Being careful on the mound

L-screen.

quote:

Originally posted by Texan:
L-screen.

Yep...along with having 2 adults at practice. Kind of like the swimming pool in our backyard...even us parents don't swim unless someone else is home. Ya never know!

I don't think this post has anything to do with playing "levels". And I'm glad you posted it. My kids are older now (13 and 18)..but believe me had I read this kind of post when they were younger, I would have flipped out. I well remember dropping off my son at age 9 at a practice when I didn't know the coach that well..new team, new coach..whatever. The thought often crossed my mind that I didn't really know this guy that well. Didn't know what his safety standards were. These were city Park and Rec teams so we didn't have much choice. I always stayed around..either walked the dog or hung out in the stands. I wasn't worried about the coach getting hurt..I was worried about my kid getting hurt..and knowing that the coach was alone..what in the world would he do in an emergency! This was in the days before everyone had cell phones.

This takes me back to the days when teams were being picked for upper level little league teams. In our city, alot of the selection was very politically correct. And often kids who had no business playing at a higher level found themselves on teams where they could have gotten their heads knocked off..just like this coach. Parents didn't get it. They just wanted their "C" level kid on the "A" baseball team and didn't think of the consequences. Well, we had a bad consequence: my son hit a line drive back to a pitcher who had no business playing at this level. Fractured his skull later.. fortunately,the kid was okay. Parents got the wake up call about his ability. This was 10 years ago. Happily, the kid got a whole lot better and ended up playing varsity baseball against my son this year. They laugh about it now.

And there is another part of the anatomy that needs to be protected for those parents who hope to someday be grandparents. Too many young men out there don't wear all the protection that has been developed over the course of time.

So, can we all say "L-screens" and cups?

quote:

Originally posted by Newcomer:
And often kids who had no business playing at a higher level found themselves on teams where they could have gotten their heads knocked off..just like this coach...Well, we had a bad consequence: my son hit a line drive back to a pitcher who had no business playing at this level. Fractured his skull later.. fortunately,the kid was okay. Parents got the wake up call about his ability.

Hmmm. Should I be getting a wakeup call about now? No doubt some would say YES!

Just kidding...funny how I read your post a lot differently than I would have 3 weeks ago. I know exactly what you're talking about. Nice post, really.

By mentioning levels, I wasn't trying to infer skill, just that many people here are either HS coaches or have kids who are HS players and have heard the horror stories before.

JustBB:

Yow, I just read about what happened to your son. Hope he's doing a lot better now! Considering that you're joking about it, I'm assuming that he is...

Even with an L Screen, you gotta make sure the coach actually ducks down or moves to the side after. My coach brought down a friend, used to be a great pitcher to throw BP and we have an L, but he didn't move from after he threw it, then a guy lined it, bam, right in his chest. This guy was no youngster. He clutched his chest, I could of sworn the guy was having a heart attack. It's funny now because he was ok, just got the wind knocked out of him, but it was pretty scary when it happened. Nobody to blame but himself, though.

L Screen, absolutely. And I tell my sons, now 21 and 18, to tell me if my puny bod appears outside the screen....

Boy no joke - throwing bp is not to be taken lightly. The problem is that it is easy to get very lazy on repetitive things like throwing. You tend to lose focus and not duck behind the L, and that is just when you throw it down the middle and WHACK!

So far I have been lucky. But I duck ... every time. And many, many times the line drive has whizzed right by the "L".

Just today, my coach took a shot bigtime to the ribs. Things can get a little lacksadical at practice, especially in the heat. Our ump last game took a 15 minute delay from being hit where the sun don't shine as much. Be careful coaches!!

been hit many times myself,i'm not sure my body fits behind an L screen anymore.you try and throw strikes and don't bend..........glad everything worked out.

Deaths in ball happen, about 4 a year on average. But I'll bet 10 times that many players die driving to and from games. I've seen some pretty drunk parents at games.

Consider that about 15 million people play baseball and softball every year counting gym class. Pretty safe sport.

While the risk of extreme injury to the head is obvious, a surprisingly large number of baseball deaths result from shots to the chest which can stop the heart in extremely rare cases.

20dad:

quote:

Originally posted by 20dad:
been hit many times myself,i'm not sure my body fits behind an L screen anymore.you try and throw strikes and don't bend..........glad everything worked out.

You don't fit behind an L screen 20dad?

I have the same problem...I solved it by using an XXL screen!

quote:

You don't fit behind an L screen 20dad?

I have the same problem...I solved it by using an XXL screen!

Very funny

Be careful at all times, not just on the mound.

Many years ago, husband severly injured while watching batting practice at spring training MLB.

Ball hit by batter, hit side of metal on cage, taking a turn and headed to the first base line, husband hit square in the eye with a ball that no one saw coming due to speed. Multiple orbital and facial fractures, months lost from work and multiple sinus surgeries later on to help relieve sinus issues caused by being hit. Has to wear special prism glasses now for reading.

Just be safe, be smart, in any situation while playing or watching any sport.

We all remember that young girl who died after being hit by a hockey puck while watching a pro game a few years ago.

Only one major leaguer has been killed in a game. He was hit in the head while batting around 1922. In those days pitchers could dirty-up balls to make them harder to see. There were no helmets then, of course.

Around where I live, a young boy was killed after being hit in the chest with a foul line drive while on deck. I heard that he had some congenital heart problem.

No line drive compares to the risk of leaving games:

1) Often inebriated drivers
2) Testosterone engorged sports types
3) Enraged if they lost; invincible if they won
4) Bumper to bumper driving tie ups.

A cop outside Busch Stadium lost both legs
directing traffic amid such conditions.

Another thing about even using a L-screen ... make sure you check the equipment before each use, ensure the netting doesn't have holes or detachment points where the lashings are loose around the frame. If it's loose, fix it before you use it.

Several years ago my son was at his batting lesson and another coach in an adjacent cage was also giving a lesson. This other coach was soft-tossing to a kid from behind an L-screen, sitting on a bucket. He was positioned roughly ten feet in front of the batter. The kid ripped one and I heard the 'ting' of the ball hitting the frame followed immediately by the dull 'thud' of ball hitting flesh. I looked over and the coach was writhing on the ground holding his throat. The ball had hit the frame right at a point where the netting wasn't lashed firmly, found a hole and was deflected off the pole and hit the coach in the throat.

We immediately called 911. The coach could barely breath and was throwing up as well. Paramedics were there in five minutes. Good news was there was no permanent damage ... bad news was his throat swelled up so badly he had to be admitted to the hospital and spent a week on a ventilator until the swelling subsided.

General safety is not practiced or thought of enough in regard to LL or baseball in general. It's a shame that we have to think about issues after the fact.

Bottom line baseball is full of injuries, most of which do not happen during games but during practice sessions or in crowds. In most cases you cannot blame it on equipment but rather the head behind the hat or the fan behind the screen.