OK, so when is someone going to finally step up and admit that using composite bats is a mistake?
When someone dies? That will happen soon, believe me. Especially if coaches don’t force players to wear face masks, which players dismiss as uncool even though they can save their lives.You’ll find travel softball players using these masks at summer tournaments, although mostly at the younger age levels.
Two weeks ago in Mattoon, I watched a batter drill a line drive right off the face of a third baseman in a U-14 game. The ball was hit so hard it popped about 20 feet in the air before being caught by the shortstop. The girl dropped to her knees, where she tossed off her plastic face mask, probably wondering how in the hell she survived such a wicked shot. She was a little sore but did not suffer any major injuries. Without the mask, she would easily have broken a nose, cheekbone or eye sockets. Or, she might have died.
Yet, face masks for fielders are not required by any of the three major softball organizations – National Softball Association, United States Specialty Sports Association, or the Amateur Softball Association. Nor are they required by any other organization that sanctions youth baseball.
At the very least, these masks should be worn by pitchers and corner infielders. Pitchers are between 35 and 43 feet from the plate, too close to react to a hard hit ball at any age level. And third basemen play even closer, moving to within 20 feet of batters during apparent bunt situations. Coaches, parents and softball organization officials should be ashamed for allowing kids to play without masks at these positions.
Even hockey players, among the toughest athletes in sports, wear protective head gear while goalies fully cover their faces. Wearing face masks is not a sign of weakness but of intelligence.
A recent study reveals that 60,000 injuries happen in baseball and softball each year, much lower than in softball, soccer or basketball. But injuries to the face were more likely to require surgery in softball, according to this study.
The most common mechanism leading to baseball and softball injuries was being hit by the ball (including thrown balls, pitches, and batted balls). In baseball, being hit by the ball accounted for one in five injuries; in softball, it was one in four injuries. Other commonly stated mechanisms were throwing the ball (one in five baseball injuries; one in seven softball injuries) and contact with bases (one in eight baseball injuries; one in seven softball injuries). Home plate was the most common location for baseball (one in five) and softball (one in four) injuries. In both sports, injuries resulting from being hit by a batted ball were usually to the face and were more likely to result in surgery when compared to injuries resulting from other mechanisms.
About five years ago, the National Federation of State High School Associations required face masks for batting helmets. Now, the NFSHS should require face masks for all pitchers, third basemen and first basemen.
Of course, composite bats – that can drive balls at far greater velocities than aluminum or wooden bats – are the biggest problem. As are the coaches and players who tamper with these bats, illegally altering bats so they drive the ball farther and faster.
“Because of the exit speed of the ball off a doctored bat, it becomes a liability issue,” Middle Tennessee State Coach Steve Peterson told The Tennessean. “The rules state that a manufactured bat cannot outperform a wooden bat. But when you get the tampered bat, and you have that trampoline effect, a pitcher or infielder cannot react quickly enough.”
A radar gun recently clocked the exit speed of a ball off one composite bat at 115 mph, 17 mph over the NCAA’s limit. Thankfully, the NCAA is already working on ways to detect tampered bats (but this is only part of the solution.) Returning to wooden bats makes more sense, especially for baseball. Even slow-pitch softball pitchers are at risk, having about .4 seconds to react to a liner right at them.
Wearing protective fielder face masks, which cost about $39, makes far greater sense regardless of the bats used. They protect players in other sports. Why not softball and baseball as well?
Certainly, this is a topic worth investigating. Perhaps, the added pressure will force those in charge to look out after kids putting their lives at risk.
Here’s a story about two players in northern Illinois who were severely injured by line drives.
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Tags: composite bats, softball face masks, softball injuries, sports injuries
June 23, 2009 at 12:30 am |
I agree 100%, as you can see I have a company that sells only protection for ballplayers.
I have 4 travel teams and require my girl’s to wear the EMask .
It’s not how good you look on the field but how good you look at the prom !
June 24, 2009 at 4:08 pm |
Sir,
I just wanted to leave a comment saying how much I appreciate your blog. As a young writer, who will be attending college this fall, your tips have really become a great help to me. I read them day and night, and every time I am fascinated by how “far off” I have been from what is right.
Students who have you in class should be considered grateful.
Please, sir, keep up the excellent work.
Adam
July 5, 2009 at 5:16 am |
i dont disagree with you on the helmet issue but your view on bats is askew and thier uninformed. composit bats are no more dangerous than wooden ones. wooden bats can be altered as well as when they do break the broken end 95% of the time fly’s directly at the pitcher. would you rather have a ball rocketing at you or a sharded broken wood bat?
August 22, 2009 at 4:34 pm |
Kelly, you are the one that is uninformed. Or perhaps you feel threatened by the prospect of having to hit without a composite bat.
Composite bats have ruined slowpitch softball and they are now ruining fastpitch and baseball from college all the way down to little league. The whole concept of a bat getting hotter over time after it is manufactured to meet a certain standard is ridiculous. Add in the fact that composite bats can be easily altered by rolling or shaving them and now the playing field has been tilted drastically in favor of those willing to cheat. Not to mention that fielders are in danger of being seriously hurt or even killed (it has happened numerous times in slowpitch already). I never heard of anyone having to wear a mask in the field before composite bats came along. It’s time to level the playing field, put the game back in the hands of the players, and ban composite bats for good!
August 24, 2009 at 9:20 pm |
Yes a mask for High School baseball players is worth it. My son a HS pitcher was hit with a line drive in the face. Multiple broken bones,ten days in a trauma center, 150,000 in medical bills. This year he will be wearing a mask made by Rip Hamilton’s Doctor.
October 13, 2009 at 2:30 pm |
I COMPLETELY disagree! you are on crack, no one’s going to die from a stupid composite bat you are over reacting. THATS WHY THEY MAKE FACE MASKS!
October 13, 2009 at 2:30 pm |
ya jidiot