[greymule]

I guess I wore the mask correctly, because mine often spun, sometimes completely off, when a pitch hit it right, and I can't remember ever really getting my bell rung (except once from a thrown bat). This year I decided to get the All-Star UMP2000 helmet. On the plus side: better vision; protection on the back, top, and sides—not a trivial benefit; quite comfortable; definitely less jolt. The minuses: harder to remove (though with the vision it provides, you can leave it on); harder to get on, as you have to see that the straps are straight, and then you have to position the back plate; and the worst thing about it, a very loud rattle in the ears if the pitch hits the cage hard. We haven't had any hot days yet here in NJ, so I can't comment on how it will feel in August.

Guy around here found his grandfather's mask from the 1930s. No way did that one get spun. It felt as if it must have weighed 6 or 8 pounds.