It seemed unusual that no sooner had I read an article about the young pitcher in California who was hit in the head with a baseball, that I had a near miss at one of our first games of the year. The pitcher in our game was hit in the left shin with a line drive and, despite being able to remain standing, was in obvious pain. He tried to minimize the injury and continue to play, but his coach (they were the visiting team) decided he didn't want him to continue. (Fortunately, I would have recommended the same.) The young man spent the rest of the game on the bench with ice on his leg.
What I found most interesting was the conversation that ensued. An older gentleman who was watching the was horrified "to see this happen again" and wondered why the metal bats were still permitted in the game. To say that this person was a traditionalist would be an understatement. He continued to complain until a couple of younger fans accused him of being "outdated, out of touch and being an alarmist." I found it disconcerting to see the younger fans with such a lack of concern for the potential severity an injury. I assume that it was primarily because I have been around the game long enough to see some terrible injuries from line drives. It also demonstrated for me the "invincible attitude" that adolescents possess and use in their decision making process.
While I am not convinced that the metal bats have increased the number of injuries that have occurred from the line drives, I do feel that the severity of the injuries are certainly greater. I also understand that the home run makes the game much more exciting, but I question if it is worth the risk of injury.
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