Protective Eyewear for baseball players

a few years back

when my son was still playing rec ball, a Mom came up to us with one of the balls we were using during the tryouts. She said "this ball is HARD! It could hurt if it hit you! What is my son supposed to do if the ball is hit right at him?" The other coaches and I looked at each other and I said to her "uh... catch it!" Guess which kid was the last pick in that season's draft. He actually was a decent little player... as long as you kept momma at a distance.

Seriously, if a kid, or his parents, want protective gear then that's fine. It shouldn't be mandated though.

 

Short Cut

All players need to be hit in the eye in the batting cage before playing. This way no one gets hurt on the field. It will be an off the field injury.

 

I agree

When I was a kid we didn't have stinkin' AIR BAGS !

If we were about to get in a wreck, your mom would throw her hand across the seat and hold you back !

We also did not have these padded dash boards - they were metal !

And we liked 'em that way !

(Heard this line from a great comedian someplace...wish it was my own material...)

 

Its everywhere

Before you get on your bike - put on your helmet , put on your elbow pads , put on your knee pads , wear your mouthpiece , good grief. How about this idea. If you have to wear all of that to ride a bike maybe you dont need to be on a bike? Part of learning how to ride a bike is if you fall your butt is going to get scratched up and bruised up. So you better learn how to ride it and you better make sure you dont act too much like daredevil and if you do then be prepared to tough it out.

Part of learning the game of baseball is understanding that there is the chance you might get dinged up. If your so afraid that you might get dinged up them stay inside and play video games. Face masks , elbow guards , heart protectors on and on and on. Now eye protection? Good grief what a bunch of *****ies. Raised by a bunch of *****ies.

I got a bunch of battle scars. So do my friends. We earned them and were proud of them. Almost as proud of ours as we are the ones we put on other people. Hell when I played football I wanted to put people out of the game. I wanted to knock someones ass out. And if someone was blocking a bag I made sure my spikes found some flesh. I didn't slide in soft and then complain to the umpire. I didnt have a problem when it happened to me. Its all part of the game. Soft kids. Dads carrying the ball bag while Jr sucks on a Gatorade. Mom's running to the concession stand to get Jr a hotdog before the game starts. "Hey Mom where is my elbow guard this guy is throwing gas." "Well he better slow it down when you get up or someone is going to get an ear full!" "And remember to tell Dad I want a Blue Gatorade in the third inning!" "Of course sweety." "Honey did you get him a Red Gatorade again." "How many times do I have to tell you?"


Give me a tough kid that wants it , the rest can play for the other team.

 

Mine got what he got. He caught with glasses and they where not the googles. Ask him what do you do when you have the ball and runner is coming home and he has the ball? Get low, plant your feet, make the tag, get up and toss the ball to the pitcher. Next!!!!!!

 

This just might happen in our area.

The statistics that I linked to are being used by a group in our area that are lobying for this.

Im having a hell of a time with this.

Help!!

 

Safety glasses are not an inherent part of the game. Make them available, but not a requirement.

....sies!

 

The information and statistics may be accurate, but the sponsors of this study leaves one to wonder if there is a conflict of interest.

I'm sure heart doctors can make a case for wearing catcher's equipment for position players. I'm sure foot doctors can make a case for wearing ski-type boots for players.......and don't forget the brain surgeons. I'm sure they could argue the case for all fielders to wear helmets at all times...sheeesh!

oh....and can't cold weather cause frost bite at Belmont Abbey tomorrow? I'm sure that Isotoner could conduct reasearch that will demand that all players wear isotoner gloves when the weather gets below 60 degrees. Now that may be a good rule change!!!!!

 

Eye protection.....

...I guess I am torn on this issue. I am an optometrist and I see people with eye injuries everyday with 99% of them not sports related. Most are from working in the yard (ie. weed eating), home projects (hammering, sawing, grinding) or work related by people not wearing proper eye protection.

Racquet balls have accounted for way more injuries than baseballs. The size of the racquet ball fits perfectly into the eye socket so there is maximum damage with a direct hit. Since a baseball is bigger, the damage is less directly to the eye with more soft tissue damage to the brow and cheek. I have also seen way more damage to kids eyes with BB's than baseballs. Enough BB injuries that I would never buy my kids a BB or pellet gun.

I guess as a professional and seeing injuries, if just one kid's vision is saved from protective eye wear, then it is worth it. My kids played baseball and other sports and did they wear protective eye wear, no! I gave them the option and talked about injuries but I didn't make them wear it.

Things happen. I guess if I wanted to avoid the risk of injuries, I would make them bubble boys instead of baseball boys. Heck, my son Paul tore his ACL when he was 14 playing middle school football. He wanted to try football so we said okay. It wrecked his 8th grade year, changed him from an everyday player (ss, catcher) to a pitcher but if you asked him he would say he had no regrets.

Dang, I am getting long winded. My wife is putting up Christmas decorations and I am in hiding.

 

Hahaha...great comments. You also made a point that rebuts the report "More eye injuries occur in baseball", which puzzled me, but I didn't do the reasearch.

I always throught it was the BB Gun...at least that's what my parents always said when they denied me a purchase of one