slowpitch facemask
 

I did my 1st mens slowpitch game a few weeks ago. I noticed ALL the umps did not have a facemask on. So I did my games without it. But there were a few times that the ball was foul tipped and came straight back and I had to dodge the ball. Obviously Im a fast-pitch guy. I personally didnt feel safe without my mask. Any thoughts or comment you guys have would be great.

I imagine that one comment you'll get- so I'll jump in first and get it out of the way!- is that it is impossible (from a rules standpoint) for an umpire to get hit by a "foul tip"! ;)

Beyond that, I don't really do much slow pitch, probably only about three dozen games in my entire career, and am curious to see what others have to say.

Besides taking one off the nose, wouldn't you have the same concern with a foul ball (not a foul tip!) catching you in the collar bone or sternum? I cannot recall ever seeing a slow pitch umpire wearing a mask, but could understand the urge to use one. Even a lightweight chest protector- something like the Honigs softball model- would offer some protection. And what about a cup!

Or is there some unwritten slow pitch rule that would put your manhood into question for wearing these safety devices?

Damn it Brett! Now I have to go edit what I said. But at least you knew what I really meant...lol:D

I've worked SP games from the lowest level of Co-rec to the highest level available mens & womens games. I have never been hit by a foul ball. There have been a few close calls (less than a half dozen in 20 years), but I was always quick enough to avoid them.

I work a good, solid slot which is one of the last places a foul ball should go.

I work only SP games, and there are times when I've been hit with a foul ball or a ball that bounces up off the plate or ground. Usually, it hits my legs, and that's no big deal. Lately, I have been worried about taking one in the eye (probably because I recently DID take one in the eye), so I've been wearing some Coyote sunglasses (got 'em from Amazon.com for $20) that come with different lenses: dark, orange and clear. The orange helps with overcast games (any shooters out there will give the thumbs up to that one), and the clear lenses are good for night games. It's just one less thing for me to worry about.

Taking one off the collarbone is no big deal. I've had it happen once, and it didn't do anything. Forehead? No big deal. Nose? Mouth? Doesn't take much to break a nose or split a lip, so my advice is to only worry about that area and don't worry about all the rest (so long as you're wearing a cup, but if you do FP games, you probably already know that one).

Mike must have some Jedi or Matrix thing going on, because even though my reflexes are pretty darn good, I still get hit. Resign yourself to that fact, keep your head focused on where it's supposed to be (nice and still - don't dance), and you'll be fine. That cut on your lip should heal in 3-5 days. ;)

Though this does raise a good point: why DON'T we wear masks in SP? It's so easy to break a nose and have a pint of blood pour onto the field, and losing an umpire to a broken nose is just... well... silly.

Working a good slot can help as Mike pointed out. However, it's not always perfect.

Case in point - August of this year yours truely took one on the upper lip that made me think I'd lost teeth. I split my lip on the inside, and was spitting blood continuously for about an hour, and sporadically for at least 3 days. It's healed up now, but there's still a little bump on the inside of my lip.

First time I've been hit in the face working SP.

I believe bkbjones took one to the face this year as well....

It happens... but working the mechanics will help reduce the chance of getting hit.

Nothing special, just squared up, in the slot behind the catcher (if they are there).

If you want to wear one, what is stopping you?

At some levels, especially the lower Co-ed rec levels, it doesn't matter if you have a "perfect" slot set-up, you still run the risk of getting hit by the ball somehow. As for pitches coming back up and hitting you in the leg, that's a catcher concern. Some catchers are put back there because they're the worst fielder on the team. As for foul balls coming back to hit you, it's because they came off the handle of the bat, and the catcher didn't have the wisdom to try and catch the stupid thing. 9 times out of 10, the catcher will look at me and wonder if they should apologize or they will apologize, but not with so much sincerity in their voice.

At the upper levels, I RARELY and I mean RARELY have a problem with this. If it does occur, it's because the ball took a weird spin that the catcher didn't anticipate. Those are usually followed by a sincere apology by the catcher and a "hmmm, that was weird" comment. I'm usually more forgiving because I know it took a weird bounce or spin and it caught both of us off-guard.

As for a mask, I wouldn't wear one, because I've only gotten one in the face in 15 years I've been doing this. Also, I wouldn't wear one because I don't want to hear our evaluators chirpping about how lame it looks, or how it looks just so wrong to see it in a slow-pitch game. I'm seriously considering shin guards (soccer type) for the lower level rec games next year, because it seems like the number of those bouncing shin smackers are increasing every year.

That darned "C" word. Con... Con... Consis... Blargh, I forgot it already. ;)

Amen to that brother!

I've had plenty of "balls" ( :p ) go whizzing past my left or right ear and have always been able to stay out of their way. Anything that goes off the ground (which happens very infrequently in SP) and my automatic "nut guard" deploys.

What I can't stand are the catchers that don't even bother to try and stop the incoming pitches. Those guys/gals are annoying to the N'th degree...

Ahhhh, the trusty automatic "nut guard". Using that usually makes the female catchers in co-ed realize the value of my family jewels. :D

Would an evaluator have the same issue with an umpire with a heart condition wearing a chest protector in a SP game?

As long has the umpire handles the mask as prescribed, it should not be an issue.

Yeppers, I did. It actually concussed me, to the point where the last thing I remembered was the ball coming toward me...and then I was leaning against the backstop, glasses somehow caught in my arm, wondering what the hell happened and where am I, oh yeah, Queen Anne. Doctor would release me to work only if I wore a mask. So, for the few games I worked afterwards, I wore a mask.

I work the slot, same in FP and SP. If I get hit with a foul in FP, it usually is in the shoulder and is a reminder to get my fat *** in the slot. This happening in SP was a combination of TWP factors (Z level co-ed, catcher who had never played before, male batter using a very old 29-inch bat, yada yada).

At least I didn't turn my head. We have had a couple umpires who turned their heads (both times in FP) and took it in the side of the head. They were out of action for a while. Even though most facial bones and cartilage are thin, it beats the heck out of being whacked in the side of the head.

Keep your face forward. If you wear a mask, make sure it is loose so it absorbs the shock. Don't ever ever ever turn your head.

We have an evaluation "team". They get assigned certain umpires to evaluate (if that's how I understand their system). There are a couple of egos on that "team" who have issues with certain things, like masks and chest protectors in slow-pitch. I even had a seasoned umpire who works primarily fast-pitch come in and work an upper level slow-pitch game with me who thought it was ridiculous that the pitcher was wearing a hockey goalie's helmet. I told him, at this level, I would be wearing one too. Seems like the guys who have been around since the old days think that slow-pitch teams should just show up with bats, balls, and gloves and nothing else for equipment.

If they cannot let that go, they should not be evaluating other umpires

Was their stealing? I have found there are some FP-oriented umpire who don't like the stealing in SP.