Quote:
Originally Posted by Mountaincoach
Let me ask a question of you guys on this subject. For years, I've watched a lot of local coaches and umpires tell little tiny girls "You can't wear that camouflage pattern really bright pink fielder's mask if you pitch when you're older." Have you guys ever had a coach insist that an older (middle school or high school for example) pitcher remove one of those bright potentially-distracting masks and put on a more uniform colored mask? Or maybe they had something distracting attached to the mask? Obviously, most older kids grow out of those crazy masks as they get older, but is this just sort of an urban legend? I've looked at the NFHS rule book, and it just mentions clothing, not the mask.
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The rules typically give umpires the wherewithal to have a pitcher remove something that the umpire feels is distracting. If a coach came to me and said, "Blue, her mask has a camouflage pattern that bothers my batter's," chances are I will let her pitch with it and tell the coach to go away.
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"Let's face it. Umpiring is not an easy or happy way to make a living. In the abuse they suffer, and the pay they get for it, you see an imbalance that can only be explained by their need to stay close to a game they can't resist." -- Bob Uecker
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