Little help?

[YOCOACH]

Ball in play......mask on:

High pop up......mask off and discarded away from catcher:

Lenski, thank you for your POV. Although I don't agree with it, I can respect it. The problem I have is you being intentionally obtuse to the fact that you can't blame the catchers for doing what they were either taught to do, or told to do by their coach. This is the fact that you cannot hide from....had the catchers not removed their masks in the first place, none of these incidents would have happened. Whether you coach this at a higher level or not is irrelevant.

As for Ruiz and Molina, they are making millions to put their body on the line for a game. That's their job. I could care less about them and what they do. I care only for the catchers I teach and their safety. Don't get me wrong, they are two of the best catchers in MLB but again, they are getting paid to do what they are doing and if they get a career ending injury, they are still well compensated and have millions to retire on.

The last time I talked to them, which was never, and I'm mostly sure the same is true of you, you are assuming that visibility was the issue. Couldn't it be just as easy to assume that they pop their masks since they are uncomfortable in leaving them on after year, after year, after year of taking them off? Human nature is such that we abhor change. I would venture to say that had they practiced leaving them on for pop-ups at their respective much younger ages, they would be leaving them on now.

We see this more and more at the collegiate level in SB. The ones that were taught to leave them on, are comfortable with it and practiced with it on catching pop-ups have no issue catching them and leave them on. But, the ones that were taught to take them off do so. These same players, although paid in a certain fashion to play for their college of choice via Athletic Scholarship for some, have no golden parachute.

So riddle me this. Why do college athletes, upon receiving a career ending injury, almost always lose their Athletic Scholarship money? Wouldn't you think that with the kind of investment that these college coaches put into their recruits that they might actually want to protect them to the best of their ability like many of us on here? Are you on the same page as some college coaches saying that those players can easily be replaced by the next recruiting class or is it just another case of them perpetuating a myth that was based on past experiences with ancient equipment and it's limited visibility because they have never evolved in their positional teachings as the equipment has?

This game, whether it's strategy, catchers equipment, bats, balls, etc. etc. is always evolving. The best coaches, no matter the level, evolves with it or else they become extinct. The new catchers equipment has evolved from the olden days. Not to have your teachings evolve with it, whether you're like the rest of the human race or not, is simply nuts IMO.

Just remember, most of these players, whatever the level of play, have parents and we prefer to keep our child's face just the same as when we last saw them.

 

[Lenski]

YOCOACH

In all honesty, we're really not that different in our thinking, the only difference being you say keep the mask on for high straight-up pop ups and I say mask removal is optional (and that is an advanced skill). We both believe that any other time the mask stays on, but you went on a bit of a wild tangent. When positioned correctly, a high pop-up to the catcher is no different and a high pop up half way up the line to the 1B, P, or 3B and we both know not all of those players wear masks. You camp under it and make the catch. Teach what you want. I am by no means saying you're wrong. However I do have an issue with saying it's a safety issue. As a matter of fact a catcher is much more aware of their surroundings with the mask off on high straight-up pop ups. You teach an infielder how to catch a ball above their head. You teach an outfielder how to catch the ball above their head. In many cases they don't wear masks (especially at the older ages). Do you think about or are worried about their safety? Do you make every kid on your team wear a mask (even the outfielders) and make them keep it on at all times? I doubt it.

A hard, spherical object is falling out of the sky at them.....no different for the catcher than the other fielders. People think it's different because they do not know how to properly train their catchers. Be honest about the catchers ability. Teach the catcher correctly. If you do these things correctly than the properly trained and able catcher has no issues. You say that the hockey masks allow for total visiblity. Wrong! Have you ever put one on? I have. The vision is a bit better but it is still obstructed, especially looking up. You still have something wrapping around your face and a cage in front of your eyes.

 

[Eric F]

My DD is a "mask-on" girl...

She doesn't feel like the mask causes her any vision issues.

 

[Eric F]

I understand it's safer to have on but I never wanted my mask on when I was making a play on the ball after the pitch. Most catchers still take it off. The last 3 college softball games I have been too all the catchers removed their mask on plays.

Stanford's Jessica Plaza, last Saturday in Oregon...


Florida's Aubree Munro...

South Carolina's Jordan Bizzell (look at the mask rock as she gets hit by Alex Hugo)...
https://twitter.com/GamecockSoftbll/status/712066055838031872

I could keep going.

 

[YOCOACH]

Lenski,

This is the only point you and I will disagree on I believe. I truly believe that you will see more of the catchers leaving the masks on at all levels as the instruction to leave them on at all times reaches the collegiate level. Just look at the pitchers and corners wearing the fielders' mask at the collegiate level. More and more are wearing them. Why? Because they want their face to remain arranged the same way as when they entered the game. It may come as some surprise to many pitchers and 3rd baseman, but they are in serious jeopardy of having that happen no matter the skill level with bats being as hot as they are.

Catchers IMO, are in the same jeopardy. I don't have any definitive proof of that but I know, in my gut, that this is the case. No matter the situation, whether the ball is live or not, the catcher should leave the helmet on.

You mentioned fielders mask for outfielders in a previous post. Three of them were injured last year at the D1 collegiate level due to dropped/misjudged balls. A fielders mask would have eliminated those injuries had they worn them. I'm not saying that having a catcher leaving their mask on will eliminate all of the injuries to the face, head or neck area, I'm just saying that it will eliminate many of the injuries that occur at whatever level of play. JMO.

 

[Lenski]

YOCOACH

I believe you are correct about more catchers leaving the mask on because many, many people believe the NECC instruction to be gospel and that is what NECC teaches. The longer NECC is around, the more DVD's they sell, and the more camps and clinics they hold, the more people will follow their instruction. I also agree that if everyone wore masks there would be less facial injuries, however that would be true every year since the inception of the game. I'll never forget when I was 16 or 17 years old our 2nd baseman took a bad hop in the infield, hit him square in the mouth, threw the batter/runner out, then spit his teeth in his hand and put them in his pocket. I've seen very good players lose their focus. I don't know that all players should wear masks. After masks, then what? Full body armour for all players? Bubble wrap? Force fields? It has to stop somewhere. It is a sport. Too many crutches, the abilities become sloppy and dull, and the sport starts to degrade.

 

[Stimer]

Eric, you are correct on plays in the field the catchers still kept the mask ON. I should have been more specific. I was referring to pop-ups or plays where they have to turn and find the ball quickly, like a passed ball. I do believe in all cases with plays where there was a hit "in play" and a possible play at the plate, the mask stayed on. I am just not sure I am in the camp of "mask never comes off". Although I am 100% in the camp of "ball in play" helmet stays on.

 

[Greenmonsters]

YOCOACH

I believe you are correct about more catchers leaving the mask on because many, many people believe the NECC instruction to be gospel and that is what NECC teaches. The longer NECC is around, the more DVD's they sell, and the more camps and clinics they hold, the more people will follow their instruction. I also agree that if everyone wore masks there would be less facial injuries, however that would be true every year since the inception of the game. I'll never forget when I was 16 or 17 years old our 2nd baseman took a bad hop in the infield, hit him square in the mouth, threw the batter/runner out, then spit his teeth in his hand and put them in his pocket. I've seen very good players lose their focus. I don't know that all players should wear masks. After masks, then what? Full body armour for all players? Bubble wrap? Force fields? It has to stop somewhere. It is a sport. Too many crutches, the abilities become sloppy and dull, and the sport starts to degrade.

Len - you are wrong in your assessment that that catching a high pop up is the same for a catcher as it is for an infielder or outfielder. And this difference is the primary reason that a catcher is the low man on the pop up priority totem pole.

Anybody want to try to identify what the difference is and explain why it provides additional support for the case of keeping the mask on?

 

[Lenski]

Len - you are wrong in your assessment that that catching a high pop up is the same for a catcher as it is for an infielder or outfielder. And this difference is the primary reason that a catcher is the low man on the pop up priority totem pole.

Anybody want to try to identify what the difference is and explain why it provides additional support for the case of keeping the mask on?

Not when positioned correctly to receive the high pop up. If the ball is moving away from the catcher and towards another fielder, the catcher is not positioned properly to make the catch and the fielder is positioned more properly. In order for a catcher to be positioned properly the catcher needs to be positioned in front of the balls flight path. When a catcher is positioned properly, there is no difference. Just like any other fielder, a catcher should never be behind or directly under the flight of the ball.

 

[Eric F]

Eric, you are correct on plays in the field the catchers still kept the mask ON. I should have been more specific. I was referring to pop-ups or plays where they have to turn and find the ball quickly, like a passed ball. I do believe in all cases with plays where there was a hit "in play" and a possible play at the plate, the mask stayed on. I am just not sure I am in the camp of "mask never comes off". Although I am 100% in the camp of "ball in play" helmet stays on.

On passed balls, it's not uncommon for plays to evolve where the catcher is trying to tag out a runner trying to score. Even at 11yo, my DD has done more than a few "Superman dives" to tag out a runner after a passed ball. This isn't something I want a catcher doing - my DD or not - without a helmet.

As I posted earlier, my DD hasn't had an issue tracking pop flies with her helmet on. It's the way she learned, it's the way she's comfortable, and it's not something I intend to change.