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There is a national organization--Little League--that mandates dangling throat guards for catchers. There are no standards for those. I would have to believe LLHQ has done its homework from a liability standpoint, and don't see any risk.
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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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The sad thing is anyone with common sense realizes the facemasks are a very good thing, but organizations are caught studying the points you guys are making in order to satisfy the lawyers, current lawsuits, and future lawsuits. For example, I'm being told the primary reason that my state's high school athletic association is hesitant to mandate the masks is because of the ongoing litigations already in process. Just this past week, we've watched one college signee possibly lose her entire career due to a line shot and severe facial trauma, while another took a ridiculously scary shot to a facemask and pitched the very next pitch of the ballgame. That's all the science and study I need. So it falls to the coaches, parents, and the players to do the right thing. The umpires should not be required to police it until hard rules are established, and we can't wait until a kid gets killed before the organizations do the right thing.
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There are risks, and we can't prevent everything, including the low probability occurrence. Yes, you saw two cases, one without a mask and one with a mask. If the parent/coach/player thinks it's a good idea, then wear a mask -- heck, wear a catcher's mask when you pitch (I also work slow pitch, and this is becoming common). But don't involve the umpire, don't make it mandatory. I don't want to check facemask and look for a disappearing NOSCAE sticker. I also don't want some rule maker making a rule they don't have to enforce, or is just "for show". For example, Manny mentioned the LL attached throat guard, which is added to a mask with a built in throat guard! That tells me the rule makers are out of touch with the equipment and the game. |
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And yes, the throat guard requirement by Little League is almost laughable nowadays. My team participated in a tournament once that was using Little League rules. My catcher had a modern mask with a built-in throat guard that literally touched her chest guard already. The umpire asked me to get a hanging throat guard before the game started. I didn't argue. I just found one and attached it to the helmet. And the throat guard protected the front of the chest guard very well throughout the tournament. ![]() |
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After a scary one in the throat, another in the side of my neck, and a third on the top edge of my chest guard, I added a dangling throat protector.
Not direct shots, ricochets off catcher.
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Officiating takes more than OJT. It's not our jobs to invent rulings to fit our personal idea of what should and should not be. |
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The requirement is there because too many catchers raise their heads instead of tucking - exposing the throat. The dangler swings into place when they raise their heads, protecting the throat.
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Rich Ives Different does not equate to wrong |
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