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Online now: 4 members: Dave07, Eddie 555, TABLE SETTER 11, miken44; 205 anonymousDiscussion: Is it time for Full Time Screen?
| Posted | Discussion |
| Feb. 24, 2018 bkb555 301 posts | Is it time for Full Time Screen? over the winter I have been involved I a lot of BP sessions and just finally got outside to play some softball.....I have come to the conclusion that a pitching screen should become a full time addition to our game....I have seen balls hit the screen, whizz by the screen and fly by the ears of slower reacting pitchers that if the ball were 6 inches to the right would have hit the pitcher right between the eyes...I know many pitchers wear masks and shin guards and other protection but it is only a matter of time before we start reading more about very serious ball/pitcher collisions....I know some old schoolers will object but it really doesn't hurt the game as bad as I thought it might.....the pitcher is safer, the hitters are smarter and the games are just as good......one amendment I would make to some rules already in place would be that the pitcher could field balls as long as he/she was behind the screen.....I know many leagues are halfway there already but in the interest of pitcher safety, I think this is a positive step in the safest direction |
| Feb. 25, 2018 VegasBob 66 posts | I played in a game with a pitcher's screen, and in the last inning a beautiful throw came in from center field that was sure to beat the tieing run. The bullet that the fielder threw hit the screen and ruined the win for us. It ruined the whole game. |
| Feb. 25, 2018 sbswat24 Men's 50 15 posts | We played with the option to use the screen at the villages tournament, some did some chose not to. I didn't mind it only complaint was when playing the outfield you needed to adjust some to see the batter. Definitely saved some pitchers though. |
| Feb. 25, 2018 DieselDan Men's 75 600 posts | bkb555 If the batter hits a pop up in front of the screen and the catcher will never get to it, the pitcher has to wait and hope it lands and bounces past the screen. The same with a slow grounder off to either side of the screen. They have to wait for it to pass the imaginary line. I just wish a strike wasn't called if the screen is hit. It's great the pitcher isn't hit, but the batter gets penalized. |
| Feb. 25, 2018 garyheifner 649 posts | My sun City was pretty much against the screen. After numerous pitcher injuries from hit balls, it was inserted. After a few games U hardly noticed it was there. In our 1st 3 games, the screen was only hit twice. The screen is a rather large barrier to a batter. If the hit screen is called a strike, the batter is going to hit somewhere else. The big plus side is that a ton of batters learned to hit to right. Some developed more power to right than they had to left. Some had not hit a ball over there in years. Many a right fielder made the comment that it was fun to be a real part of the game and field some hit balls. Now, U are going to have some rebels who will stand off to the side of the screen rather than pitch and step behind until the ball is hit. One rebel now steps behind after taking one in the head. When I do pitch, I have not had a problem with fielding balls hit my way. Now, we and U should still require to pitcher to wear a mask. When a ground ball is hit and U step out to field it, bad hops still do happen. We did have a game where the relay hit the screen. The relay guys learned to take the OF throw in an area where they had a clear throw home. For all the teams, U are an idiot if U don't have a screen for batting practice. There are compact quick set up ones out there. Someone on your team can easily transport one in the truck. Ours was around $300 and everyone kicked in $20 for the purchase. Before we got the screen, guys were hitting BP so as not to hit the pitcher rather than hitting where they hit the most in a game. If U have not figured it out, I like the screen. |
| Feb. 26, 2018 Webbie25 Men's 70 2414 posts | I don't think you will find any M+ pitchers that would ask for the screen in games. They pride themselves on taking away the middle and making the big plays like double plays. |
| Feb. 26, 2018 Omar Khayyam 1357 posts | Webbie25, I think you are not giving pitchers their due. I have been pitching more than 60 years and I, too, pride myself on defending my position and starting a double play. And I have never reached M+ status. But that's not the whole issue in this age of super bats and lively balls. I have played in a league that has mandated a screen for the pitcher since 2000 after a near fatal hit on a pitcher at that time. And now I am in a second league that also mandates a screen, beginning last year. It just makes sense to avoid incapacitating injuries as long as we have these hot bats. As we age, our reflexes are getting slower. If we were all still using the old wooden or aluminum bats, the ball, along with our bodies, would lose some power. But that's not the case. And so I can see the age of screens in tournament play coming quickly. As one who has had to play with a screen for more than 2000 games, it is no biggie. All of the fears about hitting the top of the screen, hitting the screen on a throw from shortstop or center field, are so seldom, measured on the fingers of one hand in a year's time, that they are not worth thinking about. I should mention that our leagues have no restrictions on a pitcher leaving the protective area of the screen to field a pop up, a ground ball, a line shot, etc. Not every screen-requirement league does this. Like it or not, safety (and liability for the rec departments and softball associations) will mandate their presence. |
| Feb. 26, 2018 Webbie25 Men's 70 2414 posts | Omar, I was referring to M+ pitchers only. I inadvertently have hit rockets up the middle and they get snagged by a good M+ pitcher, but I HAVE seen pitchers at other levels that cannot get their hands up fast enough. Personally, I had a bone in my hand broken and quite a bit of ligament damage by a line drive at 3rd base this year-one that I caught right in the palm, so I understand all too well how fast it can get there. |
| Feb. 27, 2018 Crusher23 Men's 55 53 posts | No. Not in tournament play. |
| Feb. 27, 2018 MC8 3 posts | My emphatic answer is no, it is not time for “full time screen”. I am a pitcher, not a “major plus “ or even a “major” division pitcher. In another thread, someone asked if you would quit the game, if crappy balls are mandated. I would be more inclined to quit the game if a full time screen was mandated. Pitching is not for everyone, and tossing the ball to a batter is just part of it (the easy part). Most tournament pitchers I know, take a lot of pride in their defensive capabilities, and even the guys that aren’t quick enough or confident enough, can suit up with enough safety gear to play goalie in a hockey game. I have seen more 3rd basemen take hot shots off their body than pitchers. Should there be full time screens at 3rd base also? What about first base? Seriously, literally half the players choose to either play 275 feet away from the batter or behind home plate, and that’s ok. Instead of installing “a safe place” for the pitcher, maybe think about another position, or perhaps just DH. However, if you switch to DH only, be careful on the base path- seen guys get plinked there too. Ok ok I exaggerate, but, really... we are the generation that grew up without seat belts and bike helmets and lived through it. |
