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Online now: 3 members: Andy215, TABLE SETTER 11, Tina C; 137 anonymousDiscussion: Catchers will wear a mask
| Posted | Discussion |
| June 11, 2020 OZ40 549 posts | Catchers will wear a mask • It will be mandatory for catchers to wear a covering over their nose and mouth. Playing devil's advocate: If a catcher has a chronic breathing/respiratory condition and cannot wear a mask, will a doctors note release them from wearing a mask? Also seems a plastic face shield would fog up and require constant wiping/cleaning. What constitutes an acceptable 'mask'? I mean a catcher could pull his shirt up over his nose and mouth, is that okay? Are these decisions made by the field umpire on a case by case basis? • Until the pandemic subsides, we will change our player check-in to minimize groups and contact. What constitutes 'subsides', the numbers are already going down. |
| June 11, 2020 Jawood Men's 50 943 posts | Don't most catchers stand a few feet in back of the batter anyway? Does anyone squat anymore? Just make it a rule a catcher has to stand 6' back. |
| June 11, 2020 DieselDan Men's 75 600 posts | Directors at each site will probably give the USA ruling to each UIC and umpires before the first game. Hope they cover any gray areas. |
| June 11, 2020 AJC Men's 60 218 posts | If he has chronic breathing / respiratory conditions it would probably not be a good idea to play. If the guy still wants to play, put him at 2nd or 1st if the mask bothers him. No doctor is going to give a guy in that condition a note saying he should be allowed to play without a mask. |
| June 12, 2020 ALLPRO 63 posts | JUST ELIMINATE THIS "RESTRICTION - IT ACCOMPLISHES NOTHING! |
| June 12, 2020 Wood_1966 Men's 55 164 posts | Didn't Dr Fauci(sic) recently state that masks do not really do anything in the way of prevention??? |
| June 12, 2020 Dbax Men's 65 2100 posts | Wow. |
| June 12, 2020 Wood_1966 Men's 55 164 posts | Masks limit healthly people being infected by the sick, if the sick are wearing a mask. Healthy people wearing a mask serves no purpose, and the good Dr, who many people like you Dbax, who are also afraid to leave their houses, have said everything he says is gospel! But, I guess science and the good Dr's statements being good enough is selective. |
| June 12, 2020 Dbax Men's 65 2100 posts | White House health advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said he has “no doubt” that Americans who aren’t wearing face masks, especially in large crowds, are increasing the risk of spreading the coronavirus. “When you have crowds of people together and you have the lack of wearing a mask that increases the risk of there being transmissibility. I have no doubt about that,” he said Friday on CNBC’s “Halftime Report.” https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/05/dr-anthony-fauci-says-americans-who-dont-wear-masks-may-propagate-the-spread-of-infection.html Wood you are referring to a quote several months ago. Whenever I want the most up to date Covid 19 info I just check this message board or ask my dentist. |
| June 12, 2020 jfsully 82 posts | SKIPPED OVER THE IMPORTANT PHRASES : "especially in large crowds" "crowds of people together" Softball fields are not crowded places like subways. And,of course, "the SCIENCE" on masks has changed in the last several months ... Try wearing an N95 in the heat of summer. The others become almost useless once they become damp. (Unless you pay in an air conditioned dome, I would guess it gets hot) Or maybe that WHO suggest 1 meter for SD, (most of europe is 1 1.5 meters) yet we came up with 6 feet... want the science? ENgland went 2 meters because they didnt believe people would stay 1 meter apart If you want to stay up on COVID read about things like little or no asymptomatic spread and the CDC statement that the virus doe NOT spread easily from contaminated surfaces. Or just stay home and let the rest of us play |
| June 12, 2020 Dbax Men's 65 2100 posts | First off I made no references to playing or not playing. I responded to a post that said that wearing a mask does not really do anything in the way of prevention. Every doctor and scientist says it does, now that restrictions have been lifted and idiots are no longer social distancing. SSUSA is trying to play a tournament safely and within CDC guidelines, and someone is complaining that the catcher needs to wear a mask. Unbelievable. |
| June 12, 2020 SSUSA Staff 3485 posts | There are two choices (ONLY) here for those intent on catching ... There is no third option ... • The catcher WILL wear a mask; or • The player will be playing a position other than catcher ... |
| June 13, 2020 jfsully 82 posts | LOL ..and note to SSUSA staff at the end. You lost all credibility at "Every doctor and scientist says it does" .... Even Birx said "IF you cant social distance" and SD is 6 feet apart in the USA (but less in many other countries. Interesting, I didnt know science or a virus changed based on the language spoken) Also the virus does not jump from person to person and requires close contact for a prolonged period of time (10-15 minute) Muzzles, face diapers etc have NOT been used by many anesthesiologists in surgery for a number of years. In fact it has been questioned over the last many years, if masks are really even needed by medical professionals. Then came the fear mongers. People who don't even understand that to have ANY effect of filtering, they must be worn correctly. That the fabric ones are for show and can actually cause problems and that even surgical masks offer little help. When the masks becomes wet (sweating maybe could cause that?)) the are uselessa and harmful. People who don't know what viral load means or don't realize that , as one country recently said "its no worse than the common cold (there are 4 coronaviruses that circulate the globe each year and cause a version of the cold) "or the FLU" (which kills 10s of thousands each year. If we lose another 60,000 people in the USA this will be as bad as the Hong Kong virus int he late 1960's. remember wearing masks to school, lockups etc? ... nah ... we had Woodstock and riots and barely noticed) There is nothing worse than people that THINK they know what they are talking about..... Well maybe there is.... People who try to make others do things because of their own irrational fear. (BTW I have connections to Fauci and am in contact with have worked in the same field with him at NIH and they talk almost weekly) What about a person has already had COVIE and recovered.(and dont try the outdated antibodies may not protect)That person cannot infect anyone else yet YOU want them to wear a mask? (BTW that person is me, I had it after coming back from Europe in mid-late February. Yes I have been tested and, like 85-95% of the people, it was a bad flu ...) And to the SSUSA staff : The lawsuit is going to be interesting when you get nailed for some older player, in 90 degree heat who dies because of the mask. (China removed wearing masks for physical activity after a student died because of consequences of it in PE class.https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8283965/Two-Chinese-boys-drop-dead-run-PE-lessons-wearing-face-masks.html) Some people can only play catcher. Bad knees, older, bad shoulder a million reasons. but YOU , in your infinite wisdom are mandating they wear a mask or not play? Exercise. heat and reducing oxygen intake are NOT a good combination. And YOU, SSUSA, are requiring that combination. I hope the liability insurance is paid up. (As additional info, a virus is not alive. It is a chemical compound that needs a host to replicate and that is its only "goal". It does NOT want to kill its host which is why viruses mutate over time to become less dangerous. This has already mutated substantially. Case count is not an issue. Do we focus on how many people get a cold each year? The issue is ability to treat (remember flatten the curve) and deaths. ) |
| June 13, 2020 OZ40 549 posts | I believe I was the only poster on this thread who mentioned hearing about this whole mask thing from my dentist I gather Dbax was referencing me in his snarky little post. I could list ad nauseum the counter arguments to the whole wear a mask argument. But I will suffice in saying when snarky references are made and the poster lacks the spine to spell it out who he or she is referring to that speaks volumes of their character. As a sidebar, my dentist whom I grew up with, has been more correct in his assessments then the so called 'experts' who at the onset predicted 2.5 million US deaths. We now stand at over 100k deaths. |
| June 13, 2020 bkb555 301 posts | Just wear a mask if you are catching...pretty simple |
| June 13, 2020 AJC Men's 60 218 posts | Is a catcher wearing a mask for 5 minutes at a time really putting themselves at risk ? Is the catcher better off not wearing one at all ? Do you think for a moment that it is SSUSA idea for catchers to wear a mask or could it be possibly an idea to present to countys and park and rec depts to show what will be done so we can take ghe field again ? If a player cannot wear a mask for 5 minutes without having some type of health risk or breathing obstruction he shouldnt be out there in the first place. The threat of a lawsuit is such BS. For those that have concerns about their safety, its understandable. There is so much contradictory information its hard to decipher who and what to believe. Id like to think with a little common sense & social distancing we would be ok to play. Id rather follow what ever guidelines that we are asked to follow so we can get back on the field then sit at home for another month. |
| June 13, 2020 Gavin5 Men's 70 30 posts | For those opposing masks for catchers,reminder--it's not for YOUR protection, rather the BATTER'S. With Covid, masks mainly stop the transmission, not so much the reception. |
| June 13, 2020 OZ40 549 posts | No one should be shamed for wearing a mask and no one should be shamed for not wearing one. It should be a personal choice. Some in our pick-up games have one, most don’t, no one remarks either way. Did you know that the CDC says the disease “spreads mainly among people who are in close contact (within about 6 feet) for a prolonged period”? It takes close contact with an infected person for several minutes to get infected yourself, a take agreed-upon by none other than the New England Journal of Medicine, which covered both sides in the debate over the use of universal masking in hospitals early on in the pandemic: “We know that wearing a mask outside health care facilities offers little, if any, protection from infection,” the article reads. “Public health authorities define a significant exposure to Covid-19 as face-to-face contact within 6 feet with a patient with SYMPTOMATIC Covid-19 that is sustained for at least a few minutes (and some say more than 10 minutes or even 30 minutes). The chance of catching Covid-19 from a passing interaction in a public space is therefore minimal. In many cases, the desire for widespread masking is a reflexive reaction to anxiety over the pandemic. I would be remiss not to mention the strong case made by Dr. Russell Blaylock in his article for Technocracy, contending that mask-wearing is not only useless but possibly even dangerous over the long-haul. It’s worth a read, even if you’re skeptical. Just from a common-sense perspective it definitely doesn’t seem wise to breathe one’s own breath for long periods of time. Our overlords told us this virus would kill, at the very least, one to two percent of those it infected. Some predictions even approached five. In reality, the rate is well under half of one percent and declining rapidly as antibody test reveal the extent of the original infection. Do the scientific studies that support mask wearing point out the fact that the things are, by everyone’s admission, Petri Dishes? |
| June 13, 2020 jfsully 82 posts | I've never seen a batter in the batters box in slow pitch softball for 10-15 minutes in one at bat. The masks that people wear, when they get wet are USELESS. Keep in mind we are doing a physical activity. So a catcher now only has a mask on for 5 minutes. You must have some really short innings/games where you play. Its not BS when people have overheated and DIED from wearing masks because they restrict your breathing(Duh). You require someone to wear one and they die, that liability cannot be signed away. Dont be condescending with your "its to protect others" BS. Most catchers are never any nearer than 1M (The WHO's recommendation) and even our CDC says "masks IF you cant maintain SD"(6f). Not masks and SD. The COVID viral size is smaller than the masker ability to filter it in any meaningful way. It is even more galling IF an organization gives in to ridiculous ideas to give in to bureaucrats who have ZERO idea of the facts. If a city or county said everyone had to be clean shaven or they couldn't play. Want to go along with that? We all lived through a virus situation that was substantially worse than this,no one was in a panic.Some of us through 2 situations. Hong Kong Virus in the late 1960's and in the 1950's the Asian Virus. Both killed 2 to 4 times more people than this. |
| June 13, 2020 OZ40 549 posts | If six feet is a safe distance then why do we have to wear a mask and if masks do the trick why do we have to stand 6 feet away? |
| June 13, 2020 bkb555 301 posts | Just wear the mask if you catch, forget all the what ifs and so on....the rule has been stated, stay away from the position if you object or stay on the bench and AH |
| June 13, 2020 AJC Men's 60 218 posts | How long does an average half inning take where you play ? Since the 1 - 1 count has been implemented half innings are much faster. There is no more waiting for a strike to hit the bat before the bat comes off the shoulder and the batter is ready to swing. No one wants to wear a mask, but if that is what is required so be it. I work outside usally in the direct sun, i have a couple of accounts which have asked me to wear a mask while im there even tho no one is around me while imnworking. I know temps at times have been 100 and worked for a few hours with a mask on. I dont like it but ive never felt like it hampered my breathing. I know its a lot more strenous than tossing a softball back to the pitcher ( ok, 6 minutes at a time ). The point is, if you cant handle being out there for 5 minutes or more, you shouldn't be out there. As far as litigation goes, is someone going to have a pre existing condition, play anyway , get sick and then sue ? For that id say is BS. Shouldnt the player decide whether they can perform under that requirement and own their own decision ? You shouldnt be allowed to have it both ways. No one is making anyone play, its a decision made by each player if they want to participate or not. |
| June 13, 2020 OZ40 549 posts | “Public health authorities define a significant exposure to Covid-19 as face-to-face contact within 6 feet with a patient with SYMPTOMATIC Covid-19 that is sustained for at least a few minutes (and some say more than 10 minutes or even 30 minutes). The chance of catching Covid-19 from a passing interaction in a public space is therefore minimal. Okay, half inning or not, game time is still 90 minutes. I guess between being on defense and offense the catcher can remove the mask, oops! Not so fast, don't touch your face. On/off with the mask through the course of a game involves at least 13 (egad, it would have to be 13) face touchings! 13 times touching your face and then handling the newly sanitized softball and infecting your pitcher and fielders, not to mention the coaches or spectators who retrieve and toss in foul balls. Then setting the mask somewhere when it's your turn to hit, oops, now you've infected the bench or fence. Well of course you could just pull it down around your neck and soak it with sweat rendering it useless and dangerous!! Sounds ridiculous? You bet. Just as this post was intended to be absurd, sometimes you need to be absurd to illustrate absurdity. It is indeed everyone's own decision whether or not to play, a decision I've yet had to deal with so far. |
| June 13, 2020 DaveDowell Men's 70 4312 posts | bkb555 and AJC ... Thanks for the logical and accurate analysis, so here's a wrap-up ... Participation in SSUSA events is a voluntary activity ... Nobody is compelled to play ... Those who play are, however, subject to the SSUSA rules governing everyone's participation ... There are (only) three concisely simple rules relevant for this discussion ... • Those electing to play the position of catcher WILL be required to wear a covering over their mouth and nose; • Those who may object to wearing a covering over their mouth and nose will still be allowed to play, but NOT in the defensive position of catcher; and • SSUSA has recently engaged independent legal counsel to modify the Softball Player Contract/Waiver ... In short, we made a few changes to more expressly state that the risk of contracting COVID-19 is inherent and assumed by the participant ... ALL players will be required to sign this agreement as a precondition to playing ... Players who may seek to either modify the document or decline to execute it will be prohibited from playing ... There shouldn't be any reasonable expectation that additional commentary here will result in changes to the policies mentioned above prior to SSUSA seeing them in tournament action ... In the interim, anonymous amateur legal and/or medical analysis will continue to be disregarded ... As has been the case from the start, if you are uncomfortable with playing, by all means do not do so ... For those wanting to play, we have adopted policies consistent with the CDC and state/local governmental entities and hope you safely enjoy your participation at locations where legally permitted ... Good luck to all! |
