Pitching Gear and Safety

[RobinMichaels]

Ever since my back up pitcher took a soft liner off of the glove and then his face a couple of years ago, I have worn just a catchers helmet since. No wild paint job yet but just don't feel comfortable without it on when I am on the rubber. It gets its use with men's league, co-ed, and church ball.

 

[stickin2j]

Do most of you guys set up right behind the mound? Or to the left or right.

Yes.........

 

[jbo911]

Got hit in the cup two weeks ago. Don't skimp on your cup. Make sure it has padding around the edges, and make sure the boys are firmly inside. Mine were, but I realize the importance of it more now.

 

[etnstudios]

i think there needs to be more repercussion pics posted for not wearing gear. it would dispel a lot of the negative talk about it.

this is from three or four years ago playing in a winter ice league. played through snow and freezing temps. guess what takes funny hops on ice...

 

[kaerey]

Sped131 and aztec575 need to post their SBPH here!

 

[birdman12]

i should post pics of my leg before surgery and after surgery pics...its a pretty good example of what happens when you don't protect your shins

 

[kaerey]

3 weeks later bump

 

[KyleKantola]

I've been pitching in my church league for a couple years now and hadn't thought much about protection, but now after picking up a couple nights of Utrip ball I can definitely see the need.

I've been looking at the Combat Faceoff and the Rip It Defense. Which of these two do you guys recommend and have any of you seen someone take a direct shot off either?

 

[newram05]

Looked at the rip it defense. I kind of like the looks of it. Any opinions or pics of this with the blackout technology?

 

[hrcentury21]

Bump... Interested in this

 

[web gem]

There is a guy in South Texas that wears one of these, without the decals...I'm not sure what kind of vision he has while wearing it, but its probably the only thing a pitcher could wear in slow pitch that would make him intimidating looking. Its a bull-riding mask, carbon fiber, with a $725 price tag.

 

[GNOLAUM]

good info but.....

 

[Galpejos56]

Great thread here. I have been pitching for my league teams for the past three years. I have had bad hops, and hard liners hit me. But the one thing that made me really buy into wearing protection is seeing one of my team mates get hit in the face with a hard liner. He was tossing bp and I told him he better step back behind the rubber before he gets hit by a hot one. He blew it off like he could handle it and three pitches later he is being rushed to the ER with a broken nose, fractured orbital bone, and missing some chiclets.

That day I went and bought a game face face guard and really started to pay attention to what pitchers wear using for protection. I use a Lacrosse helmet, midwest broom ball d-gel shin and knee guards and a hockey padded shirt.

The shirt, in my eyes is a bit lacking, but the shin guards are great. If you are over 5'10" tall i suggest getting the longer/larger shin guards. But they work great. Have taken several shots off the shins and not a mark has been left.

I was a catcher all threw baseball and i know what it feels like when you get a wild pitch off the dirt or a foul in an unprotected area. But what i have seen in softball pales in comparision. Be smart and protect yourself.

 

[Simmer17]

Saw this thread awhile ago...awesome! Playing fall ball at a place where I got my shin blown up in practice, seen and had many bumps n bruises as well as some close shots so I decided to gear up. I bought Evo shins, Mcdavid Hex shirt and a Faceoff. Thank you!

 

[Akij987]

Bump it up, saw a kid get blown up last week during league.
55 degrees and utrip bats= broken orbital bone, cheekbone and nose.
So scary to watch.

 

[Superstar555]

Bump it up, saw a kid get blown up last week during league.
55 degrees and utrip bats= broken orbital bone, cheekbone and nose.
So scary to watch.

Same.

Pitcher caught a liner in her face last week. Broken nose, fractured orbital bone and missing 2 front teeth. She -was- pretty cute too.

 

[FR20]

Pretty sure this gentleman had a bad day, from a few years back......

 

[Simmer17]

I geared up thinking I'd be pitching haven't yet. I've been wearing my Evoshins and mouth piece at 3rd.

 

[rejones28]

After taking a shot off each shin, I decided to invest in some shin guards. I purchased the lizard skins shin guard body armor and they feel great. They are very comfortable and I forget that I have them on, absolutely no problem running in them. They start just below the knee and go to the top of my high top UA cleats. I was the first in my church league to wear a mask (Rip-It) and now there is a couple of pitchers and fielders that have started wearing them. I will not pitch without protection, PERIOD! I started just wearing the mask straight on my head but know I wear a fitted hat turned backwards, It just makes the mask sit better and a little more comfortable than just straight on the noggin. The lizard skins also make a set of shin and knee guards all in 1 also just didn't feel that I needed knee protection. I will get a picture of the shin guards on and update.

 

[GloveJunky]

I really wish leagues would mandate basic no-brainer safety precautions:

- Catchers: helmet w/facemask, and chest protector
- Pitchers: helmet w/facemask
- Baserunners: batting helmet

I'm in two different leagues and play on two fields. One is gorgeous astroturf that hardly ever produces an unpredictable bounce. This league is NSA. The other is a field that time forgot. There are 6" x 6" moats around the bases, stomped mudholes in the basepaths and around the pitcher's mound. The batter's box is nothing but quicksand. Making matters worse, it's smaller than regulation. It's ASA so people aren't - or at least don't appear to be - using utrip bats, but it's scary nonetheless.

I play 2B in the NSA league and OF in the ASA. I refuse to play SS or 3B in my ASA league because of the field conditions. Will not do it. I flat-out will not pitch. Don't love the game that much, sorry. Call me a p***y; I'll happily wear that badge along with all 32 of my teeth and both of my eyeballs. I won't even let my wife come to my ASA (co-ed) games anymore, because she kept getting recruited to catch when our females didn't feel like showing up. Every single game, there's at least one or two close calls thanks to a foul tip or an idiotic throw from the OF. It's easier to just leave her at home rather than tell my team "sorry, no catcher's gear = she doesn't play."

If I thought I could get away with it, I'd also mandate full masks at 2B, SS, and 3B, but that will never happen. It's just a shame that people put their pride so far ahead of their own safety. They're afraid of being criticized so instead they risk catastrophic injury - even their lives - so they don't have to endure sh*t from their teammates and opponents. I'm guilty of the same, or you'd see me at 2B with a mask. That's why it needs to be on the leagues and/or the associations: for crying out loud, just take it out of the players' hands once and for all, and we can stop reading stories about baserunners getting killed by errant throws from 3B, pitchers with softball-sized holes in the backs of their necks, and shortstops with dentures.

 

[BrandoMartino23]

There is a guy in South Texas that wears one of these, without the decals...I'm not sure what kind of vision he has while wearing it, but its probably the only thing a pitcher could wear in slow pitch that would make him intimidating looking. Its a bull-riding mask, carbon fiber, with a $725 price tag.

The pitcher for Camp Pendelton has a Predator mask. Looked just like the Predator from the movie with the braids and everything. Best mask I've ever seen. Wish I could've gotten a picture of it.

 

[MP33]

This should be a sticky. Lots of great info here. Of course, I am still the stubborn dumbass that only uses his 12.5" Nokona for protection.

I will say, and it is no real excuse, most people out here knows each other, and friendly, but do have about 3 or 4 d-bags out here go middle on purpose, with intent to hit pitcher. Even that said, I usually have 5 or 6 come back up the middle every game, and that results in 5-6 outs.

We are talking about doing a full sponsored travel tournament team for next year, at which point I will have shin guards, cup, and either mouth piece or helmet

 

[MP33]

Me pitching, no gear. Board bro Trip at SS

 

[Superstar555]

Me pitching, no gear. Board bro Trip at SS

I see you backing up!!!!!

I have so much armor now that I rush the batter after the pitch!

 

[rejones28]

I just recently purchased a Worth 15", yes I said 15", glove as an upgrade from my 14". I am with MP33 on only having a couple of guys that will only hit middle but I'll take them easy outs.

 

[TXOutlaws]

Bumping this... I play in a few different leagues but might start pitching for our rookie league on Sundays.

I know it's "just" rookie but I'm going to get a mask for when I pitch... I'm sure I'll get **** for it a lot but oh well... IMO I have more chance of guys going middle in my rookie league then double a.... as the rookie guys have no bat control.

 

[Carlyboy]

I wear everything, I have the ZoomBang shirt with the heartguard and zoombang kneepads which are great,and for my shins I use soccer guards. I use the Worth pitching helmet as well

 

[Pumacat35]

Want to be able to find this again

 

[CARTERLAKESHARK]

im a size 7 7/8 - 8 hat what mask - helmet would fit this big ol target? im ahh, pretty big, mostly have trouble protecting my lower legs. been hit atleast 6-7 times on my knees and shins and kankles. maybe its time to get some of this gear.

 

[Fireman Crawler]

Trip ready to catch a pop up?