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All-Star Sports

By All-Star Sports
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midmoump

midmoump

Posted
Posted (edited)

The pads have a large impact on transferring the force of a ball from the frame to your head. The pads, frame material, design (angles, etc), how the mask is worn (incl. how tight, etc), and the shape of your face (as suggested by you and kylejt on another forum) are all factors that work together.

This subject is of special interest to me. Email me at pete.reiser@yahoo.com

I did a little looking awhile back and discovered some things about NOCSAE testing. It appears that the NOCSAE standards are insufficient, and its tests are meaningless to players and umpires at higher levels. Of course, traditional masks are not NOCSAE tested and neither are umpire hemlets. The Gerry Davis (as well as the Midwest Ump) drop test is not especially meaningful either.

There have been some well-meaning attempts at studying mask/helmet efficacy in the past, but the researchers were largely uninformed and the research does not tell us much. Last spring I had arranged a study into mask and helmet impacts and attenuation (using different masks, pads, and harness adjustments) with a major university using top research equipment. The university was willing, but wanted $2-5,000 for the study. While I could get pledges of cooperation from some of the major manufacturers and retailers, I could not get the financial support. Again, there is not a lot of up-side for the manufacturers to participate in a safety study.

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Thunderheads

Thunderheads

Posted
Posted

The pads have a large impact on transferring the force of a ball from the frame to your head. The pads, frame material, design (angles, etc), how the mask is worn (incl. how tight, etc), and the shape of your face (as suggested by you and kylejt on another forum) are all factors that work together.

This subject is of special interest to me. Email me at pete.reiser@yahoo.com

I did a little looking awhile back and discovered some things about NOCSAE testing. It appears that the NOCSAE standards are insufficient, and its tests are meaningless to players and umpires at higher levels. Of course, traditional masks are not NOCSAE tested and neither are umpire hemlets. The Gerry Davis (as well as the Midwest Ump) drop test is not especially meaningful either.

There have been some well-meaning attempts at studying mask/helmet efficacy in the past, but the researchers were largely uninformed and the research does not tell us much. Last spring I had arranged a study into mask and helmet impacts and attenuation (using different masks, pads, and harness adjustments) with a major university using top research equipment. The university was willing, but wanted $2-5,000 for the study. While I could get pledges of cooperation from some of the major manufacturers and retailers, I could not get the financial support. Again, there is not a lot of up-side for the manufacturers to participate in a safety study.

Believe it or not...it's all true as I discovered this in a conversation with Pete when I was looking for chest protector standards. There aren't any!

Pete, ... I thought NOCSAE had "catchers and batters helmet" standards? Wouldn't that suffice for any 'bucket, or HSM" ? Or am I thinking something else?

midmoump

midmoump

Posted
Posted

Pete, ... I thought NOCSAE had "catchers and batters helmet" standards? Wouldn't that suffice for any 'bucket, or HSM" ? Or am I thinking something else?

NOCSAE tests catcher's helmets by shooting a baseball out of an air cannon at around 60 mph. The resulting impact must not exceed 1200 SI (a number on their severity scale. Concussions have been shown to result at 300 SI). I honestly think if I put an actual plastic bucket on my head it would pass the NOCSAE test.

I'll tell you, Thunder, it pisses me off when we have equipment like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBU-SKpyA-Y

and this still happens:

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=11838099

Thunderheads

Thunderheads

Posted
Posted

NOCSAE tests catcher's helmets by shooting a baseball out of an air cannon at around 60 mph. The resulting impact must not exceed 1200 SI (a number on their severity scale. Concussions have been shown to result at 300 SI). I honestly think if I put an actual plastic bucket on my head it would pass the NOCSAE test.

I'll tell you, Thunder, it pisses me off when we have equipment like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBU-SKpyA-Y

and this still happens:

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=11838099

I hear ya Pete!! It's wierd! Maybe we need to get videos to these people at NOCSAE so they can see umpires getting drilled, and maybe something could happen. But, I'm certainly not holding my breath!:crybaby2:

kylejt

kylejt

Posted
Posted

Have any idea what CP Campos was wearing?

Probably doesn't matter, as it bounced off of it, and clipped his neck. That's probably what put him out.

This same sort of strike happened to my son, on his last play as a catcher. Two outs, two strikes, last inning. He had to reach for an outside breaking ball, and the batter fouled one off his neck.

He just stood up, and removed all his gear, placed it on the plate, and sat beside me in the dugout. "I'm done" was all he said. Spooky. I had him checked out, but a brain surgeon uncle of mine said it probably just shut the brain for a moment, and he had to "reset" it.

I changed my stance after that, to more of an upright one. Less exposure.

Umpire in Chief

Umpire in Chief

Posted
Posted

Looking at the Campos video, what I noticed is that he moved at the last moment.

From my experience I've noticed that that the majority of the time when I get hurt as opposed to just hit. I later believe I wouldn't have been hurt had I not moved.

Would that have been the case here? Can't say.

But the mantras of, Trust your equipment & buy good gear definately hold true.

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