Mask or No Mask

[InsidePitch]

You picked D1 softball. That's cool. The way I see it is the hitters have steadily gotten better with more emphasis put on instruction and practice. Jeez look how many threads we have here for hitting. Just because the BA goes up does not mean the zone is smaller. What were this years stats?

We are still in the 18U and the big showcase have expanded strike zone because the college coaches aren't there to see kids walk. They want the kids to go get those pitches in the river brushing the other batters box.

 

[InsidePitch]

Name calling anyone?

No it's just the model that's being used. "Experts tell us", Shame, Ridicule and "For the good of the children".

 

[Cobb_of_Fury]

I will repeat the same thing I say every time I see a tread like this one -
There were still NHL goalies as late as 1977 not wearing masks for all the same reasons you hear about fielders masks - If you saw a goalie go out today without a mask you would question his sanity.
When my daughter started playing 10 years or so ago - almost no one wore masks and everyone wore shorts - Times change masks are much more excepted (and shorts less so)and the masks will be more and more accepted as time goes on.

Oh... and to the OP's original point. As someone that is Pro Mask - It's not the AC's dam business if your daughter wears a mask. I would have had no problem with him talking to her about it or addressing it with you but to dress down a kid for not wearing one is not his place.

 

[julray]

I will repeat the same thing I say every time I see a tread like this one -
There were still NHL goalies as late as 1977 not wearing masks for all the same reasons you hear about fielders masks - If you saw a goalie go out today without a mask you would question his sanity.
When my daughter started playing 10 years or so ago - almost no one wore masks and everyone wore shorts - Times change masks are much more excepted (and shorts less so)and the masks will be more and more accepted as time goes on.

Oh... and to the OP's original point. As someone that is Pro Mask - It's not the AC's dam business if your daughter wears a mask. I would have had no problem with him talking to her about it or addressing it with you but to dress down a kid for not wearing one is not his place.

I agree completely, sports evolve in many ways including safety measures. Using the hockey analogy again, wasn't that long ago players didn't wear helmets, now all players do. To further that point, all the players coming from junior to NHL now also wear a half shield.

I also agree with your point about the coach, there are better ways of addressing that to tear a strip off a kid....

 

[SoAZDad]

Tastes great!

 

[Cobb_of_Fury]

Tastes great!

Less Filling!!

 

[Greenmonsters]

Let's not speculate here but instead look at hard facts and see if we see a trend here (NCAA D1):

2015
Team Batting Average: .287 *record
Team Scoring: 4.82 *record
Home Runs Per Game: .77 *record
Team ERA: 4.13

2005
Team Batting Average: .260
Team Scoring: 3.72
Home Runs Per Game: .52
Team ERA: 2.92

2001
Team Batting Average: .252
Team Scoring: 3.41
Home Runs Per Game: .32
Team ERA: 2.44

Bat performance effectively has been capped since ABI implementation in 2008.

 

[riseball]

I suspect that the trends are due more to what is happening at the lower levels than what is happening at the top.

 

[BobInMadison]

No it's just the model that's being used. "Experts tell us", Shame, Ridicule and "For the good of the children".

Quit whining. We ARE talking about children.

Ok, riseball is talking about elite P5 athletes, which is a different story.

One of my posts may have been a bit harsh, but my DD 3 really did knock the mask off a 3B with a line drive, and it would've been traumatic for DD 3 if she had seriously injured another player in a kids' game. And I WOULD blame the fielder's parents if DD 3 injured a kid with no mask. If that makes me an Alinskyite, I don't give a darn. * If parents don't care about their kids' safety, I still blame them for not caring about the emotions of the batters. If that is shaming, I don't give a darn. *




* yes, I know that's the shortstop and the 3B is I Don't Know.

 

[InsidePitch]

Who's whining. I'm just pointing out the tactic to garner support. It's obviously effective or it wouldn't be used so often for various causes.

IF you feel better making your kid wear a mask go for it. I'll never call them out and I'm sure no decent parent is going to.