, lightweight and unobtrusive) make her uncomfortably hot quickly unless it's cold.

 

[Jquick823]

Based on the history your DD has with pitchers, I'd tell my DDs to walk her when she comes up to bat.

LOL. Thank you RC, she is having a great year at the plate hitting .411 so far in A/B ball. But these are rare hits for 12U level and my DD as she is normally elevating the ball towards LC gap. I just wonder if there is a better way to protect girls in the circle with the advancement of technology in the bats.

 

[RetiredCoach]

LOL. Thank you RC, she is having a great year at the plate hitting .411 so far in A/B ball. But these are rare hits for 12U level and my DD as she is normally elevating the ball towards LC gap. I just wonder if there is a better way to protect girls in the circle with the advancement of technology in the bats.

In men's senior slow pitch leagues they often put a screen in front of the pitcher. If it hits the screen it is considered a foul ball. I don't recommend this for girls/women's fastpitch, however. I suspect that if we took a little hotness out of the bats and had the softballs wound a little less tight we could probably reduce serious injuries by a significant degree.

 

[softballphreak]

No, obviously it isn't. However, the primary purpose of any helmet is to prevent traumatic brain injuries. There is obviously a compelling benefit for wearing helmets while playing softball/baseball. That said there is an equally or greater benefit for wearing a helmet in a motor vehicle. So it begs the question why do we seemingly randomly pick and choose the risks we wish to mitigate based in large part on emotion? I am not saying it is wrong to wear a face mask. I just find it interesting how passionate some softball parents are about the subject, while baseball parents by and large remain silent even though the associated risks are higher.

It might be the old boys are supposed to be tough philosophy with some people. I don't try to push the use of face masks on players but if the opportunity presents itself I try my best to get certain position players to wear one. I have also bought a few and had a few unskilled players wear them while developing. It was as much for me as it was for them because I felt I could hit a little harder, throw a little harder, hit riskier grounders, etc.

You're right in your argument; there's no doubt about that. But your outspoken opinions on the face masks might just be what causes some player to be denied that protection. I would rather be guilty of being over protective or foolish than think I contributed to a person having a lifetime of misery. You can't save all the puppies in the world but that one might be worth it.

 

[smddad]

One of my favorite all-time bumper stickers was, "Ban motorcycle helmet laws! Let the dumb people evolve out!"

Did you know helmets only need to hold up to a 13 mph crash.

 

[Westwind]

I saw three face shots last year, none yet this year. (I missed the game where our very experienced, lighting quick, great fielding varsity pitcher got hit hard in the eye this spring). I only needed to see one hit, one time, to know that face masks are are a really, really good idea.

As far as the heart guards, my pitcher wears one. Yet if I had to decide between a heart guard or facemask, it would be facemask every time. I have a half baked, non-statistical, unscientific theory about that.

I have seen lots of pitchers take a ball off the shins. Gosh that must hurt. DD smoked a pitcher in the thigh last weekend. You see that less than the shin shot. I have seen four girls hit hard in the head, one of them being my own dd. Yet I have never seen a torso shot. Hope I never do.

Masks people. Put them on your kids. I know that life is fraught with danger. But softball is a recreational, competitive activity that you don't have to do. You can't get around riding in motor vehicles, but you don't HAVE to play softball. If your kid can have a bag full of 2-$300 bats and gloves and everything else, she can afford a $35 rip-it mask.

 

[Westwind]

Amy, I have two of those plastic game face masks in the garage, my kids wear the rip-its. They don't have chin cups, they used those chin cups with their rip-its.

If you like those game face masks and your chin cup is good, I will send you both of mine. No one wears those around here, somebody should get some use out of them.