Safety Correctness Gone Too Far

[SoCalDad]

Are these rules the same for baseball? If not, you may want to bring that to their attention. It may be a tougher sale with baseball parents and you can object to the discrimination.

My local baseball is Pony, compared to LL they have less mandated safety rules. For example, composite bats are still allowed. I know that a growing number of the Pony pitchers are wearing heart guards out of choice, not because it is mandated by the league. I made my own DD start wearing a face mask when pitching as a first year 12U player when several pitches came straight back at her and narrowly missed her head. She continues to wear it today as a 16U when she pitches and also when she plays 3rd. She tells me it gives her the confidence to play at the edge of her abilities without worrying about her face.

As for your suggestion on discrimination. That is a logical argument that takes the cognitive ability to separate emotions from the decision making process. The group of parents pushing these rule changes live on the emotional impact of their decisions. The what ifs in life. Trying to get them to follow a logical argument is not worth my time.

 

[softballphreak]

Compliments on wearing the face mask when pitching. It should also be worn on the corner positions, especially 3rd. Other positions are overkill.

Girls don't have to wear cups, their brains are in their heads.

 

[SoCalDad]

Compliments on wearing the face mask when pitching. It should also be worn on the corner positions, especially 3rd. Other positions are overkill.

It should also be worn when pitching to dad. A couple of pitching lessons ago I wasn't paying attention and pitching coach was talking to DD while I was retrieving a wild pitch. I turned around and threw without looking. Smacked DD in the forehead.

 

[MTR]

Today my local rec league voted to ban all composite bats starting with fall ball. Not just the bats on the ASA ban list, all composite bats. Even though DD has aged out I am still an active member of the league and chair the rules committee. There is a small but extremely vocal group on the board that has taken safety precautions to the extreme. Starting this past spring all infielders are required to wear face masks and that will be extended to outfielders starting this fall. In addition, starting this past spring all pitchers had to wear heart guards and the league will be requiring all players to wear them starting next spring.

This is in addition to the rules that require all players from 8U up to wear long sleeve under armor, batting gloves, sliding shorts and sliders even when the players wear pants with the built in sliding protection.

I made a joke that we should start requiring catchers to wear cups and one of the parents replied straight faced, "I have pelvic protectors on the agenda for Spring rule review".

If this league goes any further I think we will field teams that require all players to wear catchers gear in the field.

Socialism, gotta love it! Are the fields covered with the soft composite mats they used to put under outdoor children's playground equipment? Maybe you should just open batting cages and mark certain areas worth so many poin......er, bases. That way no child will be in the path of any batted ball, thrown ball or runner.

Run away. Run far, far away.

 

[NVfishing]

After last week I think the cup is a good idea. My youngest was pitching and between innings I kept her warmed up. I asked her why she throws harder to me than the catcher. She said, " I don't want to hurt the catcher when I pitch." I told her that the catcher is covered in gear and she should throw as hard as she can and the catcher can't get hurt. First pitch hit the catcher in the privates.

 

[softballphreak]

I doubt it. The USA is quite socialist though people will not admit it.



That's ignorance, not socialism.

RANT ON
Well, you see, the mandating of such things because "we know what is good for you" is part of the attitude and acceptence which makes this a socialist country. A country where the "leader" is paraded around as either the devil or poster child for the cause du jour. This country touts free enterprise, but everytime a large conglomerate is in trouble, the government takes ownership through loans; A federal government which dictates to the states instead of servicing them is part of what makes this a socialist nation. The litigation is the lottery in the US and the only constant winners are the big corporations and legal firms while the losers are the constituency which ends up paying for everyone's indicretions including that of the government which routinely "fails" because the powers that be would rather play egotistical tug-of-war with our lives instead of doing the job for which they were hired.

I could use terms like Marxism or Communism, but when it all comes down to it, most citizens of the US will not accept anything, but a democracy, a term which has been loosely defined for a couple hundred years and something which this country is definitely not.

This is such a socialist state that the federal government has nothing better to do than regulate, investigate and sue professional sporting concerns including laws to control how their existence may be used by others. Great country where people can lose their homes and family, starve to death living on and under the streets, but our government will make damn sure there is a National Championship in what is basically showcase football. Oh, BTW, for those who don't know, the NCAA already has a NC set up for ALL levels of their football program, so the Justice Dept & Utah's lawsuit is a load of crap. However, because it makes good press (and that is about it), the government will probably succeed in screwing up just one more thing they touch.

RANT OFF

Y'all excuse me for a moment, I better go put on my cup.

 

[Lozza]

I'd say what I really think, but it will get deleted regardless. This isn't a political board.

In regards to the ignorance part, we don't have the injury rates here. I've seen numerous girls stop balls to the face. It's incredibly rare to see it missed. The three I've seen were from errors from the player injured. Two of them were in the past year. I've said it before I wouldn't object to a girl wearing it but I'd question the need.

 

[softballphreak]

I'd say what I really think, but it will get deleted regardless. This isn't a political board.

In regards to the ignorance part, we don't have the injury rates here. I've seen numerous girls stop balls to the face. It's incredibly rare to see it missed. The three I've seen were from errors from the player injured. Two of them were in the past year. I've said it before I wouldn't object to a girl wearing it but I'd question the need.

I've seen many more stop the ball before it hits the face than those who didn't but the few who didn't would have fared much better with the mask.

This season a 3rd baseman wearing a mask got hit in the mask. The mask exploded, she only had a bruise and a few scratches. I've seen the girl who was batting hit one about 230' when she was a freshman so I know how fast the ball can get to 3rd.

I don't care who you are, with the performance of modern bats, and the short distances 3rd base plays in, it is simply foolish not to wear a mask. It's very similar to a catcher or umpire wearing one, they don't get hit all that often, but when they do ...!

 

[softballphreak]

The Baylor catcher while batting this weekend fouled a ball into her right eye. No batting helmet cage. Multiple fractures, multiple stitches. Out for the tournament. Didn't lose her eyesight, though; but it will probably affect her eyesight for years.

I recall the uproar when HS made the helmet cage mandatory. I smile every time I see a ball hit a cage!

Many people still remember when baseball players didn't wear helmets. And football players didn't wear masks.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

All of this could be avoided by developing a ball that won't kill someone. Surely, that is possible. I have never heard of anyone being seriously injured by a tennis ball and it travels a lot faster than a softball.

One of the hardest hit balls I had ever seen was one that I caught at first base 3 years ago. There was a runner on and she actually hid behind me, I heard my teammates gasp, as it went into my glove. I wear a mask, but that thing was a missile.

There is a heart guard that is actually worth considering, but I don't know the name of it. It is in a shirt and is formed to your body.