So you had rather endanger your life plus the life of others by driving recklessly on the highway, but you make a big deal about whether one should or should not wear a cup on the bases. Interesting.

Some people do. Not me, but some people.

Do you get along with anybody when you umpire baseball games?

Did I say that I drive recklessly? No, I said that I drive fast.

I don't. I drive with high-level skill and training. I have no accidents, and one ticket in 20 years.

If you are so devoid of skill that going 80 is reckless, then by all means, go slower and stay out of the way.

Some yokels would have a hard time driving out here in SoCal. We change tires at 70 MPH.;)

:D

A guy who drives the speed limit on the Southern California freeways is known as a road hazard.

Do you wear a cup when you ride? I mean, what happens if you get tossed from the bike... you could end up with a busted nut. One leg goes on one side of the street sign, the other goes on the other side. Ouchies.

I guess there is no measurable reward for wearing not wearing one to sleep either, you know, just in case...

Enough time to turn... which would be my first reaction anytime a ball is hit towards me and I have no time to decide how to get out of the way. Its just instinct. Nobody is going to stare at the ball and decide to step right or left if there is no time to do so. In fact, turning, for a skinny guy like me, would result in less times getting hit to begin with, and certainly take jewel shot out.

Now, on the play someone discussed where the ball clipped the bag and kicked up, yup, could happen to anyone. So could alot of things...

To each his own, I say.

To each his own, and best of luck with those skills on a deflected bullet at the jewels. The worst case I ever saw was on a deflected throw.

Lets change your post just a bit.

Given that death is likely worse, even in your estimation, than a jewel shot and the probability is not important as you stated earlier, I don't understand why you wouldn't advocate wearing a mask and throat guard on the bases. My argument in this case as in the other is about assessing appropriate trade offs (subjective to the assessor alone) and making the appropriate choice or for short risk-reward decisions.

You didn't have to say recklessly, you described it. I suppose you tailgate when a car is going slower until you can get around it.

What are you? A Hollywood stuntman. It just takes but one time and they will carting you off to the morgue. Hopefully, you won't be taking someone else with you.

My driving skills are fine, thank you. I love it when a car flies by and all they do is beat me to the next red light.

I have been knocked cold (not in a baseball setting). Let me tell you: You barely feel a thing. :D Even a brushing of the jewels with a cup on hurts more than a clean one to the chin.

Degree of pain was the point, not catastrophic injury. Also, earlier in this debate, I clearly emphasized how much easier it is to move one's head (or foot) out of the way than the core of one's body. You simply have a markedly poorer ability to avoid getting drilled in the midsection than the head or neck. I boxed (mostly sparred, really) in addition to playing baseball. It is a simple fact that avoiding or slipping a head blow is drastically easier than dodging a blow to the midsection. So let's not talk percentages on that one, because it truly is different in terms of ability to dodge such a shot. The other thing that makes a head or neck blow easier to dodge, slip or cover up from is that the arms and hands work to cover up one's face and neck more completely, and again, markedly more quickly than when fending off a blow to the jewel area. And like I stated more than once, you can be Ozzie Smith and you will be able to do absolutely nothing about a deflection.

And this is one of those posts that I rush to type and post so that my wife or daughter doesn't walk in and look over my shoulder and read it, and turn it into one of those this-is-what-you-old-umpires-talk-about humiliations.

LOL. You get that too? My wife would ride me good if she read this one.:D

I suppose it's preferable to having no woman around. :)

The fact is that your brain is smart. It knows when you aren't getting out of the way. Its the reason a batter turns, a boxer leans, or a biker (moto or bicycle) lays the bike down.

If a ball is coming at me, my brain will know if I'm screwed or not. If not, I'll dodge dive dip duck dodge.

If I am screwed, I'm turning. And hence, not getting hit in heart, ribs, stomach, balls.

Deflection, you're right, but if its deflected I'm screwed regardless.