Call To Ban Metal Bats!

[default]

.....Lenski used "nerfed" in a sports post-what a nerd (LOL)! I would never do that....On a much more serious note-I personally think the bats are out of control. The balls are the same, distances the same, girls are getting bigger and stronger, and bats are high-tech. The fact that guys who weighed 120 soaking wet were hitting balls as far as I could with the bats from 10 years before hastened my departure from that sport. I also agree the game will never be completely safe, and if people want a mask, then more power to them. I got mad when my great-nephew had to wear a Heartgaurd in Pony League...

 

[default]

I do agree with you. Teach the girls the skills they need to protect themselves. We have been to many college camps now and not one girl have I seen wear a mask. I have no problem with the younger girls wearing one until they get their reaction time and skills to protect themselves up but by the time they are 16U and older they shouldn't need a false sense of security. What are we going to do about the line drive that hits the pitcher on the top of the foot or the shin or the fake bunt shot back at the third basement and hits her in the hip? We can't bubble wrap the girls. You are right, how many ankles are hurt by sliding into a base?

 

[default]

A hit to the hip or ankle, although it hurts, in know way compares to the damage one can receive in a shot to the face or head. If they want to wear them...wear them.

An aside...Protective cups have been worn since the early-middle 1800's, but football headgear was not introduced till the late 1800's, and not mandated in the NFL untill 1940! So with which head are you thinking with?

 

[default]

I'm fine with where things are right now. If my college pitchers want to wear a mask, fine. If our hitters want to wear the face mask on their helmet, fine. The bats are fine and the ball is fine.

 

[default]

Interesting at Nationals 16U Most corners had a mask. Plus not sure if anyone else noticed this year at 43, many more hard hits with more ROE. Plus we had a tourney were we hit 8 HR's. It wasn't the bats, because all the kids had the same bats, but it was our first tourney at 43 feet. Quality of pitching ?. ASA State, Sting Rays, ASA Nationals, Circle City Show case, we did not play a weak schedule.

 

[default]

I will just say this ( and i have a daughter who pitches and wears a mask!) Stop trying to make this game Safe! It is a sport... There will be injuries. There will be major injuries.. Baseball and softball have been played for over 100 years and millions of injuries have occurred and they will continue to occurr. You cannot stop them and if you think you can slow them down, you are mistaken.. They will happen no matter what you do if you play competitively!!! So Please teach your daughter to play hard, protect themselves by getting better and wearing appropriate gear, but stop trying to make this game Safe........ IT IS NOT SAFE!!.... Pitchers are hurling a hard yellow ball toward your daughter at 60+ MPH, that same ball is coming back at your daughter at 90+ MPH, kids slide into bases with metal on their feet.... daughters will lay out and land flat on the ground from several feet in the air to catch a ball.. This is our game and we Love it... but it is not SAFE

Please, if you want your daughter to play a safer game then create something called Saf-t-ball or something and have at it.. But I happen to love the this game of fastpitch and do not want to see 9 fielders in catchers gear, 90 foot bases and wooden bats in it.

So, I will say again, teach your daughters to play at the appropriate level and use correct techniques, plus good protective equipment that is available and forget the notion that your daughter is going to play this game without getting injured. ( praying that that statement does not come back to bite me in ***!)

I will end by saying this, I have been around the conversation of this with many college coaches, from all levels and I do not recall even one (Im sure there may be some out there) that said they need to make this game safer.. They just want to make their players better!!!

I with you on this one. Teach them and they will do their best to protect themselves. Some times you just have to let go of your little girl and see what she can do.( i am a catchers dad so mine gets to wear all the equipment she needs.) When she is in the field she has a Rip-It mask and a glove, I like to think she will be ok. If you catch the ball it cant hit you.

 

[default]

Interesting at Nationals 16U Most corners had a mask. Plus not sure if anyone else noticed this year at 43, many more hard hits with more ROE. Plus we had a tourney were we hit 8 HR's. It wasn't the bats, because all the kids had the same bats, but it was our first tourney at 43 feet.

43 Feet made my DD better. I didn't see any more hard hit ball this year at 43 feet then I did last year at 40 and our team plays an elite schedule. 8 home runs is great but I don't think its all cause of 43 feet, I would question the quality of pitching you faced. Stingrays Morman went 30-10 this summer and hit 2 home runs the entire summer. Guess we should have hit more at 43 feet......good pitching still beats good hitting even at 43 feet

 

[default]

'Stop trying to make this game safe'!!!!!
I don't believe that you really meant to say that.

Every day we should attempt to prevent preventable injuries to these players at all levels and at all times. Granted injuries will occur. However, discussing and then implementing safety measures should be at the top of every participants list. There is no reason that we continue to provide dangerous traps for these players. These traps can range from poor equipment, inadequate training, to poor field conditions just to name a few.

If you have every sat in an emergency room wondering if your second baseman is going to loose her vision from a line shot to the face or if your center fielder will regain the use if her leg after shattering it in a hole in the outfield you'll understand my concern. Safety is a constant concern for any coach, parent and every player that steps onto our fields.

The fielder's mask discussion, the deadening of the ball, the restriction to the bats, even changing the field of play are all healthy discussions and may lead to a safer game. Parents of boys playing football have to be concerned about the data that is beginning to stack up on the concussion issue. Football will have to address this problem and make some fundamental changes to protect the youngest of their players. Softball will have to address the batted ball that overwhelms the defensive players ability to protect herself. The answer can not be to have the Paramedics standing by.

 

[default]

The Jaguars 16u went something like 37-15 this year dd hit 7or 8 hr and another girl hit 5. If coaches match their players talent level with that of their competition and field conditions I've never seen a problem.If kids want to wear masks they should be encouraged to do so. Coaches should stop putting kids on third base that dont have the arm strength to make the throws from a safe distance.

 

[default]

I have no problem with anyone wanting to wear a facemask or heartguard. DD still fights me on both when she pitches. I always tell her that $50 facemask cost a lot less than the dentist.

 

[default]

3 years ago I was introduced to fastpitch. I couldnt believe from when I was a kid all the gear kids had to wear or should wear these days to protect themselves. I say lets make sure the kids are in the right group to be playing with, wear what they wanna wear and if they think they are better than they are and parents think they may get hurt then parents have the power of veto. I will say personally I am not a fan, I am the one that says it is part of it so we have to deal with it. I dont wanna see anyone hurt at all but some girls shouldnt be playing against some girls and as adult that is our responsibility to recognize. I do wish they wouldnt have all these exotic bats because they cost me a fortune....

 

[default]

'Stop trying to make this game safe'!!!!!
I don't believe that you really meant to say that.

I'm also sure Crush1 didn't mean to eliminate all safety measures. I think it might have been better put simply by adding italics to the word 'safe'. His point that some people seem to want to regulate all risk out of the game is well-taken. Some of the safety measures will take some of the fun out of the game, such as when they got rid of metal cleats for older girls.

At some point, the measures taken go too far and it seems like the people who get appointed to commissions and rules committees are the types who are on a personal mission and who want to eliminate all risk, no matter the cost.

 

[default]

I did not see many if any masks at 16U ASA Nationals in College Station. Maybe a pitcher or two but I do not remember them