Throat guards

[SGT. D.]

Hi all, just a reminder to make sure you have a throat guard on your mask.

Took a wicked foul to the throat, blew the velcro right off my mask! I got stitch marks on it.

I would of been carted out with at least a broken collarbone or worse, a bad throat injury without it.

Neck still a little sore and voice a little raspy but, thats baseball!

[JaxRolo]

+1 got to have it!

[Guest]

Alright, I'll attempt to go about this a little bit more diplomatically than my previous attempt...

If there is the need to wear a throat guard due to a gap between your mask and CP when in your plate stance, there is one of two things wrong:

1) Your CP is not properly fitted. Proper fitting CP's are snugged right up to your neck - this is why the W on Wilson rigs are placed where they are - so they will show through the open neck of the shirt

2) Your plate stance is improper. You are either leaning way too far in (in which case, your danger is for a foul ball deflecting off the ground and bouncing back up and under - in which case you're screwed anyway) or not leaning in far enough.

Whether or not you wear a TG, these are two things you should fix to achieve for other reasons. With those adjustments made, a $5 piece of plastic should be irrelevant in terms of necessity of protection. And I'll stop there.

[mtnump]

ump_24~

S&%* Happens!!! I will gladly continue to have that $5 piece of plastic attached to my mask.

By the time the ball gets back to us, it is probably not on a line from the pitcher. It has bounced in the dirt or off the batter, been fouled and ricocheted off the ground, batter and/or catcher, etc. We all know that damn ball can do some crazy things. Why not spend $5 on a little extra protection for such a vital area?

Here is to hoping your never wish you would have had one!:cheers:

[Mike Prince]

I wore a throat protector all of last year after having one bounce into my throat. This year I made some pretty big changes to my stance where I am much wider to get my head height correct (I am 6'4") and this has resulted in much less upper body lean and less gap. So the throat protector is in my gear bag, not hanging from the mask.

[Thunderheads]

Alright, I'll attempt to go about this a little bit more diplomatically than my previous attempt...

If there is the need to wear a throat guard due to a gap between your mask and CP when in your plate stance, there is one of two things wrong:

1) Your CP is not properly fitted. Proper fitting CP's are snugged right up to your neck - this is why the W on Wilson rigs are placed where they are - so they will show through the open neck of the shirt

2) Your plate stance is improper. You are either leaning way too far in (in which case, your danger is for a foul ball deflecting off the ground and bouncing back up and under - in which case you're screwed anyway) or not leaning in far enough.

Whether or not you wear a TG, these are two things you should fix to achieve for other reasons. With those adjustments made, a $5 piece of plastic should be irrelevant in terms of necessity of protection. And I'll stop there.

I've seen you say this before, and there is validation to the logic. That said, however, ... for me, this translates to a lot of improper stances by pros .....

[grayhawk]

Don't know if it helps or not. My CP is as high as it can go (I wear a Douglas) and my stance is spot on (so says my evaluator). Until I hear a story of how a throat guard made things worse, it'll hang from my mask.

[Rich Ives]

Alright, I'll attempt to go about this a little bit more diplomatically than my previous attempt...

If there is the need to wear a throat guard due to a gap between your mask and CP when in your plate stance, there is one of two things wrong:

1) Your CP is not properly fitted. Proper fitting CP's are snugged right up to your neck - this is why the W on Wilson rigs are placed where they are - so they will show through the open neck of the shirt

2) Your plate stance is improper. You are either leaning way too far in (in which case, your danger is for a foul ball deflecting off the ground and bouncing back up and under - in which case you're screwed anyway) or not leaning in far enough.

Whether or not you wear a TG, these are two things you should fix to achieve for other reasons. With those adjustments made, a $5 piece of plastic should be irrelevant in terms of necessity of protection. And I'll stop there.

Here's hoping you don't find out the hard way.

[Nazrat]

I was wearing my Wilson Gold and the Champro Magnesium mask with a 6" throat guard last Tuesday for HS JV game.

Curve ball in the dirt bounces untouched into the throat guard. The throat guard was hit hard enough that it lodged inside the Wilson Gold. I had to remove my mask to clear the jam.

I was very thankful for that throat guard as nothing hit my body. In fact, one of the parents complimented the catcher on doing a good job blocking the ball.

I don't want to risk not having it.

[mstaylor]

I personally don't wear one but if you wish to, go for it.

[Umpire in Chief]

I wear one. It has saved me on more than one occasion.

Like any other piece of protective equipment, if it does its job and helps you then go for it.

[semper_fi_72]

Alright, I'll attempt to go about this a little bit more diplomatically than my previous attempt...

If there is the need to wear a throat guard due to a gap between your mask and CP when in your plate stance, there is one of two things wrong:

1) Your CP is not properly fitted. Proper fitting CP's are snugged right up to your neck - this is why the W on Wilson rigs are placed where they are - so they will show through the open neck of the shirt

2) Your plate stance is improper. You are either leaning way too far in (in which case, your danger is for a foul ball deflecting off the ground and bouncing back up and under - in which case you're screwed anyway) or not leaning in far enough.

Whether or not you wear a TG, these are two things you should fix to achieve for other reasons. With those adjustments made, a $5 piece of plastic should be irrelevant in terms of necessity of protection. And I'll stop there.

Here's hoping you don't find out the hard way.

Second you never finding out you need one!!!!!!

When I ware my Wilson Gold and button my shirt no W is showing on mine and it is being worn correctly.