Would you blame a player?

[rkbenn]

Given Joe Martinez from the Giants getting hit in the head, would you hold it against a player for wearing head and/or facial protect?

[DukeK]

Nope.

I've actually bought and set up a helmet with a cage once when my son was young, and then a few years ago bought a C flap because my son wanted to use them.

Both times, however, he decided they weren't worth the burden/comfort and never used them.

If it makes them more comfortable I don't see a problem using them.

You'll find some, though, who will argue that it will embolden a player to be more risky now that they're "armored up" and do things they wouldn't usually do. I have not found that to be true.

[dominik]

Are you talking about a helmet for pitchers?

[Jake Patterson]

Are you talking about a helmet for pitchers?Softball uses them now.

[rkbenn]

Are you talking about a helmet for pitchers?

Not just Pitcher, but for sure pitchers. Why don't base runners take of thier helmet once they get on base? They're out in the field, much further away than the pitcher.

[sid17]

Not just Pitcher, but for sure pitchers. Why don't base runners take of thier helmet once they get on base? They're out in the field, much further away than the pitcher.

Are you serious? Baserunners are in the path of the ball all the time. Diving headfirst back into first on pickoffs, you see it a lot where the throw hits the helmet. Same thing when stealing 2nd base. I've seen guys get hit in the head when caught in a rundown. Baserunners get pretty close at third base after they get a secondary lead too.

[rkbenn]

Are you serious? Baserunners are in the path of the ball all the time. Diving headfirst back into first on pickoffs, you see it a lot where the throw hits the helmet. Same thing when stealing 2nd base. I've seen guys get hit in the head when caught in a rundown. Baserunners get pretty close at third base after they get a secondary lead too.

I'm advocating more safety not less, not sure if you can see that. Pitchers, and infielders shouldn't feel like they shouldn't wear protection. We protect the runners, and not, at the very least the pitcher? I was reading the other day that 1 in 5 batted ball injuries at the high school level end in surgury.

[skipper5]

Risk and pain is an essential element of most sports. Batting would be different if they could manufacture a normal hardball that felt like a nerfball when you got hit by a pitch. It would be an inferior sport. It would be more like golf, or wiffleball, where the ball can't hurt you.

But I think everything is different when it comes to getting hit in the face with a hard object. The most macho guy in the world hates it when they get hit flush in the face, even by a skinny branch when they walk in the woods, let alone by a baseball travelling 90 mph.

I was around when HS hockey players didn't wear face masks.

I don't think the risk level in baseball justifies them, and it would take a lot of the fun out of pitching. How the heck would you spit?

[wilson68]

I just bought my eleven year old niece a Gameface. She's always been a little scared of the ball, which of course makes it more likely she'll miss it because of flinching. This year we're playing some select tournaments and some of the twelve year old girls are bigger than me. I'm not kidding about that, we had a pitcher last year that was a couple of inches shorter than me but she weighed more and I weigh around 190 lbs. One bad liner and your kid's life is ruined.

We had a seventeen year old pitcher about three years ago take a line drive right in the teeth. She lost all her front teeth, top and bottom. Her quote, "I let go of the ball, and then I was bending over spitting out teeth." No seventeen year old male or female should be missing those teeth. I know of couple of detached retinas as well, one girl has no depth perception anymore. They were hit by pitches while batting.

I find myself queasy at the thought of too much protection, just as some others here do, but a line drive to the face isn't something you can prevent. Otherwise, the kid would prevent it. It's not a bump or a scrape, it's death, blindness and disfigurement. It's not likely but why let your kid chance it.

[sid17]

I'm advocating more safety not less, not sure if you can see that. Pitchers, and infielders shouldn't feel like they shouldn't wear protection. We protect the runners, and not, at the very least the pitcher? I was reading the other day that 1 in 5 batted ball injuries at the high school level end in surgury.

Sorry, I misunderstood your post.

[skipper5]

If my daughter pitched or played infield in competitive softball, I'd be in favor of a face-mask. Skinned infield, close distances, hot bats. It's not clear to me why they call it a soft-ball.

[rkbenn]

I bought facial protection for my son the other day. I can't risk another shot to his head. He'll be the only one wearing one, but he doesn't care. He took two shots to the head at SS, and he wants to continue to play SS but wants the protection. Maybe a MDs note would help him with some of the kids that want to be jerks. It's funny, the starting SS gave my son crap and said that he couldn't handle the postion and that's why he got hit. The very next game I seen that same kid bail on a hard chopper back at him, and my son said, what are you chicken, at least I stood in there. I couldn't help but laugh, as well as a couple team members. It sure shut that kid up!

[new2thesport]

I bought facial protection for my son the other day. I can't risk another shot to his head. He'll be the only one wearing one, but he doesn't care. He took two shots to the head at SS, and he wants to continue to play SS but wants the protection. Maybe a MDs note would help him with some of the kids that want to be jerks. It's funny, the starting SS gave my son crap and said that he couldn't handle the postion and that's why he got hit. The very next game I seen that same kid bail on a hard chopper back at him, and my son said, what are you chicken, at least I stood in there. I couldn't help but laugh, as well as a couple team members. It sure shut that kid up!

Heres a quote from gmac that I think goes well with your post:

And he's a pretty sound infielder, but if you don't think you need a cup or mouthpiece, maybe you're not playing hard enough.

rkbenn, I applaud you for purchasing facial protection for your son!

[DukeK]

Batting would be different if they could manufacture a normal hardball that felt like a nerfball when you got hit by a pitch.

Intersting tidbit I picked up from a doctor. 1) The bone around your eyesocket is one of the thickest bones in your body. 2) The sport that has the most serious eye injuries - is tennis. Since the tennis ball is soft it will deform and suck itself into the eye socket causing a vacuum and then when it comes out it can detach the retina, etc...

So, using softer balls in baseball and you would prevent some serious facial injuries, but could cause more serious eye injuries.

[rkbenn]

Heres a quote from gmac that I think goes well with your post:

And he's a pretty sound infielder, but if you don't think you need a cup or mouthpiece, maybe you're not playing hard enough.

rkbenn, I applaud you for purchasing facial protection for your son!

Thank you. Gmac was one smart guy. I was at the hospital till 4:30am and to see him in a hospital bed was heartrenching. I was there to see both times he got hit in the head this year. I felt a little guilt after the first time he asked me to get it for him and I didn't.

[korp]

Why would you hold it against him? For the person actually getting hit I'm sure it can be a very scary moment ... but I do think people with similar accidents end up just getting over it and going right back out.

[4pointDoc]

rkbenn--what kind of face protection did you buy? where did you get it?

[g-mac]

Thank you. Gmac was one smart guy. I was at the hospital till 4:30am and to see him in a hospital bed was heartrenching. I was there to see both times he got hit in the head this year. I felt a little guilt after the first time he asked me to get it for him and I didn't.

Thank you. I've spent way too many hours in the ER and I truly sympathize with you. There is nothing that feels more helpless. Between myself and both boys, I think our hospital should start offering something similar to frequent flyer miles.

At least the odds are in his favor of not getting hit again. I applaud any kid that gets back up and keeps playing...no matter what safety equipment they use.

[rkbenn]

rkbenn--what kind of face protection did you buy? where did you get it?

I got him the Defender Youth Facial Protection. Unfortunatly there is no cool looking masks. This was the best, that I found. There is Bangerz and Markwort Facial protection.

[rkbenn]

Thank you. I've spent way too many hours in the ER and I truly sympathize with you. There is nothing that feels more helpless. Between myself and both boys, I think our hospital should start offering something similar to frequent flyer miles.

At least the odds are in his favor of not getting hit again. I applaud any kid that gets back up and keeps playing...no matter what safety equipment they use.

Odds are definitely is his favor, especially after getting hit twice and we are going into game 7.

Some of the toughest guys are in hockey, look how much protection they wear!

[g-mac]

Some of the toughest guys are in hockey, look how much protection they wear!

Yet, they always seem to amaze me they don't cover their face. ...and their necks for that matter.

[rkbenn]

Yet, they always seem to amaze me they don't cover their face. ...and their necks for that matter.

Can you imagine a goalie wearing nothing but an 11in glove from 80' where a pitcher releases and having a player shoot a 120mph puck at him. He would say that was suicide. Yet is baseball we take that chance.

[captlid]

Getting whacked with a 1lb frozen puck is an expected occurrence for a goaltender in the course of a game. Same as a catcher will get clipped with foul tips in a game. A pitcher unless they accidentally throw the ball right down the middle of the plate won't get their face rearranged.

Hope your son is ok, don't see why he should be blamed. If a player wants to use facial protection they shouldn't be looked at as any less of a player. Tell your son that John Olerud used a batting helmet while playing first base cause of a previous brain condition.

The first goaltender who used a mask was also told he was a wimp. Same thing when the first catcher used a glove.

[Cannonball]

I thought that this sobering article demonstrates that we should never have a problem with a player or their parents wanting to protect their players. This is such a tragic event:

http://prepsports.stltoday.com/ssi/prep/stories2009.nsf/baseball/story/A950258B2B3F1456862575A200527306?OpenDocument

[Jake Patterson]

I thought that this sobering article demonstrates that we should never have a problem with a player or their parents wanting to protect their players. This is such a tragic event:

http://prepsports.stltoday.com/ssi/prep/stories2009.nsf/baseball/story/A950258B2B3F1456862575A200527306?OpenDocument
this must be terrible for the pitcher...

[mudvnine]

Can you imagine a goalie wearing nothing but an 11in glove from 80' where a pitcher releases and having a player shoot a 120mph puck at him. He would say that was suicide. Yet is baseball we take that chance.

Crazy thing, that's the way it was as far as facial protection until about 1945 when Jacques Plante invented the first goalie mask.

http://symonsez.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/plantenomask.jpg . . . . . . . . http://01f246c.netsolhost.com/html/Links/hall.jpg
. . . . . . Jacques Plante . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . and my old Black Hawk Hero Glenn Hall


It will take something from a sanctioning body like LL or PONY that makes facial protection on all infielders 12U mandatory before we really start seeing this gear a "standard" equipment. I leave it at 12U because after that, they get on the big field and the added distance ups the safety somewhat, but I wouldn't have a problem if it was all pre-HS aged events.

Just like we see every hitter come up with a helmet on, why not see every infielder with a mask on? I think it's great that "rkbenn's" son will be wearing one, but how much easier would it be for him if all of his teammates had one on also?

[rkbenn]

Crazy thing, that's the way it was as far as facial protection until about 1945 when Jacques Plante invented the first goalie mask.

http://symonsez.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/plantenomask.jpg . . . . . . . . http://01f246c.netsolhost.com/html/Links/hall.jpg
. . . . . . Jacques Plante . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . and my old Black Hawk Hero Glenn Hall


It will take something from a sanctioning body like LL or PONY that makes facial protection on all infielders 12U mandatory before we really start seeing this gear a "standard" equipment. I leave it at 12U because after that, they get on the big field and the added distance ups the safety somewhat, but I wouldn't have a problem if it was all pre-HS aged events.

Just like we see every hitter come up with a helmet on, why not see every infielder with a mask on? I think it's great that "rkbenn's" son will be wearing one, but how much easier would it be for him if all of his teammates had one on also?

that's incredible to think they did that in hockey. my son has the mask, had it for a week. he has not made the move back to infield. i told him he could make the call, but he has not stepped up yet. i'm a little worried he may not want to make the move anytime soon and get too comfortable.

i have to say that those 2 plays are making the kids on our team very jumpy. they have been giving up on hard hit balls. one cool thing is, his teammates think the mask is cool.