How can pitchers play baseball without full body protection?

[KungFuFanta]

Imagine the guy hitting the baseball accidentally hits the ball directly towards the pitcher's face, who doesn't realize it until the ball hits his face and either shatters his teeth, his nose, his cheek or makes one of his eyes explode, or even until it hits him directly in is private parts. It's like hockey goalies who didn't use facemasks until one guy got a puck to the face.

[Mayhem]

Imagine the guy hitting the baseball accidentally hits the ball directly towards the pitcher's face, who doesn't realize it until the ball hits his face and either shatters his teeth, his nose, his cheek or makes one of his eyes explode, or even until it hits him directly in is private parts. It's like hockey goalies who didn't use facemasks until one guy got a puck to the face.

as far as i know they´re working on inlays for their baseball caps that protect the head from a direct hit of a ball, though no facemasks, i guess the reaction time to at least turn your head is enough, or it would hinder their gameplay

[psycon]

This baffles me also.

[Fahrenheit]

Imagine the guy hitting the baseball accidentally hits the ball directly towards the pitcher's face, who doesn't realize it until the ball hits his face and either shatters his teeth, his nose, his cheek or makes one of his eyes explode, or even until it hits him directly in is private parts. It's like hockey goalies who didn't use facemasks until one guy got a puck to the face.

All those things you mentioned, you don't need to imagine, they've all happened and there are pictures and videos of it happening. It would make sense, from a safety point of view, but it's too cumbersome. The torque that happens when a pitcher pitches would make a mask or helmet impratical as it would need readjusting after ever pitch.

[Deleted]

All those things you mentioned, you don't need to imagine, they've all happened and there are pictures and videos of it happening. It would make sense, from a safety point of view, but it's too cumbersome. The torque that happens when a pitcher pitches would make a mask or helmet impratical as it would need readjusting after ever pitch.

You can pay them millions but you cant make them a safty mask?

[Spectral]

The difference between a pitcher and a goalie is that this happens a couple times a year and is unintentional in the case of pitchers. Goalies throw themselves in front of pucks ~30 times a game, every game. The two aren't really comparable.

Besides, what's it to me if people want to do things that carry a small risk of getting hurt? Pitchers are a lot more likely to shred elbow and shoulder ligaments than get smashed in the face.

[Reg]

The problem is a lot of pitchers don't get themselves into a proper fielding position after they release. Their mechanics after the plant are supposed to allow themselves to square up to the batter and properly protect themselves. Instead, they allow their momentum to pull them off to the side.

Now goalies on the other hand are supposed to get in the way of the puck. The goalie for the Rangers, Henrik Lundqvist has made numerous saves using his face, while other goalies like Bryzgalov like to duck under the puck lol

[Kalis]

Imagine the guy hitting the baseball accidentally...hits him directly in is private parts.

A million 'Sports Funniest Moments' TV series would go out of business if they prevented this from happening.

All those TV producers, voiceover blokes, best grips, etc. have kids to feed as well.

[Spectral]

The problem is a lot of pitchers don't get themselves into a proper fielding position after they release. Their mechanics after the plant are supposed to allow themselves to square up to the batter and properly protect themselves. Instead, they allow their momentum to pull them off to the side.

Here's a beautiful illustration of this point, comparing some bad mechanical fall offs to Maddux, who was probably the greatest fielding pitcher ever.

[Reg]

Here's a beautiful illustration of this point, comparing some bad mechanical fall offs to Maddux, who was probably the greatest fielding pitcher ever.

Maddux was an amazing fielding pitcher. I think the difference is Maddux was a pitcher who used finesse to get batters out instead of overpowering them like many of today's pitchers. Now we have goons like CC who feel the need to put his 300lb body behind every pitch and roll off the mound lol And I say that being a Yankee fan...

[ovm33]

There's a reason the saying: "God watches over fools and third basemen exist."

In field players, including pitchers, need incredible reaction times to keep from getting smoked. At the distances we're talking, at or about 90 feet, line drives can reach players in less than a quarter second.

[Spectral]

Yeah, I don't expect every pitcher under the sun to match Maddux's ability to avoid walks and suppress home runs. His K rates during his prime were actually very strong though; he pitched with finesse rather than power, but he still struck people out. There's a lot of guys that could stand to learn to be more artful, even if it costs them a couple MPH off their top velocity.

It's entirely feasible to be a power guy with a clean delivery though. Here's late career Clemens, clean, squared up delivery, glove in a good position to make a play.

[KungFuFanta]

I actually would like to try baseball because I like hitting things with other things (tennis, badminton), and I really, really like throwing things (dodgeball, tennis balls, American footballs), but I would hate to either get hit in the face with a baseball or to hit a guy in the face with a baseball.

I played dodge ball like a maniac in the 6th grade when I was young, and we used to be really strong kids and played with basket balls, and I got a basket ball to the face once and it wasn't the most pleasant experience, so I imagine a baseball would be a lot worse (we used to throw so hard that we once hit a lady supervisor who was at like 20-30 meters from us and we made the entire side of her face red and made her cry, we could probably have broken windows if we threw at them).

But yeah I wouldn't get into baseball, one of my student workers in high school had a fake eye because he took a soccer ball to the eye when he was young and it had destroyed his eye, I imagine a baseball travels even faster.

[Rukentuts]

Here's late career Clemens, clean

I know that's not what you meant, but I am still giggling.

[Lilly32]

You can pay them millions but you cant make them a safty mask?

really? Yea lets give every pitcher a big ass bulky catcher's mask. That wouldnt hinder them at all.

- - - Updated - - -

Here's a beautiful illustration of this point, comparing some bad mechanical fall offs to Maddux, who was probably the greatest fielding pitcher ever.

where do you even put 18 gold gloves?

[Hyve]

While it would be painful, and a serious injury, I think we'd all like to see the odd guy getting a smack back in the nuts.

On a more serious note, surely it would impact their ability to actually pitch? Take a look at some of the movements they make, how they twist and their body moves, would a lot of that be hindered by a protective outfit, or even just a face guard?

[Spectral]

I know that's not what you meant, but I am still giggling.

Haha, that's not bad. I should be smacked for putting "Clemens" and "clean" back to back.

[Rukentuts]

where do you even put 18 gold gloves?

Probably right next to your 4 NL Cy Young awards.

[Spectral]

where do you even put 18 gold gloves?

On the shelf below the 4 Cys Youngs!

Aaaand, Coke to Rukentuts.

[Toxigen]

Because they're grown men getting paid millions and millions of dollars each year to throw a fucking ball.

A lot of current NHL players chose not to wear visors. Yes, they could lose an eye. They're tough men that accept the chance of injury to make millions playing a game.

You sound like a bit of a pussy.