Thankfully ASA and HS require facemasks

Originally Posted by SRW

We see the defensive masks all the time on the infielders, especially the corners and F1. In fact, at the Men's D Western last year, I'd say about 1 of every 3 F1's had them on.

And it's not just the fast-pitch game anymore. The slow-pitch game, I'm seeing more and more pitchers wear all kinds of protection, from the hockey-style catcher's helmet to soccer shin guards to catcher's leg guards, even down to football linemen armpads on the non-pitching arm. On some occasion, I'll see batters (yes, batters in slow-pitch) wearing batting helmets because they're down-right frightened of getting whacked while running the bases.

[NCASAUmp]

Originally Posted by Ref Ump Welsch

And it's not just the fast-pitch game anymore. The slow-pitch game, I'm seeing more and more pitchers wear all kinds of protection, from the hockey-style catcher's helmet to soccer shin guards to catcher's leg guards, even down to football linemen armpads on the non-pitching arm. On some occasion, I'll see batters (yes, batters in slow-pitch) wearing batting helmets because they're down-right frightened of getting whacked while running the bases.

And frankly, I can't blame them. I had one fella last year get beaned in the side of the noggin from a throw to 1B from the shortstop. Poor guy got a concussion and had to be carted off by an ambulance.

I realize that in some cases, it looks silly. However, as I stated before, these are actually the smart ones. They value good health, and I'm all for that!