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FACEMASKS!!!

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by curveballerguy124 » Tue Jul 11, 2017 2:43 pm

@ jtat I will clarify if that helps you

I teach my pitchers if we are going to miss, miss in the direction we are throwing, I also teach a hard snap on every pitch so that in the event a ball floats over the middle if its spun hard enough it will get driven into the ground or if its a rise ball into the air keeping the pitcher safe


At the YOUNG ages pitchers (in general) are going to miss the corners and throw up the middle enough without a coach directing them to throw up the middle because most lack control and a hard tight spin that comes with age....My pitchers did not have any come-backers that game or at all as far as I know, But then again, I also teach my girls to ignore a coach that directs them to throw up the middle to begin with, not that it would have mattered she was pulled for walking batters anyway,lol!!
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by jtat32 » Tue Jul 11, 2017 10:19 pm

OK, that's how I interpreted your initial post. I'm not going to disagree that staying on the edges of the plate minimizes the chances of come-backers, but all pitchers are going to miss fat sometimes. It happens at all levels. Hitting spots is no guarantee against come-backers, either. Pitchers at all levels in both softball and baseball get drilled.

FWIW, neither of my DDs wore a mask. I was OK with their decisions, partly because they hit their spots pretty well. That said, I made sure that they understood that come-backers were not a non-issue. It was gamble at some level, but so are a lot of things in life.
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by onlooker » Wed Jul 12, 2017 8:40 am

curveballerguy124 wrote:I have always been more of a believer that if you teach a pitcher correctly then come-backers should not be an issue.


Ugh, no chance this comes out of my mouth, ever. This mask topic isn't so much about top tier 16 year olds and older going off to college, its at lower levels too. sure a 13 year old is NOT going to do as much damage as an 18 year old, however, this is where the damage is occurring, at all levels. and all damage sucks, bigtime.

There are 2 parts to the come backer equation. One is the pitch, which only the pitcher can control. And as we know, MOST pitchers in this sport from 8-18 DONT have great command. Very few do, we know who they are. to assume we can teach to pitch where there is no chance at a come backer, i find pretty far from the truth.

The other half of the equation is the batter. Again, MOST batters in this sport do not have exact proper timing (part of the major league equation for a come backer), very few do. We know who they are. Lots of girls can make solid contact, but few are giving that hard contact to an intended region of the field. They say you cant pull an outside pitch? ha, dont tell that to a girl who swings early and reaches. that poor form and improbable outcome are the exact reasons we have girls getting hit in the face. Regardless of where your student placed the pitch.
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by sdiamond » Wed Jul 12, 2017 9:47 am

UmpSteve; "To begin with, no entity would ever mandate any protective device or equipment be a part of the game without a legitimate testing standard being established"

Its mandatory for faceguards on helmets. The pitcher throws the ball towards the batter between 55-70mph. However when the ball is hit back towards the pitcher it can be up to double the pitch speed. Now why wouldnt a study be done. They did one to protect the batter, why not the pitcher?

We can go back and forth with this topic but the bottom line is, I say this as a parent and former coach, WEAR A FACE MASK PLEASE>
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by curveballerguy124 » Wed Jul 12, 2017 4:02 pm

Everybody has a different view on facemasks, I always believed on not using one. Maybe its because I don't use one when I pitch in my games. Not to mention in the men's game with the amount of sh@t being talked all the time, a guy wearing a mask would no doubt get clowned in a big way....Before!

But times change even in the mens game I'm starting to see more and more male pitchers come out wearing full on helmets that were designed for slow pitch but several guys are wearing them on fastpitch teams especially at nationals.... I haven't done that yet, maybe I will because they say with age get a cage (not sure if that applies here) but maybe in the near future I will who knows. I have had some close calls but I knew those close calls were gonne be shots in my direction based on how I released those pitches. But at the end of the day it just takes one bad pitch for your day to end very badly, just sayin!

So here it is if your a parent of a young girl just learning to pitch, slap a mask on her if she decides to take it off as she gets older then that's her choice. If your a teenage pitcher refusing to wear one then you better learn to snap the ball real hard or develop some very fast hands and reflexes!!!
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by PDad » Wed Jul 12, 2017 7:33 pm

sdiamond wrote:UmpSteve; "To begin with, no entity would ever mandate any protective device or equipment be a part of the game without a legitimate testing standard being established"

Its mandatory for faceguards on helmets. The pitcher throws the ball towards the batter between 55-70mph. However when the ball is hit back towards the pitcher it can be up to double the pitch speed. Now why wouldnt a study be done. They did one to protect the batter, why not the pitcher?

You omitted the next sentence where he explained someone has to put up big bucks to pay for it. Are you going to do it? His "Bottom line" explains what it will take.

UmpSteve wrote:... That means someone would need to financially support and fund establishing the testing standard by a major standards agency, be it NOCSAE or some other testing agency, so that there is a base line of what is actually protection. Otherwise, some idiot would bend up a coat hanger and wrap it in duct tape, and call it a face mask.
...
Bottom line; no one will do this simply because it may be the right thing to do. It will have to be a business decision driven by the risk management and legal advisors. At some point, when insurance costs, legal fees to defend liability suits, and settlements drive the costs of the status quo to a critical point, THEN you can expect USA/ASA and NFHS to suddenly show concern and interest in protecting the players.
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by GIMNEPIWO » Fri Jul 14, 2017 8:25 am

sdiamond wrote:UmpSteve; "To begin with, no entity would ever mandate any protective device or equipment be a part of the game without a legitimate testing standard being established"

Its mandatory for faceguards on helmets. The pitcher throws the ball towards the batter between 55-70mph. However when the ball is hit back towards the pitcher it can be up to double the pitch speed. Now why wouldnt a study be done. They did one to protect the batter, why not the pitcher?

We can go back and forth with this topic but the bottom line is, I say this as a parent and former coach, WEAR A FACE MASK PLEASE>


When my DD's got their drivers licence, it was our rule that they call or text and let us know where they were, where they were going and when they got there ... Simple. We did not need any governing body telling us what we needed to do to keep our daughters as safe as we could in our minds ... Do you need someone to tell you what to do to keep your DD safe?

My athletes wear a mask if they want to, If they don't, they don't ... I did have a parent 2 years ago tell me to make sure his daughter wore her mask ... I told him that it is not my responsibility or the responsibility of my coaches to make sure his HS age daughter wore her mask ... I told him I would not force any one to wear optional equipment, but she was welcome to remember to put on her mask any time she chose.
"For the strength of the pack is the wolf, the strength of the wolf is the pack" Rudyard Kipling
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by Chin Music » Tue Jul 18, 2017 1:21 pm

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by Pale Rider » Tue Jul 18, 2017 4:49 pm

The poll on that site is telling...about 85% Pro mask wearing
AKA "Thread Killer"

"Damnation seize my soul if I give you quarters, or take any from you."
Edward "Blackbeard" Teach
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by curveballerguy124 » Wed Jul 19, 2017 1:59 pm

Thats it......I'm gonna champion this cause!!!! I am gonna go get a helmet wear it at my next tourney get ridiculed by my fellow players in hopes that the girls that play on my team follow my brave example!!!!LOL......I will take photos as proof, the change needs to start somewhere!! Lead by example right?!?! Hahaha Imma need a couple beers that day.....
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