|
| Sully
February 7, 2018
8:25:00 PM
Entry #: 4241946
| https://www.news4jax.com/news/flori...r-tragic-incident-on-nocatee-softball-diamond
Go do this test and tell me how well you would field a ball coming 100mph from 50 ft away, with 0.33 seconds to get your glove up:
https://www.humanbenchmark.com/tests/reactiontime
If you reduce the exit velocity to say 70mph off the bat .... you now get 0.487 seconds of reaction time at 50 feet … how many of us pass that test? If you can't you are putting yourself, your family, other players and your friends at risk .... FOR WHAT???
I commend the people who came up with buying the lacrosse helmets for our pitchers. Maybe its time to put egos aside and actually use them? (For those that want to say we have a screen, how many of our pitchers actually move behind the safety of the screen?)
“May be a view from some one who has been hit in the head would be educational. ASA, 52/300, back peddle 3-5 ft, hold glove right at my neck/ chin area. They said the sound of ball hitting my Worth helmet was almost at the same time of the sound coming off the bat. I saw the ball 3 ft from me - would of hit me in left eye. Ball hit face mask and rocked my head back, ball landed in right field. It sounds like a gun going off in your helmet. Result? Worth helmet did it's job. Nothing bent or cracked. I've used a worth helmet since they first came out.”
(about the individual who died)
“Someone who knows him said he usually wears a helmet but for some reason he went out that inning without it. My daughter took pictures of the proposal at the softball field if irc. She said he is a pretty good player. This wasn't some rec guy stepping three feet towards the plate to pitch. One of the pictures I saw of him he was holding a trophy shaped like a glove. I try to tell the guys I play with and against locally all the time, it only takes one time. Even if you don't die, having facial reconstructive surgery is life changing.”
“That is my friend that died. I was/currently playing ball with him and have been for the last almost 15yrs. A terrible accident. He got married, went on his honeymoon, came back mid that week and played Saturday when he got hit. They air lifted him to Jax due to the severity of the injury where 2 weeks later he passed. His wife Taylor will have been married , gone a honeymoon and widowed in less than 30days. A true tragedy!!! May Greg R.I.P. and Taylor find the peace that she needs to cope with all of this. God Bless!
All I can say, that if this tragedy keeps someone else from getting injured or causes someone else to lose their life, is it worth it. As I sit here on Christmas, knowing he will not be, his WIDOW beside herself kind of gets me in the feels. His background was he played ball all his life, played college ball (starter) and all. Played at a high level with exceptional hands AND if this could happen to him, it could happen to anyone. The game is just that A GAME..... I'm not trying to alter someones life by playing it. It has altered many lives as it is. Many associations are making adjustments (offering a screen or a helmet) to pitchers which in my opinion is great.
That wasn’t the case here. Greg was a very experienced player. Great glove, quick hands, played SS, middle infielder and pitcher. In my 12 years of playing tournaments I’m pretty sure I saw him at every one and he played in multiple leagues as well. As Hacker stated earlier Greg pitched the ball, dropped back to cover the hole and the ball deflected off his glove. It’s a freak accident and a tragedy and my prayers go out to his wife and family. “
From other pitchers:
“I know if a ball hits my mask I'm still going to get hurt, but not as bad as without the mask. The fact my temple area is still exposed concerns me because most of us do have a tendency to turn our heads. I caught a line drive right by my right cheek bone & ear this fall & I saw the ball go into my glove. The ball was headed right at my face until it curved slightly. I told my teammates I saw it all the way to my glove only because I didn't have time to close my eyes. Would have been a bad deal had a ball like that been hit at me in July. I was sick most of the month and my reaction times were often extremely slow, but I didn't always realize it. 3rd base is dangerous enough, but at least I am/should be in a ready position, unlike the pitcher who's also 15-20' closer to home. A few pitchers here wear helmets or masks, but not nearly enough.”
“I've yet to take one off the helmet and Lord willing, it'll never happen. Still, I refuse to take the mound without a mask or chest guard. Had a gentleman take a line drive to the chest with a 52 in our league a few years back. He yelled "I'm ok, I'm ok" then collapsed to his death. Not sure if chest protection would have saved him or not.”
“I saw a lacrosse helmet save a pitcher's life a few years ago. Line drive hit the front of the helmet right between the guy's eyes. It was hard enough to crack the helmet and still give the pitcher a concussion. This was a .44 400 ball too. I'm convinced the helmet saved him.”
|
