Slow pitch: Mask or no mask
 

After ten years behind the plate in slow-pitch, it finally happened. I took a foul ball to the left cheek bone. The shiner still hasn't gone away.

I've had fun explaining my black eye to everyone at work. (One of my colleagues even declared a bounty on anyone who would take a picture of me.) Still, I got asked a lot, "don't you wear a mask?!"

Not in these parts, we don't. I tried it the game after I got nailed, and I didn't like it. Does anyone else wear masks for slow pitch?

Only time I've ever worn a mask in SP is when I was practicing taking it off for my upcoming FP games. :D

I don't wear a mask in SP, and I'm not sure why not. I've seen plenty of umpires get black eyes, busted lips and broken noses. You'd think we'd learn...

I believe one of the umpires on this forum wears a mask in SP after having had an incident. Can't say I blame him.

The few times I call SP, yes! I have it, I might as well use it. In my early years of umpiring, I saw a partner take a shot to the face that cost him a broken nose and two front teeth. That convinced me that no matter what anyone says, I will always wear a mask when I am umpiring!

I don't wear a mask for SP, but have had a couple of close calls. A colleague this year caught a foul ball just above his eyebrow with a resulting black eye.

I actually purchased one of those fielders masks but haven't figured out how to deal with the hat issue. I'd prefer to put that on and leave it on during playing action as opposed to removing the FP mask.

May have to revisit the issue again - hopefully before taking one off the noggin'.

never have and hopefully never will have to. ive only had 1 close call where i had to jump out of the way of a foul tip.

there used to be an ump who would where pants with shinguards and a mask for all SP games, to each their own, cant knock someone for being safe.

Nope, never. And I credit never being hit to actually being down in a set position. All the umpires I have ever seen hit have been closer to standing upright and not dropping to a set.

Of course, now that I've said this.....................................

I would sometimes wear shinguards whenever I'd call the really "rec" coed leagues. Those catchers can't catch for spit, and that ball always seemed to hit the exact same spot on my shinbone.

I agree. Being in the set position in the slot with a good heel-toe gives you a better chance at moving out of the way than standing straight up, square to the plate.

Even tonight, I dodged a really good one heading straight for my face.

Shoot, I take shots in FP all of the time, and the set is even lower (slightly.) To me, it just isn't worth the risk.

Had to jump out of the way of a foul TIP? A ball that went sharply and directly to the catchers glove or hand and was caught almost hit you? I'm a fast pitch guy but I gotta say if that's the case....your doing it wrong!!!! :p

I agree...as I heard one time Foul balls got no conscious...they don't care where they hit you or how bad its going to hurt

Come on! Really? You are comparing a ball traveling 50+ mph and one travelling approx. 80% slower and coming at an extremely different angle and very much a different bat movement?

What do they say about that dog and his/her hunting abilities in a situation like this?

BZZZZZZZT


Thanks for playing.

:D:cool::eek:

Where are you guys positioned? Softball Canada recommends the inside slot which I changed to a few years ago. The logic is that you are less likely to get hit there, and with ~70% batting right, you get into the field more quickly.

At the slo-pitch Provincial Championships in London last weekend I had a girl who was swinging late and low, so the only 3 pitches she saw came back at me.

I have never worn a mask in SP but I have an ultra lightweight one, and in theory you would take it off less in SP. I have soccer shin guards that I used to wear as a player that I should probably start wearing behind the plate. About once a month I take a slo pitch off the shin.

I am not really concerned about which particular canine will do what, exactly. What does concern me is taking a shot to the face. It happens, to umpires in the set position and those who aren't, in both SP and FP. While I have never received a face shot in SP, as I stated earlier, to ME, it just isn't worth the risk. MY preference.

And didn't you just mention earlier a fellow umpire losing teeth and getting a broken nose?

That's plenty of justification in my book.