They are called the "tools of ignorance." Perhaps there is no more of a misnomer anywhere in the sports world, particularly in baseball. The catcher controls the action. He calls for the pitches. He sets the target. He fires the pitcher up. He calms the pitcher down. Ignorance? No that is not one of the tools of the trade. A good catcher must be one of the game's deep thinkers. To do his job effectively, a catcher must have the tools of the trade. A catcher's mitt, a chest protector, shin guards and a catcher's mask. The thought of getting behind home plate and trying to catch a 95-MPH fastball or a 12-to-6 sharp-breaking curve ball would be ignorant without a mask. Especially when there is a batter swinging 33-inch bat that weighs 31 ounces. A catcher without a mask is a more dangerous option than an ice hockey goalie without one. A swing by the batter results in a foul tip. Instead of going into the mitt, it clunks off the mask at about 99 MPH. The clear result would be a devastating injury. Masks have gone through many changes over the years. They used to fit snugly over the face with metal bars used as the primary protection. Today, catchers have borrowed from their brethren in ice hockey and gone to a goalie style mask for protection. The goalie masks offer greater shock absorption and allow a clearer field of vision for the catchers, therefore allowing the catcher to have more confidence
What to Look for
The first thing to look for is fit. The mask should neither be too loose or too tight. If a mask is too loose, the catcher will constantly be adjusting it on his face in order to be able to see more clearly. A loose mask may not offer the same protection as one that is fitted properly. A mask that is too tight can also be dangerous because in addition to causing discomfort merely be putting it on, a hard foul tip to the nose or cheek or eyebrow can result in a serious injury. Foul tips are not the only thing that can hurt a catcher. Many batters use a one-handed follow through on their swing and they can come through the swing zone quickly and not stop until they whack the catcher in the back of the head. Therefore, the mask must provide protection to the back of the head with a hard plastic shell. That's another advantage of the goalie-style mask that the traditional catcher's mask does not have.
Common Pitfalls
Staying on top of technology is very important for catchers. The goalie-style mask is far more protective than the traditional style and if players and their parents are not aware of the changes that have been made, their lack of knowledge can lead to far greater injury. However, a goalie mask is much more difficult to flip off when the catcher is going after foul pop ups because of the plastic plate in the back. Manufacturers have given the goalie-mask a much greater field of vision than the traditional masks and that makes flipping it off somewhat of a moot point.
Member Comments