Two years ago a pitcher who plays with my DD took at line drive off her rip-it face mask. She is a very good athlete with good reflexes. Even with the Rip-It mask her eye swelled shut and blackened like Mike Tyson had punched her. Her dad and I are convinced that she would have lost sight in her eye, or at least required major surgery to repair her eye socket. Best $40 her dad ever spent!
Why my DD will always wear a mask when pitching.....
- Thread starter JAD
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Two years ago a pitcher who plays with my DD took at line drive off her rip-it face mask. She is a very good athlete with good reflexes. Even with the Rip-It mask her eye swelled shut and blackened like Mike Tyson had punched her. Her dad and I are convinced that she would have lost sight in her eye, or at least required major surgery to repair her eye socket. Best $40 her dad ever spent!
- Oct 14, 2008
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The bats have already been dumbbed down once in 04/05. The issue is not the bats. The issue is the hitters mechanics have gotten better. At one time fast pitch was a pitchers catchers game, And the bats were hotter at that time than they are now and the pitchers still dominated. Hitters have gotten better. It is now an explosive fast paced high scoring game. The offense that we see is what is making it such a popular sport. People love the long ball.
I will ask this question. I hear alot of people talk about the 200 foot fields, and hot bats and how easy it is to hit home runs. If that were the case everyone on the team would be a home run queen. In truth Power hitters will still be the ones hitting home runs, with an occasional long ball from one of her team mates.
As far as face masks go, the batting helmet mask isnt enforced at the college level, I doubt youll ever see defensive masks being mandated for pitchers. Coaches at that level will tell you hit your spots you dont need a mask. Im not arguing for or against the mask, But the prejudice against them is so over powering especially at the D1 level I dont see a change of any kid happening any time soon.
Tim
- Jul 26, 2010
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Masks are mandated for pitchers playing HS ball in California beginning this year. Many NPF players (you know, the few college players who were REALLY good) wear the masks in the infield now trying to be good role models.
As a parent, I wish my kid would wear a mask when she pitched (she stopped wearing it when the braces came off). As a former kid, I can understand why she doesn't. Luckily, she is a pitcher, not a thrower, so she isn't relying on "luck" to keep the ball anywhere but the edges of the zone. Mistakes do happen, however, and I keep reminding her that every time she throws an unintentional ball, that the pitch could have easily missed the other way and came right back to her. Unfortunately, even after showing her the graphic imagery and even after one of her teammates was taken out by a come backer with a concussion, the mask sits lonely in her bag.
Maybe things will change with all of the HS kids wearing them this year. I doubt it. It is her choice. I was invulnerable when I was a teenager too. I can't, with a clear conscious, explain my disdain for a nanny state government and force her to wear a mask in the same breath.
-W
As a parent, I wish my kid would wear a mask when she pitched (she stopped wearing it when the braces came off). As a former kid, I can understand why she doesn't. Luckily, she is a pitcher, not a thrower, so she isn't relying on "luck" to keep the ball anywhere but the edges of the zone. Mistakes do happen, however, and I keep reminding her that every time she throws an unintentional ball, that the pitch could have easily missed the other way and came right back to her. Unfortunately, even after showing her the graphic imagery and even after one of her teammates was taken out by a come backer with a concussion, the mask sits lonely in her bag.
Maybe things will change with all of the HS kids wearing them this year. I doubt it. It is her choice. I was invulnerable when I was a teenager too. I can't, with a clear conscious, explain my disdain for a nanny state government and force her to wear a mask in the same breath.
-W
Hal - I agree that the masks do not prevent injury, but they do lessen the severity. If someone was going to hit you in the face with a frying pan, would you rather have on a face mask, a mouth guard, or nothing at all?
The new Rip-It style masks are no more obstructive than the face mask on a batting helmet. It may take some getting used to, but becomes a non-issue after a week or two.
Batters have approximately the same amount of time to get out of the way of a pitch as a pitcher does to get out of the way of a line drive, so why do batters need batting helmets, and especially batting helmets with face masks?....just sayin'
- Apr 25, 2010
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JAD, I will say that i have seen plenty of girls either bunt a ball up into their own mask, or swing a foul ball up there and hit themselves. When my DD was playing peewee coach pitch as a little 'un, she swung, the ball flew up and hit her in the mouth (masks aren't required for peewee here) and she spit two little white chicklets by the end of the game. Not much reaction time from your own bat to your own face...lol.
Starsnuffer - let me see if I got this straight....you are the parent, and you WISH your teenager would wear a mask when she pitched.....and she STOPPED wearing it right after she got off $5K worth of braces that I am sure you paid for......REALLY? Go to Wikipedia and look up "parent" and "teenager" and let me know which one you think should be making decisions.
Maybe you need to sign your girls up for Hal Skinner's self-defense batting course......LOL
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- Apr 25, 2010
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On the topic of fielder's masks... when DD (now 13) told us she wanted to pitch when she was 10u, we told her she would have to wear a fielder's mask. She put it on, no question, and has worn it ever since. I told her that once she hits HS, it's her choice to wear it or not. As of right now, she says she'll wear it since it would feel weird without it. Right now, if asked, she will say that if a college coach thinks she's weak for wearing it, she doesn't want to play there. Now, that might very well change when the situation actually arises.
There is a girl who plays for a 16u team in our organization who is being highly sought after by major D1 schools, many well known in the SEC. She wears a mask. Several of these coaches have asked her about it and she has stood firm that she will wear it. They are still trying to woo her...
There is a girl who plays for a 16u team in our organization who is being highly sought after by major D1 schools, many well known in the SEC. She wears a mask. Several of these coaches have asked her about it and she has stood firm that she will wear it. They are still trying to woo her...
Trust me, if a girl is a STUD pitcher, college coaches would not care if she pitched in full body armor.....
- Feb 16, 2012
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When my DD started pitching I mandated that she wear a mask. She has worn one ever since. She has great reflexes and has caught several line drives back to her. When I coached the younger ages it was a rule me and my coaches put into effect that the pitchers and corners had to wear a mask, if they refused they didn't play there. I didn't want a busted face on my watch. As my DD gets older she can decide if she wants to wear a mask or not but not till late in HS or college.
