Still don't think you need a throat guard?

[boyinr]

I hope he is okay.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=P4otHfrxTEc

[Replacematt]

Did he have voluntary release?

[Rulekeep]

That is olllllld news, at least to me. Actually that incident was how I got interested in umpiring full time. And yes, he was fine after sitting a game out for dizziness and swelling.

P.S., Manny still doesn't have a throat guard.

[JaxRolo]

I just shake my head when I see a pleate guy pull his mask out of his bag and there is no throat guard on it. Then I go and make sure my gear and plate pants are ready to go for when I have to run to the car and take his place.

[Replacematt]

I just shake my head when I see a pleate guy pull his mask out of his bag and there is no throat guard on it. Then I go and make sure my gear and plate pants are ready to go for when I have to run to the car and take his place.

 

Some of us don't need it.

[JaxRolo]

 

I just shake my head when I see a pleate guy pull his mask out of his bag and there is no throat guard on it. Then I go and make sure my gear and plate pants are ready to go for when I have to run to the car and take his place.

 

Some of us don't need it.

 

Are you invincible?

[mwoc]

I wear one and yesterday it still didn't matter.  Foul ball off the plate bounced up my chest and literally rolled up and under the throat guard.  Not a good feeling - took a few minutes to recover and finished the game though.

[Replacematt]

 

 

I just shake my head when I see a pleate guy pull his mask out of his bag and there is no throat guard on it. Then I go and make sure my gear and plate pants are ready to go for when I have to run to the car and take his place.

 

Some of us don't need it.

 

Are you invincible?

 

 

No, there's no need. A ball cannot get under my mask. That was validated two nights ago. If I wore a guard, it would a) interfere with how my head is positioned and b) require me to make room for it.

[Thunderheads]

 

 

 

I just shake my head when I see a pleate guy pull his mask out of his bag and there is no throat guard on it. Then I go and make sure my gear and plate pants are ready to go for when I have to run to the car and take his place.

 

Some of us don't need it.

 

Are you invincible?

 

 

No, there's no need. A ball cannot get under my mask. That was validated two nights ago. If I wore a guard, it would a) interfere with how my head is positioned and b) require me to make room for it.

 

uh ohhh ......

[kristoffae]

Doesn't need a throat guard

[Thunderheads]

Doesn't need a throat guard

   

[JaxRolo]

 

 

 

I just shake my head when I see a pleate guy pull his mask out of his bag and there is no throat guard on it. Then I go and make sure my gear and plate pants are ready to go for when I have to run to the car and take his place.

 

Some of us don't need it.

 

Are you invincible?

 

 

No, there's no need. A ball cannot get under my mask. That was validated two nights ago. If I wore a guard, it would a) interfere with how my head is positioned and b) require me to make room for it.

 

My simple mind doesn't understand this.

[wingman3110]

Would a throat guard have even helped in that situation?

[semper_fi_72]

Would a throat guard have even helped in that situation?

If it was a Hockey style throat guard like I wear after a fractured Larynx that I had on same type of foul except of of a full swing.

[Replacematt]

 

 

 

 

I just shake my head when I see a pleate guy pull his mask out of his bag and there is no throat guard on it. Then I go and make sure my gear and plate pants are ready to go for when I have to run to the car and take his place.

 

Some of us don't need it.

 

Are you invincible?

 

 

No, there's no need. A ball cannot get under my mask. That was validated two nights ago. If I wore a guard, it would a) interfere with how my head is positioned and b) require me to make room for it.

 

uh ohhh ......

 

 

Don't worry. I had this validated the other night.

[Thunderheads]

 

 

 

 

 

I just shake my head when I see a pleate guy pull his mask out of his bag and there is no throat guard on it. Then I go and make sure my gear and plate pants are ready to go for when I have to run to the car and take his place.

 

Some of us don't need it.

 

Are you invincible?

 

 

No, there's no need. A ball cannot get under my mask. That was validated two nights ago. If I wore a guard, it would a) interfere with how my head is positioned and b) require me to make room for it.

 

uh ohhh ......

 

 

Don't worry. I had this validated the other night.

 

[Mike Prince]

I don't see what is so hard to understand about this - everyone's stance is different and so is the perceived need for a TG.  I think there are three basic camps (and a few more):

1. Those who have a stance which naturally closes the mask/CP gap (or a short neck lol).  Probably a quite upright upper body and you luckily have this naturally/physiologically or have worked on your stance to create this.  If you are good at staying locked in, you have a minimal chance of a throat hit.
2. Those who have a less upright stance and as a result have a larger gap between mask and CP.  I am quite tall and tend to extend my head/neck out a bit when I am in my stance.  I wear a TG all the time as I feel quite exposed without one (I have been hit before in the throat pre-TG and do not care to again)
3. The ones it has never happened to.  You are new to this/feel you are bulletproof with all your other gear on/see no need for a $5 hunk of plastic hanging off of your mask/think you have a great stance already/whatever.  You're like many of us - until you get hit you will not learn to protect yourself.  The ball will find you.

I would do a plate game without plate shoes before I went out there without a TG.  A broken toe I can recover from, a crushed larynx not so much.

[JaxRolo]

Good post Mike.

I think 98% those that do not wear a TG believe they will not get hit.

Those with the short necks - good luck to you. The risk may be "minimal" but it's there.

I bet this MLB guy that got hit probably thought it wouldn't happen to him.

[midtnump]

I had never been hit in the throat area in two years until last week when I had a foul ball strike F2 on the side of his HSM and redirected right into my new TG . The TG stopped when it hit my Douglas  CP and all is well. Thank goodness for my $5 ump attire TG.

[Mr Ump]

 

 

 

I just shake my head when I see a pleate guy pull his mask out of his bag and there is no throat guard on it. Then I go and make sure my gear and plate pants are ready to go for when I have to run to the car and take his place.

 

Some of us don't need it.

 

Are you invincible?

 

 

No, there's no need. A ball cannot get under my mask. That was validated two nights ago. If I wore a guard, it would a) interfere with how my head is positioned and b) require me to make room for it.

 

Same thing for me. I fall in Mike Prince's above post, category #1. I think it is a combination of my neck length, the height related to my chin of my WV Gold and my head position stance...Have never had it happen, use to wear a throat guard too but it kept getting caught in the shirt by the buttons....that was more work that I didn't need while focusing on pitches...I guess to each their own....I do think anyone can get hit at anytime if they are not paying attention and sometimes when they are paying attention....

[GerryB]

Used to wear a Yeager back in the day, then stopped, didn't think I needed it. Thanks to these threads I put one on this season.

Guess what? Game #2 neck shot from a foul that drove the 4" dangler into my throat.

It really stung but prevented a real injury; two things I learned - I needed it thanks guys - and I need a 6" as the 4" did catch the top of my protector but did not get enough of it to stop it.

[grayhawk]

If you have a good reason to not wear one, then more power to you.  I don't even know mine is there, and feel that it provides extra protection to the most vulnerable part of my body that could result in serious injury.

 

However, I've heard people say they won't wear one because they don't like how it looks.  THAT is just plain ridiculous.

[Umpire AN]

For the time being in my case, the Balloon Chest Protector is all the throat guard I need. It closes off the gap completely between the chin and the mask bar because you're resting your neck on the thing.

[kylejt]

I've got CLACKED 5 times in 15 years. Two of them probably would have been calls to 911.

 

I know guys, with their build and stance, that don't need one, as they have no gap.

 

A couple weeks ago, I saw one torn off the mask in a HS varsity game. The PU walked over, and bent over to pick it up off the ground, about 10 feet away from him. As he did, I said "that's the best five bucks you've ever spent". His face was ashen, as he realized the gravity of what just happened, but said "No kiddin' "  He reattached it during the next change over.

 

Have someone take a picture of you from the side, when you're down in your stance. "Mind the gap" as they say in the London subways. See if one will help you out, and where to position it.