SPOTLIGHT: Tori Finucane's Comeback

[klamath632]

So kids don't need to learn to play defense or leave it fat? I don't see anything about kids shouldn't wear masks. It's good advice whether they have a mask on or not.

My point is and always has been that a mask is no substitute for failing to elevate ones skills. I ask who is at more risk, the pitcher that throws it fat and down the middle or the one that has great command and works the edges of the plate? The word AND is inclusive. Now had I said OR as shown below you could possibly make a case that my position is misguided.

"Kids need to learn to play defense, not leave it fat OR if they want they can wear a mask"

Again, using the ever popular seat belt analogy, a mask like a seat belt is no substitute for requisite skills.

Now that the mask stigma appears to gone the way of the dinosaur with even some of those at the highest level wearing masks, I have to wonder what will come next.

These posts could not be more pointless. It's like you're intentionally being obtuse.

 

[SquaredUp]

A pitcher misses once a game, we know it happens more, and she faces a potential consequence that could follow her for the rest of her life. Knocked out teeth, broken nose, or worse. You simply cannot argue with safety, however, you can never protect for everything.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[jwrunner]

I’ve always been perplexed by this stigma surrounding masks. The arguments against them just never held water for me. I’m not a proponent of making them mandatory, but am disturbed by the implied (and sometimes directly voiced) pressure for girls not to wear them past a certain age. I have believed that the only way the stigma would go away would be from the college level down. Because an oft-cited reason for discouraging them at the travel & HS ball level is the continued belief that many college coaches won’t even look at a kid who wears a mask.

Many of you are a lot more in tune with what is happening with college players, so I would defer to you about whether this stigma has lessened at the college level. But I would respectfully disagree that the stigma has gone away at the travel/HS level. I believe it will take many more years for the acceptance of masks to propagate throughout the entire softball community. Many travel and HS coaches are still telling their players that college coaches won't consider players who wear masks. I’ve personally heard that from lots of coaches.

And more than just the recruiting argument, many coaches still hold and promote a negative attitude towards masks. A lot of old school coaches who hide behind ridiculous anecdotal arguments like “I didn’t wear one and I was fine” or “it teaches the girls they should be afraid of the ball”. By that argument, catchers should be the most frightened little lambs on the field with all the protective gear they wear. Instead, they are often the toughest. I know of several coaches who either directly state or strongly imply that girls cannot wear one on their teams (ironically, often the same folks hiding behind a screen to throw BP). I’m sure many will respond that those coaches should be removed, but that’s not reality with long embedded coaches. And these coaches hold a lot of power and influence with these girls. One off-the-cuff comment about not wearing masks is all it takes for the girls to throw them away – the pressure is definitely still there. That’s why there is such a precipitous drop in usage from 12U up into 14U and 16U. Coaches don't believe it matters until 14U.

I am hopeful that there has been a tidal shift in current college players’ willingness to wear a mask, because that is clearly the first step needed. Hopefully THAT stigma has dissipated. Because I am sure there are more college girls out there who will wear them if that stigma is truly gone. Watching the World Series games last year made that entirely clear to me. I saw several of these D1 pitchers who visibly flinched every time a hitter made contact because they knew they could react fast enough to the hardest shots back at the mound. And it certainly appears most college coaches would not have an issue with their current (already recruited) girls putting on a mask. But that is different than consistently recruiting girls who already wear masks. That's when the stigma will start going away for the entire community.

 

[mosh]

Interesting comments from Mizzou's coach today.

https://twitter.com/btoppmeyer/status/705124121563176960

Blake Toppmeyer
Blake Toppmeyer – Verified account ‏@btoppmeyer

Earleywine said, after watching 2 pitchers get hit in face w/ line drives in < 12 months, he's considering mandating facemasks for pitchers

12:14 PM - 2 Mar 2016
7 RETWEETS5 LIKES




Reply to @btoppmeyer
Replies
Blake Toppmeyer
4h4 hours ago
Blake Toppmeyer ‏@btoppmeyer

His concern with making that move is, would elite pitching prospects who don't want to wear a mask automatically rule out Missouri?

Blake Toppmeyer
4h4 hours ago
Blake Toppmeyer ‏@btoppmeyer

I asked Earleywine if he'd be in support of an NCAA rule requiring masks for pitchers. He said he would be in favor of that.

Blake Toppmeyer
4h4 hours ago
Blake Toppmeyer ‏@btoppmeyer

He also said masks should be considered for corner infielders

 

[riseball]

I saw this coming. Of course EE is in favor of it since his pitchers are wearing them. As soon as they are gone and he has two that are both amputees and wear pink socks EE would be in favor of requiring all pitchers do the same. I imagine Tim partially supports pitchers wearing them.

 

[MNDad]

These posts could not be more pointless. It's like you're intentionally being obtuse.

It's deliberate

 

[knightsb]

Finucane gives up HR versus Michigan

 

[29dad]

Tough day for Mizzou.

Michigan IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP
--------------------------------------------------
Betsa, Megan........ 5.0 3 0 0 4 7 17 22 90

Missouri IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP
--------------------------------------------------
Lowary, Paige....... 3.0 6 11 11 7 2 14 23 88
Finucane, Tori...... 2.0 2 2 2 2 4 8 11 57

 

[corlay]

Tough day for Mizzou.

7 walks in 3 innings.
11 walks in 5 innings, combined.
*OUCH*