You would think this was required equipment

Ooooouuuch!!!

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quote:

Originally posted by 08Dad:
“I hear that a lot, that I’m crazy, stupid,” Beltre said in spring training 2008.

He may have been quite crazy, but he's not as nuts as he used to be!




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That is why son has been wearing one since he was 5yrs old in tee ball. To him it is just a part of his uniform.

My son who plays 3rd base never wheres one either, says it's uncomfortable to him. I let him know the consequences of not wearing one, but he chooses not to wear it.

I think you'd be surprised how many don't. My son, an outfielder and RHP hasn't worn one in years. The times when he pitches worries me, but OF doesn't really. Heard Tori Hunter interviewed by Jim Rome a few years ago, he said he never wears one either. I would tend to think you'd be crazy not to wear one as an infielder, though.

Just my opinion, but dad's you need to force your sons to wear them, they are uncomfortable, but necessary. Would you allow them to hit without a helmet?

for those of you who think its safe not to wear one in the OF as I recall John Kruk sustained his now famous injury while playing RF.

quote:

Originally posted by fsmjunior:
Just my opinion, but dad's you need to force your sons to wear them, they are uncomfortable, but necessary. Would you allow them to hit without a helmet?

Hitting without a helmet and playing without a cup, is completely different.

Bothsportsdad, as much as I love Krukie on Baseball Tonight, and remember him playing 1st for the Phillies, I don't recall the incident you mention. I checked with Wikipedia, who had the following to say:
"During spring training in 1994, Kruk was diagnosed with testicular cancer (ultimately resulting in the removal of two testicles) after an errant pickoff throw from teammate Mitch Williams hit him in the groin and broke his protective cup."
So, he was at first base, and had a cup on.
I guess a Dr. would have to give an opinion as to whether a blow could ultimately result in cancer to the injured area, or if it was going to happen regardless.

Most players I know (mostly high school and college but some pro) do not wear a cup unless they are catching.

quote:

Originally posted by Coach From The Southeast:

quote:

Originally posted by fsmjunior:
Just my opinion, but dad's you need to force your sons to wear them, they are uncomfortable, but necessary. Would you allow them to hit without a helmet?

Hitting without a helmet and playing without a cup, is completely different.

Coach, with all do respect it was analogy to point out the importance of wearing a cup. Besides being uncomfortable, unless worn all the time and you forget it is there, I don't believe it will adversely effect performance.

Of course, all of the personal safety choices we make w our kids are absolutely individual choices: skateboard/bike helmets, seatbelts, immunizations... all individual choices

Yes I am a bit of a smart arse... but they should all wear cups!

Part of the problem is the things ARE just so uncomfortable to wear. Go to the store and they have like three sizes, all standard shape. Well, we all know not all boys (or men) are shaped the same in their nether regions. Someone needs to find a way to either make these things more adaptable to every body type or make them in many more sizes/shapes (wider, narrower, shorter, longer, etc). I remember trying to find a comfortable cup for my first skinny seven year old son - it was like sticking a man hole cover down his pants and saying "there - now forget about it and go play!" It was ALL he could think about. The boys would routinely pull them out of their pants in the dugout to get some relief!

My boys have witnessed enough "blows to the boys" to convince them that it's just not worth it to play without a cup. In one oft re-told incident, the 12-year old stud in our LL program took a hard shot off the cup while pitching. The noise itself was enough to send chills down every other players' back. Two innings later the boy had his pants down in the dugout showing all the boys the bruise that was developing around the edge of his cup and thanking his dad for making him wear the thing.

Another game - Legion ball. Pitcher again. Hard shot to the groin. No cup. That poor guy lay on the mound for what seemed like hours, sweating and trying not to puke. The other players all stood around him, clutching themselves in sympathy. He was eventually OK, but he was a changed man (luckily for him he still WAS a man!) - never played again without a cup, nor did any of his teammates who witnessed his hour of agony.

Somebody out there - make this your goal in life... a cup that boys can wear comfortably. You'll be rich, rich, rich. (Oh, and make it taste bad to dogs, please. We've lost more cups to the pooches, who find them highly desirable as chew toys - GROSS!"

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Not to worry mythreesons. Here's the best cup crew around!



And if they can't solve it...off with their heads!



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I quit giving my son a choice on the matter.

I don't let him ride in the car without a seat belt either.

Never wore one in a baseball game - just way too uncomfortable - and I wasnt a catcher.
Never had a problem - and never really even came close to having one.

Football was different - always wore one - regardless of how uncomfortable it was.

To each his own - just no whining if you make the wrong decision.

i wear a cup everytime i step onto a baseball field.
rather it be just getting some fungo, or a full fledged game. Without it, i feel vulnerable.

quote:

Originally posted by EC_Dad:
I quit giving my son a choice on the matter.

I don't let him ride in the car without a seat belt either.

If my son is old enough to drive and old enough to vote for the President of the United States and old enough to join the Army, he's old enough to decide if he wants to wear a cup or not or wear a seat belt or not. Them decisions are out of my hands. I just let him know what the consequences are and he takes it from there.

quote:

Originally posted by Coach From The Southeast:

quote:

Originally posted by EC_Dad:
I quit giving my son a choice on the matter.

I don't let him ride in the car without a seat belt either.

If my son is old enough to drive and old enough to vote for the President of the United States and old enough to join the Army, he's old enough to decide if he wants to wear a cup or not or wear a seat belt or not. Them decisions are out of my hands. I just let him know what the consequences are and he takes it from there.

That is well put Coach; we work hard as parents for 18 years and hope they make the right decisions after that.
Mine is 16 and I only hope he is listening when he acts like he isn't.

Yeah fsmjunior, we can teach them all we know and raise them so they understand the consequences of their decisions and when they get to be that age, you can only hope for the best.
When I use to be a head coach in high school, I would have a couple of players that played the infield and they wouldn't wear a cup. I guess I could have made them wear one but I wasn't that type of coach. If a player didn't want to wear something that didn't result in his team paying the consequences, then that's on him. I would let the parent know that he wouldn't wear one just in case his parents thought he did. I wouldn't blatantly go and hunt the parents down and tell them, but I would just bring it up when I'm having a regular conversation with them during practice, and they the parents could take it from there.

"Any player I coach will wear a cup, period. Uncomfortable? Get over it if you want to set foot on the field. Don't come back without a cup."

My Little League coach from the '60s. Pretty sound advice then as now. I started wearing a cup at age 9 and never thought about it for a second. My son has been the same way and actually carries a spare in his equipment bag.

16-18 yr old is old enough to make his own decisions (and most still actually need help)...I will never leave the option open to 9-14 yr olds. If they don't like it, complain to someone else but they better have a cup on when they step on the field. Actually always discuss this at initial player/parent meeting...only exception is if they bring me a Doctor's note explaining why a player can't wear a cup. Haven't got a note yet.

People complain about cups being uncomfortable these days...should have seen some of the steel cups from the '40-'50s with no padding on the edge if they want to talk uncomfortable. Most of the new cups these days you don't even know are there..unless you are are focused on it instead of the game.

Yeah, not real diplomatic but baseball ain't a democracy.

JMHO

SA, have to agree to disagree. I'm sure an opthamoligist could articulate a reasonable argument that protective glasses should be required, and a dentist could argue that mouthpieces should be mandatory. Like a cup, they all give greater protection to vulnerable areas. Heck, grown men that coach have to wear a hard hat to coach a base now. Bottom line, it's a personal decision. I would argue that if you play in the OF, and speed is a big part of your game, a cup is more hindrance than help.

I have already chimed in that I an the MUST WEAR CUP side.

Wayne, I want to address your outfielder argument. On the longest running catch an outfielder MAY run a 40... great out field speed would be 4.4 to 4.6... wear the cup & do they go to 5.0, likely not, more likely 4.45 to 4.65 maybe.

20 long yrs ago our CF in HS fouled a ball off home plate right back into the junk. He missed his last two weeks of his seniro season. The team lost starting CF and #2 hitter and in the semi finals of districts. OFs wear a cup. Yes I am still bitter

Our teams wouldn't allow you on the field without a cup on. They lined you up and you had to knock on the cup. If they didn't hear the sound you hit the bench in the team room.
Totally irresponsible of a parent to allow their son to play without a cup.
My son wore a pair of shorts with a built in cup pocket. Very comfortable.

My son catches and his cup was uncomfortable until I bought him the nuttybuddy.

Uncomfortable or not our players wear cups or they don't play.

Where a separate jock w cup on top of sliders, more comfort, the new good cups have soft pliable sides now to.

No excuses.