line drive

[bugboy900]

i have seen many line drives back to the pitcher before. i have gotten many. one hit me in the knee and i was wondering what i should do to improve my reaction time to the ball.

[wogdoggy]

maybe play shortstop?

[bbjunkie]

Come down from the pitching motion into the fielding position.

[EdmondsFan#1]

catch it.

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[jbooth]

i have seen many line drives back to the pitcher before. i have gotten many. one hit me in the knee and i was wondering what i should do to improve my reaction time to the ball.

There isn't any way to improve your natural relflexes, but you CAN help yourself react by always assuming that the ball will be hit and concentrate on seeing the bat hit the ball, so you can react as quickly as possible if it comes back at you. Also, keep your glove up or near your body, don't let it fly behind you, after you release the ball, that way, you can get the glove to the ball better.

[SluggerCF91]

I personally think baseball worldwide should do something about line drives hit back at pitchers. I was watching a little league all-star game, and I seen the scariest thing I have ever seen in baseball. Some 12 year old kid, not to big, not to small, from I think 49 feet away (I think thats the little league measure from home to the mound) hit a line drive right back at the pitchers face. The ball hit the kid in the right eye brow. The ball dented his skull, and the kid began to bleed from his eye, he put his hand on his eye and seen the blood on his hand, and he fell straight down in shock. The whole crowd stood there and didnt say anything, finally the ambulance came. Im not sure what happened to the kid, I hope hes alright. This could very well happen on a 60 foot mound. Im not trying to scare pitchers, but once you pitch the ball get in a fielding position quick, and be prepared for a comeback line drive. I think baseball should make the pitchers wear masks, put a screen up, move the mound back a little bit, try to do something to help prevent serious injuries or deaths.

[POHusKy9]

I personally think baseball worldwide should do something about line drives hit back at pitchers. I was watching a little league all-star game, and I seen the scariest thing I have ever seen in baseball. Some 12 year old kid, not to big, not to small, from I think 49 feet away (I think thats the little league measure from home to the mound) hit a line drive right back at the pitchers face. The ball hit the kid in the right eye brow. The ball dented his skull, and the kid began to bleed from his eye, he put his hand on his eye and seen the blood on his hand, and he fell straight down in shock. The whole crowd stood there and didnt say anything, finally the ambulance came. Im not sure what happened to the kid, I hope hes alright. This could very well happen on a 60 foot mound. Im not trying to scare pitchers, but once you pitch the ball get in a fielding position quick, and be prepared for a comeback line drive. I think baseball should make the pitchers wear masks, put a screen up, move the mound back a little bit, try to do something to help prevent serious injuries or deaths.
how often does this happen... making them wear masks and all those other suggestions are out of the question
putting a screen in front of them? ok what about hits that would go right through the pitcher? they're not base hits anymore? that would be terrible

it doesn't happen often enough to make a rule change

[PullFactor]

how often does this happen... making them wear masks and all those other suggestions are out of the question
putting a screen in front of them? ok what about hits that would go right through the pitcher? they're not base hits anymore? that would be terrible

it doesn't happen often enough to make a rule change
When somebody dies, and he could have been saved by a rule change, except for the fact that other people like yourself thought that it doesn't happen often enough to warrant a pitcher to wear a helmet and a cage over his face, which really wouldn't make any difference as long as it was secure.
I agree that a screen should not be put up, the pitcher is not going to be hurt seriously by a line drive hitting him anywhere but the head and neck. Not suggesting that there should be a screen, but, if there was, they could warrant any ball that hits it a base hit. The real problem with the screen isn't line drives, but the fact that everyone and their grandmother can then bunt for a base hit.

[Jake Patterson]

Everyone assumes a certain amount of risk when playing the game. A come backer is just one of the many hazzards of the game.

[Dodgerfan1]

"Some 12 year old kid, not to big, not to small, from I think 49 feet away (I think thats the little league measure from home to the mound) hit a line drive right back at the pitchers face. The ball hit the kid in the right eye brow. The ball dented his skull, and the kid began to bleed from his eye, he put his hand on his eye and seen the blood on his hand, and he fell straight down in shock. "

This is an easy question when you are talking about 12-year old kids. Do away with aluminum bats.

[EdmondsFan#1]

No offense, but if someone is pitching not expecting their to be a line drive back at them in some occasions that should seriously stop. If they do hit a line drive at you then next time their up give them a bruising.

It's worse in the outfield, think if there was a popup or line drive that they didn't catch and it nailed them right in the face. Yeah, probably dead :laugh .

I myself am not scared of this happening to me because when something hits you that hard, especially in the head, you don't feel it because your so concentrated on pitching *just like batting, when you get beaned if batters usually dont feel it becuase of extreme concentration* , and also it sometimes shocks the nerves... If anything i would be mad that it ruined my beutiful face by putting a dent in my forehead.

And if i got hit in the throat and happened to die at least i died playing baseball.

[paul5150]

I agree with Jake Patterson, its a part of the game, if your afraid of it, dont play!...same as football, i think the hitting QBs up high is stupid because its part of the game and i think QBs should be treated the same as all other players.

[SluggerCF91]

Everybody who disagrees with my about making a safety change hear this: say one day your coach puts you in to pitch, and some 6 foot 12, 250 pound animal hits a 150 mph line drive right at your head, or your face, or your eye ball. Your eye ball!!!!!!!!!! Do this right now, I want you to take the knuckle of your finger, and lightly poke it into your eye. HURTS RIGHT!?!?!?!?!?!? Now imagine a 100 mph baseball. YOU WOULD BE BLIND............... OR DEAD......................

"how often does this happen... making them wear masks and all those other suggestions are out of the question
putting a screen in front of them? ok what about hits that would go right through the pitcher? they're not base hits anymore? that would be terrible

it doesn't happen often enough to make a rule change"

-Well line drives come back at pitchers a lot more than you think POHusKy9. I heard plenty of stories of kids dying slow painfull and quick deaths. Okay a screen wouldnt work too well, maybe lenghten mound to home, use wooden bats, make pitcher wear a clear plastic, or cage mask like a catcher. Imagine having a 10 year old child who just LOOOVES to play baseball, and he enjoys it, and he has a ball playing it, and one day he pitchs, and he dies... Are you Freaking out of your mind, this doesnt happen enough?????? I witnessed something that made me unable to sleep for a week. THE KID WAS CRYING AND BLEEDING FROM HIS EYES AT THE SAME TIME. try to imagine that kind of pain.

Jake Patterson- Everyone assumes a certain amount of risk when playing the game. A come backer is just one of the many hazzards of the game.

-This is a hazzard that shouldnt be. Make a new safety rule, and the amount of kids deaths while playing baseball will go down a lot, im sure...

"This is an easy question when you are talking about 12-year old kids. Do away with aluminum bats."
-I agree but eventually the kids are going to get stronger and be able to do the same thing with wooden bats.

[Utility07]

I have a good enough reaction time that the ball would not hit me in the head, thusly I would not be blind.

[Utility07]

I have a good enough reaction time that the ball would not hit me in the head, thusly I would not be blind.

And on that note, abolish football, rugby and all contact sports, because kids die every year, or become quadrupalegics because of spinal injuries. This game has been this way for a looong time, and the first time someone tries to make a pitcher wear a cage, or put a net in front of him is the last time I play.

[SluggerCF91]

No offense, but if someone is pitching not expecting their to be a line drive back at them in some occasions that should seriously stop. If they do hit a line drive at you then next time their up give them a bruising.

It's worse in the outfield, think if there was a popup or line drive that they didn't catch and it nailed them right in the face. Yeah, probably dead :laugh .

I myself am not scared of this happening to me because when something hits you that hard, especially in the head, you don't feel it because your so concentrated on pitching *just like batting, when you get beaned if batters usually dont feel it becuase of extreme concentration* , and also it sometimes shocks the nerves... If anything i would be mad that it ruined my beutiful face by putting a dent in my forehead.

And if i got hit in the throat and happened to die at least i died playing baseball.
This has to be the most retarted post I have seen on this sight.
Okay..... With that said and in mind... Where should I start...
"No offense, but if someone is pitching not expecting their to be a line drive back at them in some occasions that should seriously stop."
-Maybe they cant react to a speeding baseball resembeling a bullet from 45-60 feet away. I pitched a tennis ball to a friend of mine from 70 feet away, and he hit the ball so hard right at my neck, I had no time to move.

"If they do hit a line drive at you then next time their up give them a bruising. "
-What if your dead, injured, blind, unable to pitch????????????

"It's worse in the outfield, think if there was a popup or line drive that they didn't catch and it nailed them right in the face. Yeah, probably dead :laugh ."
-In the outfield you can see the ball from 150-300 feet away, on the mound u see the ball from 45-60 feet away, big difference... And I have had a missed popup hit me right in the cheek when I was 13, and im still here.

"I myself am not scared of this happening to me because when something hits you that hard, especially in the head, you don't feel it because your so concentrated on pitching"
-Okay you dont have to feel it right after you get hit, maybe 5 minutes after, when they put you in the ambulance. Or maybe u get lucky and dont have to feel anything, but get put in a box 6 feet under the ground.

"If anything i would be mad that it ruined my beutiful face by putting a dent in my forehead."
-Do you think that this is a joke???? This is a serious issue. Kids are getting hurt and dying more and more.

"And if i got hit in the throat and happened to die at least i died playing baseball"
-You really are a moron... Even if you died no one would care, and no one would do anything about making a new rule because "it doesnt happen enough" So if you died you would just be another statistic, and you would be in a box in the ground.

I think we need some more kids to die painfull deaths before we do something about this issue. I think we need more kids to have to get glass eye balls, and I think we need to have more families devastated because their kid died playing a sport that he was playing for fun, because it made him happy, because he felt good inside when he played it. Yupp, I think we need a few more gallons of blood to pour out of 12 year olds eye sockets before we do something.

[SluggerCF91]

I have a good enough reaction time that the ball would not hit me in the head, thusly I would not be blind.
A few things: Just because YOU have a good enougb recation time, doesnt mean that everybody else does. AND, Im real sure that you could move out of the way of a 120 mph line drive from 60 feet away, what are u spiderman????

[SluggerCF91]

And on that note, abolish football, rugby and all contact sports, because kids die every year, or become quadrupalegics because of spinal injuries. This game has been this way for a looong time, and the first time someone tries to make a pitcher wear a cage, or put a net in front of him is the last time I play.
This game has not been this way for a long time. Bat are getting more advanced, nurtrtion is getting more modern, kids are getting stronger, better, can hit harder, whats the harm in making a kid wear a helmet???? It could save a life...... or a few hundred...
All the other contact sports have equipment except for rugby, and only baseball invoves a 5 once hard object being launched 60,70,80,90,100+ mph right at your bare face, with only 60 feet of room for reaction.

[bbjunkie]

When somebody dies, and he could have been saved by a rule change, except for the fact that other people like yourself thought that it doesn't happen often enough to warrant a pitcher to wear a helmet and a cage over his face, which really wouldn't make any difference as long as it was secure.
There is risk involved in every action. Quite probably the greatest danger your child faces is when he/she gets in your car. 40,000 people die each year in auto accidents. Yet we thoughtlessly hop in the car and drive to often unnecessary destinations. The insurance industry can tell you with some precision how many people will die in any given pursuit. It is a certainty that some number of workers will die each year in construction accidents. Do we stop building? Would anyone even suggest such a solution? Reasonable precautions should be take in any pursuit that involves risk. Its a balancing act to figure out what degree of caution in reasonable to address a particular level of risk.

As a coach every year there is at least one kid on my LL team that I simply will not allow to play on the infield because in my judgment he/she doesn't have the reflexes and skills necessary to protect him/herself from a hard line drive. I certainly wouldn't let those kids pitch. Parents knowingly or unknowingly place a great deal of trust in coaches to protect their kids from unnecessary harm. Its up to us to take those responsibilities seriously.

[paul5150]

If anything, it should just be one of those things that some basketball players wear when they have a broken nose, or also a pitcher for Miami wore one because of a carcrash.

[Witchdoctor]

And on that note, abolish football, rugby and all contact sports, because kids die every year, or become quadrupalegics because of spinal injuries. This game has been this way for a looong time, and the first time someone tries to make a pitcher wear a cage, or put a net in front of him is the last time I play.


I agree... I have seem parents freak out when their kids play infield position and if a kid gets hit by a ball, it is over. There is a good drill for pitchers to improve their reaction.

1)For young kids, have them sit on a bucket like an orange Home Depot bucket with their glove.

2) Have them put their throwing arm behind their back.

3) Toss a ball about 4-5 ft away and have the player catch the ball with their glove and drop it to the ground.

4) Throw another ball at them in a different location.

5) Speed up the drill and throw a ball every 3-4 seconds and get their reaction time going.