Helmet v Mask

[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