Missouri High Schools to require pitchers to wear masks.

[riseball]

Interesting how? Since I generally sit on a bucket in (or near) the dugout doorway, I talk to our in-the-hole batters pretty frequently. In this particular instance, the conversation was more about pitching than hitting.

I would think you would want your players, especially one who should be well into the mental process of her upcoming at bat to be fully engaged in the task at hand. Not having a philosophical discussion. Don't get me wrong, it was a fine conversation to have with her, just a very unusual time and place. If she was in the hole and talking to a teammate about going shopping for shoes after the game how would you have reacted?

 

[Rocketech1]

I was reminded again recently about why I am strongly in favor of masks for pitchers...

While waiting in the hole, I was talking with our starting pitcher for that game (also one of our team's most powerful hitters) about how pitchers should wear masks, and how I really wish she would wear one. Her complaint was that it wasn't comfortable. During her at bat following that conversation, she proceeded to square up a pitch and drive it straight to the face of the other team's pitcher. The ball got to her so fast that she never had a chance to put her glove up, or duck out of the way. Thankfully, she was wearing a mask, or it would have been catastrophic. As it was, the sunglasses she was wearing under the mask split open her eyebrow. She was taken to the hospital for stitches and concussion evaluation immediately.

The next inning, our pitcher wore her mask.

Since our DDs started playing softball around the same time in SoCal when rec leagues required anyone that pitches to wear a mask, I think we have a different perspective on whether or not it should be made mandatory, like other safety equipment. The big eye opener for me was the time my DD was pitching against an older team and a line drive hit her directly in the stomach, leaving the balls seam marks on her belly! Even though her glove was only a foot or so from her stomach, she just couldn't react quick enough to stop the ball. It knocked the wind out of her and she left the game for one inning but the coach put her back in to pitch the next inning so she wouldn't be afraid to pitch. I appreciated that as there was no permanent damage. However, it did make me wonder what would have happened had the line drive been hit a little higher and hit her face? Knock on wood, but she had never been hit in the head pitching but has taken a line drive off her legs, arms and stomach more times than I can count. One only needs to look at how Tori Finucane was a different pitcher after taking a line drive to the face because she wasnt wearing mask. Now she wears one but the physical and emotional damage has been done.

I don't think my kids personal liberties are being violated by making some important safety equipment, mandatory. Slowly we have seen a change in attitude and more and more players are wearing pitching and fielding masks. I think we are headed in the right direction.

 

[riseball]

Since our DDs started playing softball around the same time in SoCal when rec leagues required anyone that pitches to wear a mask, I think we have a different perspective on whether or not it should be made mandatory, like other safety equipment. The big eye opener for me was the time my DD was pitching against an older team and a line drive hit her directly in the stomach, leaving the balls seam marks on her belly! Even though her glove was only a foot or so from her stomach, she just couldn't react quick enough to stop the ball. It knocked the wind out of her and she left the game for one inning but the coach put her back in to pitch the next inning so she wouldn't be afraid to pitch. I appreciated that as there was no permanent damage. However, it did make me wonder what would have happened had the line drive been hit a little higher and hit her face? Knock on wood, but she had never been hit in the head pitching but has taken a line drive off her legs, arms and stomach more times than I can count. One only needs to look at how Tori Finucane was a different pitcher after taking a line drive to the face because she wasnt wearing mask. Now she wears one but the physical and emotional damage has been done.

I don't think my kids personal liberties are being violated by making some important safety equipment, mandatory. Slowly we have seen a change in attitude and more and more players are wearing pitching and fielding masks. I think we are headed in the right direction.

I think you will find attitudes a bit different outside of the bubble that is SoCal.

 

[FP26]

At the younger levels DD wore a mask because DW and myself insisted upon it. That was all the legislation that was required at the time. Now at 17 she wears it by choice. She is hoping to pitch in college and the mask is one of the criteria she considers. It is obviously not a high priority on her list, but it is there. All the schools she is currently looking at (communicating with) have pitchers that wear masks. While I am not in favor of mandating them across the board, I am equally against the thought that wearing a mask somehow makes the player "weak", "less athletic", etc.

 

[grcsftbll]

I would think you would want your players, especially one who should be well into the mental process of her upcoming at bat to be fully engaged in the task at hand. Not having a philosophical discussion. Don't get me wrong, it was a fine conversation to have with her, just a very unusual time and place. If she was in the hole and talking to a teammate about going shopping for shoes after the game how would you have reacted?

When we have a struggling pitcher the HC will call time and go out and tell her jokes til she lightens up and relax. I think a batter so not-stressed about hitting that they can talk about buying shoes while in the hole might not be all bad..?

I can't get worked up about the mask thing. I don't believe requiring safety equipment is a violation of any sort of liberties. Sports require safety equipment all the time. DD's worn one since 8U all stars and I never have to remind her. She's used to it, it's not a thing. All the girls on our team wear them. These girls growing up wearing them, as many girls do these days (I see about 90% facemask usage in 10U ball here), only benefit from it being mandatory anyway, since there are still some coaches who see them as a weakness. If it's required there's no bias against them.

 

[riseball]

When we have a struggling pitcher the HC will call time and go out and tell her jokes til she lightens up and relax. I think a batter so not-stressed about hitting that they can talk about buying shoes while in the hole might not be all bad..?
..

At the younger levels this may be true. However, at the older levels there are specific mental strategies players use to prepare for a successful at bat. Many start before the player is in the hole.

 

[Westwind]

Mismatches.

I am on year 5 of high school softball in a state that borders Missouri. (I know what you are thinking, I have 2 dd's, lol!). HS softball in most of the state is played at a very, very low level. The pitching is for the most part very low level. Yet week in and week out I see some pitcher with low skills who plays travel ball at a low level facing some 18 year old who plays and lifts all year long who will be playing in college the next year. An outlier from a small school. That low level pitcher is sure of herself and is having a blast heaving meat balls over the plate with no mask and no ability whatsoever to protect herself. So... why don't the coaches see this and take care of the player? Well it's because the coaches also have very little experience or knowledge. In rural areas coaches don't grow on trees. They probably have never seen what can happen.

You gotta remember that your softball point of reference does not fit everyone else's situation. If your point of reference is big schools with lots of talent, good coaching and a high level of play I can see why this doesn't look necessary. But in 90% of hs games it is small schools, rec ball level, with a sprinkling of athletes who can really play. To me the mismatches are where the danger lies.

Want to talk mismatch? Dd's team has numerous starters that have never played an inning of anything resembling travel ball. Next town over is another small town. Same size roughly. Their senior pitcher is an up/down pitcher with a 70mph rise. She will play at an SEC school this fall. Verballed as an 8th grader. Spends most of her summers far from the Midwest, has spent a lot of time in Huntington Beach. Also a very good hitter. Hits lasers. Yet these hs coaches will put little Susie Sunshine 43 feet from her with no protection and tell her good luck. Her parents will sit in the stands and watch glowingly while yelling " You're doing great! Just throw strikes sweetie!" Recipe for trouble people.

Will a mask save Susie? Maybe. Dumb luck seems to work most of the time, thank God.

 

[riseball]

Mismatches.

I am on year 5 of high school softball in a state that borders Missouri. (I know what you are thinking, I have 2 dd's, lol!). HS softball in most of the state is played at a very, very low level. The pitching is for the most part very low level. Yet week in and week out I see some pitcher with low skills who plays travel ball at a low level facing some 18 year old who plays and lifts all year long who will be playing in college the next year. An outlier from a small school. That low level pitcher is sure of herself and is having a blast heaving meat balls over the plate with no mask and no ability whatsoever to protect herself. So... why don't the coaches see this and take care of the player? Well it's because the coaches also have very little experience or knowledge. In rural areas coaches don't grow on trees. They probably have never seen what can happen.

You gotta remember that your softball point of reference does not fit everyone else's situation. If your point of reference is big schools with lots of talent, good coaching and a high level of play I can see why this doesn't look necessary. But in 90% of hs games it is small schools, rec ball level, with a sprinkling of athletes who can really play. To me the mismatches are where the danger lies.

Want to talk mismatch? Dd's team has numerous starters that have never played an inning of anything resembling travel ball. Next town over is another small town. Same size roughly. Their senior pitcher is an up/down pitcher with a 70mph rise. She will play at an SEC school this fall. Verballed as an 8th grader. Spends most of her summers far from the Midwest, has spent a lot of time in Huntington Beach. Also a very good hitter. Hits lasers. Yet these hs coaches will put little Susie Sunshine 43 feet from her with no protection and tell her good luck. Her parents will sit in the stands and watch glowingly while yelling " You're doing great! Just throw strikes sweetie!" Recipe for trouble people.

Will a mask save Susie? Maybe. Dumb luck seems to work most of the time, thank God.

For the reasons you mention I have always said HS ball is the most dangerous softball on the planet. You have pitchers throwing meatballs to kids have signed NLI's to top programs. They, and often the coaches have no appreciation of the situation. I remember when my DD was in HS throwing just mid 60's and kids were terrified to step into the box. Who did that benefit? I really wish HS associations would break from the school size 1A-8A classifications for some sports and leave it up to the schools to choose their competition.

 

[Eric F]

I would think you would want your players, especially one who should be well into the mental process of her upcoming at bat to be fully engaged in the task at hand. Not having a philosophical discussion. Don't get me wrong, it was a fine conversation to have with her, just a very unusual time and place. If she was in the hole and talking to a teammate about going shopping for shoes after the game how would you have reacted?

In this particular situation (12U TB friendly), and with this particular hitter (confident, capable, and powerful), I wasn't at all worried about her ability to be in the right mental place when it was time to step in the box. As our #3 pitcher, she is working harder on that aspect of her game, and our conversation was directed towards her pitching, which came around to the facemask subject.

If she was chatting to a teammate about shoes (school, boys, dogs,...) , I would shut it down. Discussions about the game are just fine.

 

[quincy]

This thread took a strange turn.

If C goes out to talk to DD, I am positive they are not talking about game or pitching. If she is struggling she usally just needs to take breath and relax.

Other pitchers show C thier pitching motion and talk to themselves.

One size does not fit all.