Something has been on my mind lately.
Pitching helmets/masks in baseball. Or rather, the lack thereof.
Why aren't our children wearing them?
Why am I not making my child wear one?
My 8-year-old, who is still in coach-pitch, but who is playing in the pitcher's position, wears one. It's a rule.
But my 11-year-old, like almost all other 11-year-olds, gets on the mound without one.
After years of baseball, are his reflexes better than my 8-year-old's? Perhaps. But guess what? There are big-barrel bats and boys who look like they will soon start shaving swinging at those balls he pitches.
We are worried to death, as we SHOULD be, about pitchers' arms, with rules and regulations galore, but we aren't worried about their heads??
It wasn't long ago my son caught a ball headed straight in the direction of his head. He caught it, protecting himself, and making an out.
YAY!!! But...
Even my friend sitting beside me had tears in her eyes over what could have happened.
In the past two years, I have been around when more than one pitcher got hit. There is simply nothing scarier. It's almost as if the air at the ballfield changes as coaches and parents rush onto the field holding their breath. And not too long ago, a coach in COACH-pitch was actually sent to the hospital by a YOUNG player. Now many coaches of the younger players are wearing helmets with masks, as the kids are getting stronger at an earlier age.
So, this begs the question, if grown men are wearing masks when pitching to 2nd-graders (who are freakishly strong by the way), why on EARTH aren't our older children wearing masks? Some of these batters are the size of grown men!
It also poses the question, if batters wear helmets, why not pitchers? At that age, which has more velocity? A throw or a hit?
It's a conversation I feel compelled to have with my son. The whole topic has been tugging at me for a while.
Everyone wants to have an advantage athletically. That's human nature. But after brain damage, a destroyed face, or the death of someone they love, how many would be singing a different tune?
Would a mask make pitching more difficult? A helmet would not make pitching more difficult. I'm sure a mask might take some getting used to, but isn't it worth it?
But if it were mandatory across the board, everyone would be playing on even ground.
And I can't help but think that those big bulky football helmets with the face masks don't seem to stop those
wide receivers.
