Still overwhelmingly astonished by the sexist double standards and lack of safety precautions in sports. It’s 2013! Preconceived notions, antiquated ideology, sexist ideas and keeping it the way things were because “that’s the way my daddy did it” are, well, bullshit!
What am I talking about you ask?
Well, I’ve spent a lot of time the last couple of weeks, watching the Women’s College World Series (WCWS) in softball, and the men’s College World Series (CWS) in baseball. I’ve greatly enjoyed the sportsmanship (overall) and the excitement and drama of the games. While watching these games however, I’ve noticed a great deal of differences in the women’s games, and the men’s games.
While I understand there are differences, some more major than meets the eye, between softball and baseball, I found myself astonished at the differences in safety precaution and the protection from future injury. First I’m going to talk about safety, then we’re going to discuss future injury and the sexist ways in which these are considered.
First, safety. I thought this was quite interesting as I watched WCWS games. Especially notable to me was watching Washington and Tennessee play. Almost every player had a face mask on their batting helmets. What? Should we protect the “little ladies” faces in case they’re hit by a pitch??
Not a single face mask in a CWS game. I guess we don’t care what the guys look like as they get drilled in the face with a fastball? If my father played baseball without a face mask, why should I? It’s not macho to protect yourself perhaps? Or maybe I won’t be able to see the ball as well with a mask? Let me tell you boys, some of those girls had no problems at all crushing the ball with their mask. Or, use a mask like some of the hockey players do that’s just a clear shield. We’ve got some guys out there with major injuries in baseball that need to push for better safety measures – we’ve pushed for PED’s out of the game (with varied success in the news lately), we’ve pushed for batting helmets, athletic cups etc. We need to take the next steps.
After watching these games, I started thinking. I researched some of the greater safety measures invented in the sports I had played. The first cup was invented in 1874 for biking. The cup was first used in baseball by a catcher with added protection in 1904. So let me get this straight… it took us 30 years to “man up” and have a catcher start using an athletic cup after it was invented? The plastic helmet was invented for greater protection by Riddell in 1938 and used in football. Helmets in football began to be used in the 1920’s (you know, those super sexy leather ones), it took until 1938 for us to come up with a more sturdy brain bucket?!?!?!?
So in total it took 34 years for men to decide that protecting their brains, was as important as protecting their junk? C’mon! Even if that were true in the stone age, why do we continue this cycle in 2013??
Finally, let’s discuss future injury. Major League Baseball has this strange sense, that a pitcher cannot pitch beyond 100 pitches. They used to pitch well into 100, 150+ pitches on a consistent basis. There were less “specialists” of course, but pitching beyond 100, wasn’t considered detrimental to a pitchers health. This thought process has steeped into the psyche of college coaches, at least on the men’s side of the circuit. However, as I’ve watched a lot of the WCWS games, I’ve noticed, 100 pitches is nothing for these young ladies. I watched a game that went 15 innings, multiple runs scored on both sides, and multiple hits and runners left on base. Each side used 2 pitchers. Each of these 4 pitchers went over 100 pitches each. And one young lady in relief for Nebraska, went to 185 pitches! Why is it okay to protect these men and their arms, but not these young ladies? Is it the millions invested or potentially invested in these young men, or is it their health? Making decisions based on money, is not what a caring coach should do! If it’s truly their health, why is it okay for a young lady to almost double her pitch count compared to her male counterparts??
Yes, I understand that women pitch from closer to home plate, so they’re not throwing it as far (should they wear helmets and face masks too then? these aluminum bats have the ball explode into the field, both male and female – shouldn’t corner infielders and pitchers wear helmets as the 1st and 3rd base COACHES in MLB do?) but the ball is heavier. I understand the pitching motion in inherently different. But there’s still a ton of torque and violent twisting, pushing and rotation on a shoulder and arm in a fast pitch softball pitch (not to mention the spin they put on these balls to create the motion of the ball mid-air). This can still lead to Tommy John and rotator cuff issues if not surgery.
So while it’s important we protect the “little ladies” faces, it’s not important to protect them from future injury in their shoulder and arms? I guess if you’re just the little lady, barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen, you need a pretty face, but not a strong arm later in life. “That’s the man’s job!”
I don’t understand how these antebellum – 1950’s era thought processes can continue in today’s age. This is mind boggling to me. Infuriating even. If all “men” are created equal, that applies to the “fairer sex” as well, why protect the guys arm and shoulder, while destroying the lady’s? Why protect the woman from potential head and facial injuries, but ignore that possibility for the man?
I guess it goes back to the way I was raised as a boy. All men are created equal, but a woman is just as equal too. It’s a shame that in 2013, we can’t get beyond some of the sexist ideas we’ve grown up with, and protect every player equally. What’s good for the goose, is good for the gander, and vice versa.
polarbearmusings 