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Rawlings TI - Now a Double?


JoHart10
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Not sure if a single or double bar is going to make a difference with titanium. The ones in the article above were Nike masks.

Titanium has very little give when hit. One thing to think about are the pads. Perhaps the designers tested the masks with specific padding? Every mask out there has the ability to let the wearer get a concussion. If there is a hit hard enough to bend a steel mask - probably there is a concussion under there - if the wearer actually got it checked, I have had a titanium mask bend - should I have been checked? Probably, but I didn't.

There are pros and cons to everything we wear - you as the umpire needs to choose what works best for you. If you take a shot that takes you to your knee, then think about it. In the pros, they have the ability and medical staff right there, to assess for a concussion, and the plate umpire is replaced on the spot by the rest of the crew. They are also allowed to be on the injury list - we don't have that option.

Be smart out there.

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Whoa whoa whoooooaaaaaa @Stk004... I reported what??!!

If Rawlings is, in fact, releasing a Titanium double-bar mask, it means they're refocusing on catchers, and the market capital they command. Face it, umpires don't pay anywhere near the same as catchers, and their families and teams. It's not the strength of the mask that's the problem; it's the cost of repair and replacement that is. A double-bar mask isn't more safe; it is just more resistant to bending on the repetitive shots, bangs, and punishments that catchers masks take.

If you recall and note, All-Star has always stuck to a double-bar titanium mask. They didn't follow suit to Nike, like Wilson and Rawlings did. In the grand scheme of things, which does All-Star cater more towards? Yup, catchers. Wilson and Rawlings have seen their impact and presence in catchers gear eclipsed by All-Star, Nike and even Mizuno. With All-Star's parent company, UnderArmour, looming on the inevitable horizon, Wilson and Rawlings are in a reasonable degree of peril of falling further behind.

Again, it's not the mask frame that's the crux of the issue, guys; it's the pads. If someone really wants to shake up the industry and cause a splash, then they should go, hat-in-hand, to the offices of Team Wendy's and start subsidizing Zorbium for widespread use in pads, and stop skimping on pads as an afterthought.

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Whoa whoa whoooooaaaaaa @MadMax , not what I meant. 

6 hours ago, Storm13 said:

I just got a Rawlings Ti from ebay...I am looking forward to checking it out but it may just be a every once in a while rig after reading some reports about titanium masks.

 

3 hours ago, harrisonj23 said:

What 'reports' would these be? 

 

3 hours ago, Stk004 said:

Directly from the horse's mouth of course..... @MadMax

 

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33 minutes ago, MadMax said:

Whoa whoa whoooooaaaaaa @Stk004... I reported what??!!

If Rawlings is, in fact, releasing a Titanium double-bar mask, it means they're refocusing on catchers, and the market capital they command. Face it, umpires don't pay anywhere near the same as catchers, and their families and teams. It's not the strength of the mask that's the problem; it's the cost of repair and replacement that is. A double-bar mask isn't more safe; it is just more resistant to bending on the repetitive shots, bangs, and punishments that catchers masks take.

If you recall and note, All-Star has always stuck to a double-bar titanium mask. They didn't follow suit to Nike, like Wilson and Rawlings did. In the grand scheme of things, which does All-Star cater more towards? Yup, catchers. Wilson and Rawlings have seen their impact and presence in catchers gear eclipsed by All-Star, Nike and even Mizuno. With All-Star's parent company, UnderArmour, looming on the inevitable horizon, Wilson and Rawlings are in a reasonable degree of peril of falling further behind.

Again, it's not the mask frame that's the crux of the issue, guys; it's the pads. If someone really wants to shake up the industry and cause a splash, then they should go, hat-in-hand, to the offices of Team Wendy's and start subsidizing Zorbium for widespread use in pads, and stop skimping on pads as an afterthought.

Great points max - the pads are the key. Now that you mention it, I do see a lot all-star stuff out there. There was a push for the single bars, now the catcher's masks are getting thicker again (the cage) and even adding the shock absorbers to them. Every new mask designed is for the catcher - not the umpire.

Look how many times a game the catcher's mask is on the ground and getting stepped on etc. Double bars are purely for the longevity of the mask - and I agree it has nothing to do with the overall protection. Maybe this is an odd comment, but I think a double bar might cause the mask to have less give on a hit, therefore making the pads even more important for the protection - as the cage itself isn't giving as much on the impact.

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2 minutes ago, acpar72 said:

That's an All Star

Logical guess, but not. It has the trademark "V" chin guard struts that only Rawlings and Pro9 use on their masks. All-Star uses straight struts.

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