Joe West gets hit upside the head...

[scrounge]

http://deadspin.com/5931080/joe-west-gets-clobbered-upside-the-head-starts-bleeding-does-not-break-into-song?utm_campaign=socialflow_deadspin_twitter&utm_source=deadspin_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

[Umpire in Chief]

Oh, so lucky.

[hbk314]

http://mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=23538859&c_id=mlb

[mstaylor]

He's a tough old fart.

[BRUMP]

My only comment, HSM!!!!!

[Welpe]

My only comment, HSM!!!!!

Plays like this definitely make me consider it.

[BRUMP]

My only comment, HSM!!!!!

Plays like this definitely make me consider it.

Trust me you wont regret it. The vision is better and the weight feels the same as an average traditional mask due to the distribution, and all the improved protection. Im a huge advocate (as you might have realized) and it is by far the best equipment investment I have ever made.

[mstaylor]

I completely disagree, it is heavier, it is hotter and it's like sticking your head in a bell when you get hit. If you consider an average of 300 pitches a game times the number of games in MLB each year. The odds of being hit are incredibly small. I will keep my mask.

[zm1283]

I completely disagree, it is heavier, it is hotter and it's like sticking your head in a bell when you get hit. If you consider an average of 300 pitches a game times the number of games in MLB each year. The odds of being hit are incredibly small. I will keep my mask.

I'm the same way. I wore a HSM when I first started (Sold it to LMSANS). The vision is pretty good, but not that much better than a traditional mask to justify the added weight and awkwardness of taking it off every time. Plus you can't really wear a hat with it, as I will not wear anything shorter than a 6-stitch.

[Welpe]

My only comment, HSM!!!!!

Plays like this definitely make me consider it.

Trust me you wont regret it. The vision is better and the weight feels the same as an average traditional mask due to the distribution, and all the improved protection. Im a huge advocate (as you might have realized) and it is by far the best equipment investment I have ever made.

I am all too familiar with an HSM as I wore one while catching in my last few years as a player. I like them well enough but as an umpire I've just always worn a mask and it is not something I am easily going to give up.

[Maineac]

I completely disagree, it is heavier, it is hotter and it's like sticking your head in a bell when you get hit. If you consider an average of 300 pitches a game times the number of games in MLB each year. The odds of being hit are incredibly small. I will keep my mask.

+1

[scrounge]

I've found the All-Star 2500/4000 design to actually be cooler than a hat/mask if there's any bit of breeze at all. The vents and design really do allow air to flow around the padding. Other HSMs may not, don't know.

I'll still use my Diamond with Team Wendy pads if there's a deep backstop and it's a very sunny day, as it's easier to remove with sunglasses on (though the All-Star works as well), but I'd say I'm 70% HSM at this point, if not more. In addition to the better protection and surprisingly good ventilation, I find the vision slightly better (though the Diamond does have better lower vision when looking right at the catcher while keeping your head still) and the weight unnoticeably different due to the even distribution.

I'd probably use a mask over any other brand of HSM, but the All-Star is a great design.

[Marcus6]

Looks like Joe is sporting the prototype powder coated titanium.

[moblue]

I completely disagree, it is heavier, it is hotter and it's like sticking your head in a bell when you get hit. If you consider an average of 300 pitches a game times the number of games in MLB each year. The odds of being hit are incredibly small. I will keep my mask.

I'm the same way. I wore a HSM when I first started (Sold it to LMSANS). The vision is pretty good, but not that much better than a traditional mask to justify the added weight and awkwardness of taking it off every time. Plus you can't really wear a hat with it, as I will not wear anything shorter than a 6-stitch.

Maybe I just wear a 4 stitch, I don't recall off hand and my umpire gear is packed away for now, but I can wear a hat under my HSM. I did so at JEAPU when I went and seem to surprise people when they find out I can wear a hat under my HSM, and remove my mask without pulling off my cap. You just have to adjust the straps on your mask to allow it. I have found that I am more comfortable with a hat than without. Maybe that's just the padding in my mask, or because I still have yet to adjust the straps so that I don't need to wear a hat. Either way, it's possible if you really want to wear a HSM.

[moblue]

After watching the clip from mlb.com I have to ask: what is the BU wearing on his forearm? It looks like a heavy duty cast of some sort.

[Marcus6]

Fletcher broke his wrist earlier in the year

[LMSANS]

I completely disagree, it is heavier, it is hotter and it's like sticking your head in a bell when you get hit. If you consider an average of 300 pitches a game times the number of games in MLB each year. The odds of being hit are incredibly small. I will keep my mask.

I'm the same way. I wore a HSM when I first started (Sold it to LMSANS). The vision is pretty good, but not that much better than a traditional mask to justify the added weight and awkwardness of taking it off every time. Plus you can't really wear a hat with it, as I will not wear anything shorter than a 6-stitch.

Maybe I just wear a 4 stitch, I don't recall off hand and my umpire gear is packed away for now, but I can wear a hat under my HSM. I did so at JEAPU when I went and seem to surprise people when they find out I can wear a hat under my HSM, and remove my mask without pulling off my cap. You just have to adjust the straps on your mask to allow it. I have found that I am more comfortable with a hat than without. Maybe that's just the padding in my mask, or because I still have yet to adjust the straps so that I don't need to wear a hat. Either way, it's possible if you really want to wear a HSM.

I always wear a hat under my HSM (yes, the one I got from Zach). I will wear a 4 or 6 stitch and I have no problem. The only time I've had a problem was when I grabbed my 8-stitch (with the flexible band) by mistake. I had to adjust my mechanics a little to not knock my hat off.

The hat absorbs the sweat better, makes the HSM feel more comfortable, and, believe me, I look a lot better with a hat on!

[Stan W.]

I completely disagree, it is heavier, it is hotter and it's like sticking your head in a bell when you get hit. If you consider an average of 300 pitches a game times the number of games in MLB each year. The odds of being hit are incredibly small. I will keep my mask.

++2................no bucket for me........

[moblue]

Fletcher broke his wrist earlier in the year

So that is a permanent cast that he is able to use behind the plate? I'm interested in finding out about it in case I ever need a cast like that.

[mstaylor]

With a bucket you can wear a hat but that seems to defeat one of the pluses of the mask. Then you have this thing that you have to deal with the entire time you are on the field, plus did I mention it is ugly? :)

[gatoremt]

I completely disagree, it is heavier, it is hotter and it's like sticking your head in a bell when you get hit. If you consider an average of 300 pitches a game times the number of games in MLB each year. The odds of being hit are incredibly small. I will keep my mask.

I would have to disagree. Mine is cooler, I sweat VERY bad so my head stays cooler. I have never noticed the bell when I get hit.

[mstaylor]

Everybody I have talked to has complained about the volume in their ears on a hard hit. I don't know, haven't used one. If I did, I would have to wear a hat because I am folicly challenged and wear glasses. Sweat on my glasses would be problematic.

[LMSANS]

Everybody I have talked to has complained about the volume in their ears on a hard hit. I don't know, haven't used one. If I did, I would have to wear a hat because I am folicly challenged and wear glasses. Sweat on my glasses would be problematic.

Agree with the bell ringing...it can be annoying. The folicly challenged & glasses...that's a lot of why I wear a hat.

In the past I have worked a lot of fields where the backstop comes out close to the plate and at least 2x year I get a foul ball that comes back down on top of me. That was the main reason I switched. As I work better ball, the fields are bigger, so I am thinking of going back to a traditional mask and only using the HSM on those tight fields.

[BRUMP]

With a bucket you can wear a hat but that seems to defeat one of the pluses of the mask. Then you have this thing that you have to deal with the entire time you are on the field, plus did I mention it is ugly?

I can see your point here when wearing a plate coat. It definitly is a cleaner crisper look when wearing a traditional mask with a coat.

[gatoremt]

Everybody I have talked to has complained about the volume in their ears on a hard hit. I don't know, haven't used one. If I did, I would have to wear a hat because I am folicly challenged and wear glasses. Sweat on my glasses would be problematic.

I wear a skull cap from Richardson caps under mine. It soaks all the sweat up and keeps my head from getting burnt. It is also nice that I can poor cold water on it and it stays cool for a few minutes. I am bald but wear contacts and always wear sunglasses. The volume on the hits I understand now. It took a little to get use to, now I don't even pay it attention.