Pitchers Face Mask?

[calsnowskier]

I haven’t heard this talked about, at least not for the MLB level, but would this be a good idea? Softball pitchers use it, and it doesn’t appear to impede their vision at all.

it seems that every season we have at least 1 gruesome injury from a pitcher getting hit. Outside of “looking dorky”, is there a real reason against these?

 

[Chewbaccer]

Back in my wild and wooly days when I thought riding bulls sounded fun, the old cowboy training me told me, "son, you can do what you want, but helmets are for pussies." I've lived by those words of wisdom ever since.

 

[calsnowskier]

Back in my wild and wooly days when I thought riding bulls sounded fun, the old cowboy training me told me, "son, you can do what you want, but helmets are for pussies." I've lived by those words of wisdom ever since.

I understand that argument, and my gut basically defaults here.


But realistically, that is a horrible argument.

 

[Debbie Does]

I wear a helmet when I'm doing something where a head injury is likely. That is, I wear one on my bicycle these days. When I was younger, not too many years age, I was a hockey goalie and a downhill skier. Over the years I became a more cautious skier, but after a bad fall on an expert slope gave me a concussion, I got a helmet. The bicycle helmet has protected my head a few times, but a hockey puck shot by a good player could do serious damage, even if you see it coming. I personally got almost every guy on my hockey team to wear a helmet BEFORE the rink mandated them.

When I read the title of this thread, though, I had to disagree. There are people out there who would put impractical headgear on everyone in every sport. I think mandated safety equipment should have a very good reason, not just worn because some clueless administrator thinks it's a good idea.

If race car drivers wear helmets, what's to stop our dumbass government from insisting on helmets for all automobile drivers?

 

[calsnowskier]

I wear a helmet when I'm doing something where a head injury is likely. That is, I wear one on my bicycle these days. When I was younger, not too many years age, I was a hockey goalie and a downhill skier. Over the years I became a more cautious skier, but after a bad fall on an expert slope gave me a concussion, I got a helmet. The bicycle helmet has protected my head a few times, but a hockey puck shot by a good player could do serious damage, even if you see it coming. I personally got almost every guy on my hockey team to wear a helmet BEFORE the rink mandated them.

When I read the title of this thread, though, I had to disagree. There are people out there who would put impractical headgear on everyone in every sport. I think mandated safety equipment should have a very good reason, not just worn because some clueless administrator thinks it's a good idea.

If race car drivers wear helmets, what's to stop our dumbass government from insisting on helmets for all automobile drivers?

I am always wary of the slippery slope as well. And I do not have an established opinion on this issue, ftr. But we aren’t talking about everyone going the route of Jon Olerud. I am not recommending a hard helmet for first basemen. How often do first basemen suffer life threatening injuries due to getting hit by a thrown or batted ball?

But without actually looking up the numbers, it seems that at least once a season an MLB pitcher gets hit in the face by a ball hit back up the middle. And with more and more pitchers throwing in the high 90s and more hitters learning to concentrate on their exit velocity, this may be something to consider.

A few years ago, MLB played with the puffy caps, but those looked dorky AND offered little protection. These masks (with some slight modification, I would assume to work for a baseball rather than a softball) don’t look that weird, imho, and addresses a legit safety issue.

Like I said, I am not locked in on my opinion. And I have not heard any talk about introducing these at any pro level. Just floating the idea to see what people think.

 

[podsox]

Obviously there is nothing you can do when a liner is smoked right back at you but It is crazy how many pitchers that aren’t in a fielding position after they release the baseball

 

[broncosmitty]

I’d rather have died playing baseball than wear one of those.

 

[R.J. MacReady]

"A ship in the harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for."

 

[calsnowskier]

"A ship in the harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for."

Ships used to be made out of wood. Now they are made from fiberglass or steel.

 

[shopson67]

I haven’t heard this talked about, at least not for the MLB level, but would this be a good idea? Softball pitchers use it, and it doesn’t appear to impede their vision at all.

it seems that every season we have at least 1 gruesome injury from a pitcher getting hit. Outside of “looking dorky”, is there a real reason against these?

There would have to be additional bars to be effective for baseball use.

 

[Ron G]

People started to wear one bar face masks in football in the 60's. Look what that has evolved into. I think it should be optional. Jaques Plante was ahead of his time in hockey. Goalies have much longer careers now.
And look at the pads the batters are now wearing. Without those pads very few would crowd the plate like they do. I have actually seen batters get hit with balls that would be called strikes. Anthony Rizzo is the poster child.

 

[calsnowskier]

People started to wear one bar face masks in football in the 60's. Look what that has evolved into. I think it should be optional. Jaques Plante was ahead of his time in hockey. Goalies have much longer careers now.
And look at the pads the batters are now wearing. Without those pads very few would crowd the plate like they do. I have actually seen batters get hit with balls that would be called strikes. Anthony Rizzo is the poster child.

I agree it should start as optional. However, I doubt anyone would ear it until it were required.


I am definitely in favor of greatly limiting the amount of armor a batter can wear, though, for the exact reason you mention. Unless we were to revisit to hit batsman rule, of course,
which while I am against atm, I would be willing to discuss.

 

[richig07]

That's going to a pretty big extreme to prevent something that has an extraordinarily low chance of occurring. It's pretty rare for a pitcher to truly get fucked up with a horrible injury from a comebacker to the face.

 

[RoosterSideburns]

I haven’t heard this talked about, at least not for the MLB level, but would this be a good idea? Softball pitchers use it, and it doesn’t appear to impede their vision at all.

it seems that every season we have at least 1 gruesome injury from a pitcher getting hit. Outside of “looking dorky”, is there a real reason against these?

Is this for the crotch?

 

[RoosterSideburns]

That's going to a pretty big extreme to prevent something that has an extraordinarily low chance of occurring. It's pretty rare for a pitcher to truly get fucked up with a horrible injury from a comebacker to the face.

In high school, we were playing work up at lunch and this kid named Bugger was pitching. My cousin was the batter and he hit a burner straight back at the pitcher. It would have hit him in the gut, but Bugger jumped for some odd reason and his nutsack caught that ball like a catchers pudd. It’s the closest I’ve seen to someone dying from a hit to the groin.

 

[steveringo]