In an unrelated story, a Little League Umpire was suspended due to lack of a brain. News at 11.

WHAT AN IDIOT!









Doesn't that kid know that if the equipment isn't approved then that means no play time? AAARRRGH!

I don't know what's worse; that the guy did this, or that he didn't think there would be an uproar.

While it sucks for this kid, I can see where allowing oxygen tanks could lead to abuse. How long before a father who wants his son to be the best, gets him an O2 tank for a fake medical condition so he can run outright at full speed for longer periods of time?

Before I decide who's side I'd take on this one I'd need to know the nature of the tank...

How "rugged" is it? Is it designed for sports with potential contact?

Oxygen tanks are under pressure, if it's not a special high stress resistance neck and regulator one misplaced baseball could cause an uncotrolled leak or even a crack at the neck of the tank and endanger both the child AND the other players.

So personally..I think the ump had the right to say the kid is out until the league approves it. If that kid (or another) got hurt because the ump allowed it..who do you think would get sued? ..the ump. CYA takes precedense over "poor little boy".

Sorry...it's not like I'm heartless, I just know that tanks under pressure and hard projectiles don't mix. Just to give you guys an idea...When I was an EMT there was a small Oxygen tank that wasn't secured properly at the squad building and left that way overnight. The next morning we found a hole in the wall and part of the neck..we never found the tank.

The tank here is in a backpack so it's obiviously desgined to be mobile...but what about high impact resistance?

I thought the same thing as Fizz. Would it just take one well placed hit with the ball to send the kid into orbit? They did the O2 tank through the wall on Mythbusters and while back and it was crazy.

Yeah...I tried to find the episode on YouTube but no luck. Did find the episode though: October 18, 2006 from season 4. Oh well.