Sources of injury:
(1) baseball bat, especially a broken bat
(2) thrown baseball
(3) hit ball
(4) collisions during base running or between defensive players
(5) fights
Types of serious or catastrophic injury:
(1)
oculofacial injuries (lost teeth, facial fracture, eye trauma)
(2) blunt head trauma
(3) commotio cordis
(4) cervical fracture
(5) tracheal injury
Steps to reduce injuries may include:
(1) faceguard for batters
(2) barrier protection for the catcher
(3) avoiding headfirst slides
(4) inspection of bats
(5) protection for spectators
Any protective device should be comfortable, not interfere with vision or performance, and be effective.
