Masks on Batting Helmets - Don't Be Silly No Matter What Your Age

Following the logic that the mask interferes with vision and that it doesn't happen often enough to matter, I would like to see more umpires without their masks.

 

Hmmm...figure that's their choice not mandatory since their masks are not all the same?

 

Well, whatever causes then to make that choice is what we want the ladies to understand. There's no difference.

 

Okay, let's use your argument.

First off, as of 2009 only 3 states did not have a law of some form in place requiring helmet use by motorcyle drivers/riders. In 2007, 63% of all fatalities were due to not wearing a helmet compared to 14% when wearing a helmet. Use of a helmet could have prevented death in 37% of the cases and traumatic brain injury in 67% of those involved in accidents.

Yes, those are smart odds: Don't wear a helmet folks, you MIGHT survive.

Your argument is that there are not "enough" injuries to mandate face masks. Can I ask you what number, precisely, of our young ladies need to be injured before you are satisfied that it is "enough"?


Fact: A ball that comes off a bat has a greater velocity due to change in trajectory than a pitched ball.

Your opinion: Masks interfere with vision.

Catcher's, shed your masks! After all, you are only catching a PITCHED ball.

 

My biggest question is why do you feel you need to make a choice for another adult?

Why can't they make that choice for themselves?

Aren't there enough people telling us what is best for us, and making us abide by their opinions?


You can't use umpires and catchers in your arguement. They are the only people on the field that get balls fouled back into them. If they get hit its because something out of their control alters the course of the ball. The batter does not have a pitcher throwing the ball at them every pitch, and someone trying to change the course of that pitch!

One way to look at it is the catcher and umpire will get hit in the face, very few batters might get hit in the face!

 

Wearing a safety device that may prevent injury -- and being required to do it -- is required in football as well. I don't see football players complaining about it. Once it is a rule, little thought is given to it. It becomes a matter of course.

Requiring a cage on a helmet hardly arises to the level of telling people what they may or may not do with their bodies. We are not talking right of choice, forced sterilization, making it illegal for an individual under 18 to get a tattoo with or without parental consent. We are speaking of protecting our athletes as best they can be protected against those "insignificant numbers of people" that take a ball in the face.

We don't allow young adults under the age of 21 to drink. Why? Because they historically made bad choices when the drinking age was 18, and thousands died in drunken driving accidents -- or killed someone.

Just because you turn 18 does not mean you suddenly have the wisdom to follow safety precautions because they are best for you.

As for my daughter -- who is 20 BTW -- she will not wear another helmet without a cage. If she disagreed with this decision -- guess what? Too frigging bad.

I love my daughter, want her face in tact, do not want to see her huddled on a dug out floor spitting out mouths full of blood, choking on the sunflower seeds that were in her cheek because of the amount of blood in her mouth making her want to swallow, to get another concussion, to loosen more teeth.

If you want to foolishly risk your daughter or someone else's daughter just so someone doesn't have "another way of controlling you"...then hey, have at it.

But I betcha, if your daughter plays and she was told cage or no play...she wouldn't choose not to play too

 

You can't compare this to football either!

In football you will get your face broken if you don't wear a mask.

This is simply you might get a broken face, the same as any fielder.

Should we require all fielders wear face masks?

My daughter played softball from 8 yrs old through HS, and never got hit in the face mask.

Twice she broke her face, once in the dugout, and once when a ball deflected off her glove.

By your logic I should have made her wear a mask at all times on a softball field.

 

You can't compare fielding a ball to a foul ball catching you in the face LOL In the field, even on the hot corners, you have time react. The same cannot be said for a ball that comes off the bat.

Football players do not "break their faces every time" so guess what? You just made the argument for me. Football players wear cages "all of the time" because "some of the time" they may take a blow to a face.

Why is that?

Oh, right. Safety.

 

In football there is no might, you will get your face broken without a mask.


Heck I would venture to say more fielders get hit in the face then batters.
Your arguement is invalid.