Just saw a video of a buddy pitching in a slow pitch softball game and he got drilled. Luckily it didn't hit him in the face. Also worked with a guy who lost his son who was pitching in a collegiate level league and got hit in the head and killed him.

It's dangerous!

 

Man that is so sad.

If you're gonna mask a pitcher in baseball then go ahead and eliminate base stealing and leading off as well as the half windup.

If you're gonna mask a pitcher in baseball then go ahead and eliminate base stealing and leading off as well as the half windup.

 

Why?? I'm guessing your concerned about the pitcher being able to see the base runner. First it won't affect lefthanders at all. And designed correctly, I'm not sure that righties would be affected all that much. At best, this is reaching for an excuse to not use protection. Football, hockey and lacrosse players all wear some sort of mask and they play contact sports where people are running at them from all angles. Never heard any complain about peripheral vision.

Why?? I'm guessing your concerned about the pitcher being able to see the base runner. First it won't affect lefthanders at all. And designed correctly, I'm not sure that righties would be affected all that much. At best, this is reaching for an excuse to not use protection. Football, hockey and lacrosse players all wear some sort of mask and they play contact sports where people are running at them from all angles. Never heard any complain about peripheral vision.

 

So lefties get an advantage? Seems legit. And yes, it would be tough for righties to see the runner. There's no point for a mask on a pitcher. Football/hockey/lacrosse compared to baseball is like comparing apples and oranges.

There's no point for a mask on a pitcher. Football/hockey/lacrosse compared to baseball is like comparing apples and oranges.

 

See post 14.

So lefties get an advantage? Seems legit. And yes, it would be tough for righties to see the runner. There's no point for a mask on a pitcher. Football/hockey/lacrosse compared to baseball is like comparing apples and oranges.

 

Lefties have an advantage now. My point in bringing up the other sports is that they are all faster moving than baseball, and peripheral vision is important to just protecting yourself. If those guys can see well enough to protect themselves, righthanders will be just fine opening their shoulders a little more to hold runners. Not to mention that for righties, a quick delivery to the plate and varying your pace and routine are more important to holding runners than visually looking at them. Putting a mask on doesn't change that aspect.

Just saw a video of a buddy pitching in a slow pitch softball game and he got drilled. Luckily it didn't hit him in the face. Also worked with a guy who lost his son who was pitching in a collegiate level league and got hit in the head and killed him.

It's dangerous!

 

There are items a pitcher can wear to minimize damage from being hit by a ball. My son was hit in the face by a line drive while pitching 16U. His orbital socket was crushed and his tear duct destroyed. He required multiple extensive plastic surgeries to rebuild his face and to repair the resulting double vision. He was lucky in that he took the ball in his orbital socket and not on this temple or forehead; that most likely would've killed him. I was standing by the dugout when it happened and will never get the sound of the ball crushing his face out of my head. When he was ready to go back on the mound we looked into protective gear for him. I wished he could've worn a face mask like his sister when pitching :-). We tried a pitching helmet first; similar to the catcher helmets that used to be worn in the 70's/80's. We couldn't find one that fit well and stayed on his head while pitching. We ended up with a plate that is similar to a soccer shin guard that fit inside his ball cap and attached with glue. While his face wasn't protected, his head was. It worked well. He used that insert his last two years of high school/travel baseball. He is now playing in college, but is an infielder and not pitching. He was released from care by the Cincinnati Eye Institute in December (the level of care received by both CEI and Cincinnati Children's Hospital was fantastic!). He was told at that appointment that most injuries they have seen similar to his resulted in loss of the eye and he will be used as a case study.

 

Going back to the softball thread....my daughter is a pitcher and used to complain about wearing her facemask (it makes her face breakout). She witnessed him being hit and all of his resulting surgeries. Never again had to have a discussion with her about wearing her mask while pitching.

There are items a pitcher can wear to minimize damage from being hit by a ball. My son was hit in the face by a line drive while pitching 16U. His orbital socket was crushed and his tear duct destroyed. He required multiple extensive plastic surgeries to rebuild his face and to repair the resulting double vision. He was lucky in that he took the ball in his orbital socket and not on this temple or forehead; that most likely would've killed him. I was standing by the dugout when it happened and will never get the sound of the ball crushing his face out of my head. When he was ready to go back on the mound we looked into protective gear for him. I wished he could've worn a face mask like his sister when pitching :-). We tried a pitching helmet first; similar to the catcher helmets that used to be worn in the 70's/80's. We couldn't find one that fit well and stayed on his head while pitching. We ended up with a plate that is similar to a soccer shin guard that fit inside his ball cap and attached with glue. While his face wasn't protected, his head was. It worked well. He used that insert his last two years of high school/travel baseball. He is now playing in college, but is an infielder and not pitching. He was released from care by the Cincinnati Eye Institute in December (the level of care received by both CEI and Cincinnati Children's Hospital was fantastic!). He was told at that appointment that most injuries they have seen similar to his resulted in loss of the eye and he will be used as a case study.

 

Going back to the softball thread....my daughter is a pitcher and used to complain about wearing her facemask (it makes her face breakout). She witnessed him being hit and all of his resulting surgeries. Never again had to have a discussion with her about wearing her mask while pitching.

 

Thank goodness it all worked out for your son. These are the tragic stories that protection can help prevent. I just don't see how it's more worrisome as to how righties would be able to hold runners on while wearing some sort of mask.