Player injured by ball to throat

[dmdhiker]

I was working a freshman A game yesterday when the catcher took a ball to the throat. The coach and trainer talked to the kid and he had a raspy voice but said he was ok so he got back behind the plate. He was looking at his coach for the sign for what pitch to throw and said kind of quietly, "I can't see my coach". Called the trainer to come back out to check on this young man. He told the trainer everything was blurry and he felt faint. Put him on the bench and the trainer continued to monitor the player. He started saying "why can't I feel my hand?" His pupils were as dilated and fixed as I have ever seen. When the trainer was working on the kid he found a soreness in the kids neck. Ambulance came, neck braced and flat boarded him, and left for the hospital. This was even more alarming as a few weeks back a 12 year old ball player from Illinois took one to his throat and died the next day. I called the AD today and left a message concerning the status of the boys condition but no return call yet. I'll call back tomorrow if I haven't heard anything. This incident left all the coaches and players very unsettled as well as myself. Kind of puts this "game" in perspective. This also convinced me to order a throat protector.

[Thunderheads]

Thanks for this ........

I'm wearing one for the first time ever this season and I just feel more confident, period.

[Texarkana]

I wear one. I took a shot to the side of my neck one time that I have never forgotten. I wear a throat protecter, cup and anything else that provides me protection. It only takes one shot to hurt you.

[mjr_2013]

Don't most youth leagues require the catchers to have a "dangling neck protector"?

I know they do in the PONY and LL I umpire in, but it might be different in FED.

[noumpere]

Don't most youth leagues require the catchers to have a "dangling neck protector"?

I know they do in the PONY and LL I umpire in, but it might be different in FED.

FED just requires a throat protector and the one thats built in to the hockey mask meets that requirement. I guess we could all argue wether it really provides the right amount of safety but its all that is needed right now.

[T-Rav]

I even wear one on my HSM mask, I just want to be safe rather than sorry.