Helmet v Mask

[shaka]

I'm in my 17th year of baseball officiating which includes experience in high school varsity and summer collegiate leagues.

As the result of too many concussions the last two being a car accident and being checked headfirst into the boards in a hockey game my doc suggested I go with the hockey style helmet. I spent about a month checking out various helmets and then bought an Easton Stealth.

I've noticed that some of you are concerned about different associations considering the helmet to be out of uniform. I was the first in my association to wear the helmet. My assoc. is very uptight about umpires having a professional appearance but they have been very good with those that want to wear the helmet. I'm doing the Pacific Southwest Regionals for the Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken league tonight and they don't have any problem with it.

Here are some observations regarding the hockey style mask:

1. My field of vision is much better. I can see the entire field without any bars and that includes all but the most extreme fly balls.

2. Foul balls to the face are much easier to take with the exception of shots directly to the chin area. Most foul balls just skim off the thing.

3. The ventilation in my hockey style mask actually makes it a bit cooler than a traditional mask/cap combo.

4.I am going bald so I use a Nike scull cap similar to an Under Armour. The Nike cap is less garish. I like it because it keeps the sweat completely out of my face and helps with the cooling.

5. Initially I was concerned about what would happen when I needed to remove the helmet. As it turns out it's not really any different that removing a traditional mask and holding it. The cool thing about the helmet is I can leave it on because of the vision benefits. With that said habit has me removing it most of the time and holding it in my left hand the same way I did my traditonal mask.

6. I get compliments all the time on the looks. People even like the Nike scull cap. Most of the catchers are jealous because the Stealth is such a nice helmet.

7. If you have a big head then I'd go with the All Star in an XL. The STealth only comes in large and I'm starting to think it's too small.

8. I've noticed a lot of similarities in a lot of the manufacturers products. I starting to think that most of these helmets are made in the same place and rebadged.

9. Every year more and more umps around here are going to the helmet. I'd say that most of them make the switch when their traditional mask needs replaced. I know of about five umps that are making the switch next season.


I yanked out my regular mask the other day when I forgot my scull cap. I couldn't believe how cumbersome it felt in comparison to my helmet. I was also shocked that the vision was so much worse. I was very happpy to get back to my helmet.

Anyway, just my two cents.

Eric

[LDUB]

Originally posted by shaka
my doc suggested I go with the hockey style helmet.

What does your doctor know about baseball officiating? How is a helmet safer than a mask?

Originally posted by shaka
1. My field of vision is much better. I can see the entire field without any bars and that includes all but the most extreme fly balls.

Why do I need to see the entire field? I wear the mask when the pitch is coming towards me, and then I take it off when there is a play. Are you saying that sometimes you don't take off the helmet on fly balls????

Originally posted by shaka
I use a Nike scull cap similar to an Under Armour.

You wear one of these things?



Having that on your head is a good reason to not take off you helmet.

Originally posted by shaka
The cool thing about the helmet is I can leave it on because of the vision benefits. With that said habit has me removing it most of the time and holding it in my left hand the same way I did my traditonal mask.

Why would you not take off the helmet sometimes?

[Tim C]

Luke, these are all very good questions.

I would like the answers also.

T

[mrm21711]

Originally posted by Tim C
Luke, these are all very good questions.

I would like the answers also.

T

How many times are these people getting hit in the face with foul balls or "missing" pitches due to the terrible field of vision of a mask?

[jkumpire]

I appreciate all the opinions here about the old v. new face protection. But I can't understand how the following can be true:

1. Better vision with a helmet: How can this be? In a helmet, just like a mask, you have one gap to look through to call pitches. How much extra sight can you get? If there is more, is it really a value worth wearing the helmet for?

2. You feel cooler? How? By enclosing your whole head and neck in a plastic shell, usually if not always black, as opposed to a wool hat covering the top of your head, with a mask with open bars across your face? Even if you sweat through the hat (which I do regularly) it will help conduct heat away if there is a breeze. Better airflow with a helmet, how can it be when your neck, ears, and the whole of your head is covered in plastic?

3. Every helmet I have ever seen has very poor inside padding. I wear doeskin pads made in 1990 on my mask, and not only have I had great protection, good doeskin or other mask padding help your face to breathe well, and it fits comfortably. Good mask padding will help you stay cool and keep sweat from your eyes. I just don't see how helmet padding is superior in this respect.

4. One of the reasons why the new Fed rules for catcher's helmets are so bad is hearing. Talking to catchers is a very hard thing these days, kids can't hear you (their teammates, and their coach either) as well as with the old mask/helmet combination that did not cover the ears. Can you hear things you need to hear as well as an umpire with a helmet as opposed to the mask? It is hard to see how this can be.

4. I wear a 7 7/8 hat. No helmet really fits me at all, and even finding a mask and hat combination is hard to do these days. I would think I would have to pay several hundred dollars for a custom shell to fit my head. Not everyone has this problem, but for a few of us it is an important one.

I have a few other questions/objections to the helmet, but until I find a helmet that fits as good and works as well as my mask, I'm not changing.

[shaka]

Originally posted by LDUB

What does your doctor know about baseball officiating? How is a helmet safer than a mask?

Why do I need to see the entire field? I wear the mask when the pitch is coming towards me, and then I take it off when there is a play. Are you saying that sometimes you don't take off the helmet on fly balls????

You wear one of these things?



Having that on your head is a good reason to not take off you helmet.

Why would you not take off the helmet sometimes?

I'll address each of your questions one by one.

My doc is the ortho for a major universities sports programs. He knows a lot about all kinds of sports. He also reconstructed both of my ACL's. My doc is concerned about keeping my head protected due to the amount of concussions I've had playing football, hockey, and a really bad car accident. Are you saying I should disregard the advice of a competent medical professional?

The hockey style mask is designed to deflect the ball differently. The shape of the mask minimizes direct shots as the ball tends to glance off the mask. Think of it as if you threw a ball at the pointy part of a triangle. The ball striking the point directly is a rarity and every other time it just glances off the side and the impact is minimized.

Also, I've been struck in the side of the face and head when a bouncing foul was chopped behind the plate. No, I do not turn my head but sometimes that ball can hit a hole or pebble and bounce funny. Granted this is a rare occurence but these type of shots are not an issue with the helmet.



I always take the mask off for fly balls. However, I can see so well that I could call the game just as well if I left the thing on the whole game. The vision is better because the mask sits much closer to the face. Also you don't have to contend with the big forehead pad and hat bill of a conventional mask. The better vision of a hockey style helmet also handy for calling balls and strikes. I recommend you borrow a hockey helmet for a couple of innings and give it a whirl. I've let some of my local skeptics try it and all of them like the better field of vision.

Yes, I wear a skull cap similar to the one in the photo. I have to wear something as I'm bald and sweat is an issue. Another issue is the sun shining through the vent holes and burning my scalp. If I had a full head of hair I would not wear the skull cap as sunburn and sweat wouldn't be an issue. I wear the Nike version which doesn't have all the logo crap on it and as a result it's less garish.

There are two instances in which I sometimes will not take off my helmet. The first is when there's a hot shot to the second baseman and I'm watching the first basemans foot on the resulting throw out attempt. The second is when I have a squeeze play and don't have time to remove it. The better vision of the helmet really comes in handy in this instance.

Frankly the tone of your post was not appreciated. I was simply posting my experience with the helmet. I've put in a season and a half with it and can speak from a position of experience. My hope was that those who are curious can take the info that I've provided when making a decision about face/head protection. I especially found your comment about the doc disturbing.

I'm not saying everyone should wear the helmet and get rid of their masks. But I am saying that the helmet is the right choice for me and a growing number of umpires who appreciate its benefits.

Eric

[shaka]

Originally posted by jkumpire
I appreciate all the opinions here about the old v. new face protection. But I can't understand how the following can be true:

1. Better vision with a helmet: How can this be? In a helmet, just like a mask, you have one gap to look through to call pitches. How much extra sight can you get? If there is more, is it really a value worth wearing the helmet for?



2. You feel cooler? How? By enclosing your whole head and neck in a plastic shell, usually if not always black, as opposed to a wool hat covering the top of your head, with a mask with open bars across your face? Even if you sweat through the hat (which I do regularly) it will help conduct heat away if there is a breeze. Better airflow with a helmet, how can it be when your neck, ears, and the whole of your head is covered in plastic?

3. Every helmet I have ever seen has very poor inside padding. I wear doeskin pads made in 1990 on my mask, and not only have I had great protection, good doeskin or other mask padding help your face to breathe well, and it fits comfortably. Good mask padding will help you stay cool and keep sweat from your eyes. I just don't see how helmet padding is superior in this respect.

4. One of the reasons why the new Fed rules for catcher's helmets are so bad is hearing. Talking to catchers is a very hard thing these days, kids can't hear you (their teammates, and their coach either) as well as with the old mask/helmet combination that did not cover the ears. Can you hear things you need to hear as well as an umpire with a helmet as opposed to the mask? It is hard to see how this can be.

5. I wear a 7 7/8 hat. No helmet really fits me at all, and even finding a mask and hat combination is hard to do these days. I would think I would have to pay several hundred dollars for a custom shell to fit my head. Not everyone has this problem, but for a few of us it is an important one.

I have a few other questions/objections to the helmet, but until I find a helmet that fits as good and works as well as my mask, I'm not changing.

I will address your points below.

1. The mask on the helmet sits much closer to the face and the bars are thinner. You also don't have to contend with the forehead pad and hat bill of a regular mask. Believe it or not I can see the entire field through the center bars of my helmet when I'm behind the plate. I cannot see nearly as well through my regular mask (a lightweight +POS) You should give one a try, you will be surprised by the greater vision.

2. My helmet is well ventilated and has holes in the top and ears. The holes are big so the air can get through easily. A nice breeze really makes it through the vent holes and does a good job cooling you down. Initially I was surprised that I found the helmet to be as cool as it was. Also, My helmet follows my jawline pretty well so it really doesn't cover much of my neck.

3. I have an expensive helmet. It has sweat pads built into the pads that cover your head. (Cheaper helmets do not have this feature) The chin pad in my helmet is doeskin. I see your point though and to be honest the helmet isn't any better at soaking up sweat. I'm bald so I wear a skull cap to help with the sweat.

4. My helmet has ear holes so I can hear just fine. To be honest I haven't noticed much of a hearing difference. I haven't had any problems communicating with catchers either.

5. I wear a 7 1/2 so I have a similar problem. You definitely would not be able to use an Easton Stealth as they are only made in small and large sizes. I tried on a Battle Gear that comes in an XL and it would work for that huge noggin of yours. lol The only problem is the Battle Gear isn't quite as nice as my Easton as far as the inside padding and sweat protection. I believe All-Star makes an XL helmet for umppires that has all of the features of my Easton.

I hope I've addressed some of your questions satisfactorily.

Eric

[Tim C]

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[Edited by Tim C on Sep 20th, 2005 at 09:04 AM]

[shaka]

Originally posted by Tim C
If you want to wear a helmet, wear a helmet.

If you want to continue to try to convience those of us that as "doubters", fine.

It has become a bit of a waste of space however.

I wasn't trying to convince anyone, just give information. I think this is a great topic. Granted, I showed up late to the party.

I do wonder though why some are so opinionated without ever having called a game in a hockey style helmet. Personally I don't see what the big deal is either way. I also don't get the out of uniform stuff. As different forms of equipment are introduced the uniform standards have to adapt. I remember back in the early nineties I was the first person in my association and one of the first in my state to wear the navy shirt. My choice had some of the old umps grumbling. Frankly I hated those old Elbeco shirts and was glad for the opportunity to not wear them. Now most umps in my association have four different colors of shirts that can be worn and a bunch of us are going to get the silver that +POS was offering this year.

Eric

[Kaliix]

1. You can see better out of the HSM (Hockey Style Mask) because the bars are slightly wider apart in the middle than a mask (yes, I measured it, with calipers) and edges of the mask at the left and right are wider. This gives you the "feeling" that you can see everything. When you view the field out of the HSM, your peripheral vision is not restricted.

2. Your statements about enclosing your whole head and neck in a plastic shell is just ignorant. There are four or six large vent holes in the helmet and the front and back piece should have atleast an 1/8" gap between them (if not more). The shell rides up off you head due to the excellent foam padding that only touches in spots and allows air to circulate through the mask. I have a nice doe-skin chin pad in my All-Star mask.

There are also big ear holes so hearing has never been a problem.

I have a 7 and 3/4 head and the XL All-Star fit me fine and could definitely fit your head. I got mine on e-bay for $50.

Originally posted by jkumpire
I appreciate all the opinions here about the old v. new face protection. But I can't understand how the following can be true:

1. Better vision with a helmet: How can this be? In a helmet, just like a mask, you have one gap to look through to call pitches. How much extra sight can you get? If there is more, is it really a value worth wearing the helmet for?

2. You feel cooler? How? By enclosing your whole head and neck in a plastic shell, usually if not always black, as opposed to a wool hat covering the top of your head, with a mask with open bars across your face? Even if you sweat through the hat (which I do regularly) it will help conduct heat away if there is a breeze. Better airflow with a helmet, how can it be when your neck, ears, and the whole of your head is covered in plastic?

3. Every helmet I have ever seen has very poor inside padding. I wear doeskin pads made in 1990 on my mask, and not only have I had great protection, good doeskin or other mask padding help your face to breathe well, and it fits comfortably. Good mask padding will help you stay cool and keep sweat from your eyes. I just don't see how helmet padding is superior in this respect.

4. One of the reasons why the new Fed rules for catcher's helmets are so bad is hearing. Talking to catchers is a very hard thing these days, kids can't hear you (their teammates, and their coach either) as well as with the old mask/helmet combination that did not cover the ears. Can you hear things you need to hear as well as an umpire with a helmet as opposed to the mask? It is hard to see how this can be.

4. I wear a 7 7/8 hat. No helmet really fits me at all, and even finding a mask and hat combination is hard to do these days. I would think I would have to pay several hundred dollars for a custom shell to fit my head. Not everyone has this problem, but for a few of us it is an important one.

I have a few other questions/objections to the helmet, but until I find a helmet that fits as good and works as well as my mask, I'm not changing.

[jpc2119]

I just bought a HSM to give it a test run during my fall college scrimmages. It's the best mask ever, it's so light, you can see everything, i took a foul ball off the helmet and barely felt it. I know it looks weird and at first it feels unnatural, but it is definately worth it.

[dddunn3d]

mbryon is correct when he states that acceleration is a change in velocity over a period of time. However, almost everyone here is confusing velocity with speed. Velocity is a vector, that is, it has both magnitude and direction.

Acceleration also is a vector. That's why when one twirls a model airplane around one's head by attaching it to a length of string, the speed may remain constant, but the model is being accelerated towards the center of rotation.

I could go on by throwing in F=ma, and relating how acceleration implies a force acting on a body, etc. etc., but I won't bore you any longer.

[Edited by dddunn3d on Sep 19th, 2005 at 08:20 AM]

[sabattis]

Garth, I know you've been around a while and have a lot of good things to say. But somehow, you've implied, or I've inferred, that "good" (or maybe "appropriate") umpires don't use the hockey style mask, nor clean the pitcher's plate. I don't use the hockey style mask, but know many excellent umpires who do. Re: ceaning pitcher's plate, seems like I recall a previous dicussion or posting that implied we shouldn't as we're not "groundskeepers." Don't know about you, but I work at 1 or 2 fields a year that have them. I clean the plate when I can't tell dirt form plate - I know it helpes me, and probably my partner, coaches, pitcher, and baserunners, too.

[nickrego]

First, anyone commenting on the use of a helmet, who has never at least tried one, for one full game, is like someone who doesn't vote, complaining about how the country is being run. Talk to the hand !

With that said, here is a web page that describes in detail the differences between using a Helmet and a Mask;

http://www.reegind.com/helmet.htm

Now, I think there are two reasons why eventually everyone will be wearing a helmet;

1) Technically, it 'is' supperior to a cap and mask (see the web page). Those who demand equipment that gives them the best performance, will / have switched.

2) [keep in mind, I am not a lawyer, just my opinion here] Eventually, insurance companies will drive the requirement. I believe the reduction (or perceived reduction) in injuries will speak for itself. And to top it off, I think once everyone is wearing a helmet, they won't be required to take it off to make calls (as part of the safety ruling). Taking it off to make a call is all for show. It is absolutely NOT necessary. I also think that those hold-out associations that are stuck in the mudd, and won't allow umpires to wear them, will eventually get sued by an umpire who gets hurt wearing a mask that they did not want to wear, and being required to remove it to make calls.

Yes, I wear a helmet, and wouldn't step out onto the field without it. Fortunately, it is not held against me by my association, or fellow members. Performance is all they care about from any member. Change is tough. Good or bad, it can be difficult for people to accept.

Think about this: If helmets had come before masks, no one would think helmets look stupid. They would think the 'new' mask does.

[LMan]

WOBW