Slow pitch softball thread

[Iwritecode]

 

I'm supposed to join a Thursday night league in a few weeks. It will be the first time I've played in any kind of organized league since HS.

 

Other than helping out at my daughter's practices, playing around a bit in an empty field or hitting in a batting cage a handful of times I haven't really done much baseball activity in the last 20 years. So it should be interesting.

 

I went 2 for 2 with 2 runs scored and didn't injure myself. I think that's a pretty good debut. Didn't get to play the field because we won 17-0 in the 4th inning.

[Kyyle23]

Iwritecode is a ringer. I knew it

[GGajewski18]

Midwest league?

 

That's right. You've heard of it? I'll be playing for the Marlins.

[Iwritecode]

Iwritecode is a ringer. I knew it

 

Shh...

 

 

In my first AB I heard someone say I looked like Kris Bryant in the batter's box. I was wearing a sox shirt and hat at the time.

Edited April 17, 2015 by Iwritecode

[Kyyle23]

That's right. You've heard of it? I'll be playing for the Marlins.

 

a few of my teammates have played in that league. Their championship series was played in Miller Park. But they got tired of the travel every weekend and ended up playing softball with me, natural progression

[Brian]

Our first game isn't until the 30th. Unless rain pushes it back like every year

[GGajewski18]

a few of my teammates have played in that league. Their championship series was played in Miller Park. But they got tired of the travel every weekend and ended up playing softball with me, natural progression

 

Lol yeah the travel is brutal a bit. But my home field is right next to my house, and we only have one game away from there. Pumped about that.

[Iwritecode]

Finally got to play my first full 7 inning (plus one extra inning) game on Thursday.

 

They put me at first base and I caught everything they threw at me including a few low throws that I had to pick out of the dirt and a few with the sun directly in my eyes. Even managed an unorthodox DP by catching a runner trying to go from 2nd to 3rd on an infield grounder.

 

I'm glad I played well but I really don't like playing first. Probably my least favorite position besides catcher.

 

My swing was all off because I kept hitting everything off the handle of the bat. I even struck out once on a pitch that was high and outside. I'm pretty sure it was because we were already in the 8th inning and the ump wanted to move the game along. The game before us had gone into extras as well so we were running pretty late.

 

I'm sooo out of shape though. Finally today I'm able to walk around without my legs hurting so much. We have a DH at the end of May that might just kill me.

[Kyyle23]

Finally got to play my first full 7 inning (plus one extra inning) game on Thursday.

 

They put me at first base and I caught everything they threw at me including a few low throws that I had to pick out of the dirt and a few with the sun directly in my eyes. Even managed an unorthodox DP by catching a runner trying to go from 2nd to 3rd on an infield grounder.

 

I'm glad I played well but I really don't like playing first. Probably my least favorite position besides catcher.

 

My swing was all off because I kept hitting everything off the handle of the bat. I even struck out once on a pitch that was high and outside. I'm pretty sure it was because we were already in the 8th inning and the ump wanted to move the game along. The game before us had gone into extras as well so we were running pretty late.

 

I'm sooo out of shape though. Finally today I'm able to walk around without my legs hurting so much. We have a DH at the end of May that might just kill me.

 

Every friday i walk like an old man at work

[Brian]

Every friday i walk like an old man at work

 

I had to cut down my basketball playing to once a week because I got to the point where the day after I play, I'm limping and laboring.

[Kyyle23]

a few years ago i just said f*** it and bought those Ace knee braces, and it has actually helped me a lot. My knees dont bother me much, if at all after the games. Its just the quads and my back that tighten up. Before the braces, there was a lot of post game knee popping and ankle popping.

[Iwritecode]

I've always understood the rule for runners in slow-pitch to be that they can’t leave the base until the ball is hit. One guy on the other team kept ending up 3 or 4 steps off the base even when the batter didn't make contact.

 

After a pretty heated “debate” between one of our outfielders and the runner, the umpire clarified the rule. The runner is allowed to leave the base once the ball crosses the plate. If the batter doesn't swing, it’s a dead ball. If the batter swings and misses, it’s a dead ball.

 

Seems a bit nit-picky but I guess that extra split second between waiting for the batter to make contact and just running as soon as the ball gets to the plate may make a difference.

 

[Kyyle23]

For us it has to cross the plate as well. I have played in leagues where you can steal bases too, now that is weird. The pitcher can fake pitch, and if he fakes and you are off the base, you are out. If he delivers the pitch to the plate you can run

[Brian]

We noticed yesterday that two traveling teams from our area joined our Thursday rec league to get extra games and at bats in.

It's BS because they will just kill everyone and meet in the title game. It's a f'n rec league. Go somewhere else.

[chw42]

It's rained for almost two straight weeks in Austin (almost unheard of). I haven't played a game since last Thursday.

[Iwritecode]

I haven't played a actual game in the last 3 weeks. Two weeks were rained out. Last week only 5 guys showed up for the other team. We did have a scrimmage game with them though. Had to lend them a few of our players.

 

We have double-headers this week and next to make up for the rain-outs.

[bigruss]

Im in a 16in coed league in Lincoln Park this summer, played against a bunch of douches this past Thursday.

 

We were tied going into the 5th (we only had 4 guys so it was a pleasant suprise for our winless team) but then our defense pretty much just fell apart (dropped balls, girls just not paying attention at all, etc) and gave up 9 runs. During the next inning, this short guy gets a single but then takes off for 2nd because he sees a girl had picked the ball up. He makes it easily of course and I shouted at him from SS to take it easy, you're up by 9 runs no need to take the extra base. The next inning he's up again and points to me before he goes to the plate (he proceeds to hit a grounder to me and I threw him out by 2 feet or so only to have our first basemen drop the throw). Then in the last inning we have our bottom of the order up and they bring in a new pitcher who is now throwing "curve balls", and at this point we are down like 18 runs (we really fell apart the last few innings). I'm competitive but damn douche moves by that team.

[RockRaines]

Im in a 16in coed league in Lincoln Park this summer, played against a bunch of douches this past Thursday.

 

We were tied going into the 5th (we only had 4 guys so it was a pleasant suprise for our winless team) but then our defense pretty much just fell apart (dropped balls, girls just not paying attention at all, etc) and gave up 9 runs. During the next inning, this short guy gets a single but then takes off for 2nd because he sees a girl had picked the ball up. He makes it easily of course and I shouted at him from SS to take it easy, you're up by 9 runs no need to take the extra base. The next inning he's up again and points to me before he goes to the plate (he proceeds to hit a grounder to me and I threw him out by 2 feet or so only to have our first basemen drop the throw). Then in the last inning we have our bottom of the order up and they bring in a new pitcher who is now throwing "curve balls", and at this point we are down like 18 runs (we really fell apart the last few innings). I'm competitive but damn douche moves by that team.

Yeah you'll see that from time to time. The douche who runs the PSG league started a fight by pushing one of our girls for getting in his way. Better to just laugh at those idiots.

[chw42]

We noticed yesterday that two traveling teams from our area joined our Thursday rec league to get extra games and at bats in.

It's BS because they will just kill everyone and meet in the title game. It's a f'n rec league. Go somewhere else.

 

We used to have a ridiculously good team on Thursday nights. We didn't lose a game in 2 straight seasons. Then our manager got really involved in USSSA tournaments and started using the team as a way to recruit players and try them out before tournaments. Then we started sucking and more or less everybody quit the team.

 

League night just isn't fun anymore when you're using it to warm up for tournaments or bigger games.

 

 

[Kyyle23]

We used to have a ridiculously good team on Thursday nights. We didn't lose a game in 2 straight seasons. Then our manager got really involved in USSSA tournaments and started using the team as a way to recruit players and try them out before tournaments. Then we started sucking and more or less everybody quit the team.

 

League night just isn't fun anymore when you're using it to warm up for tournaments or bigger games.

 

USSSA is weird. We play in a hybrid ISA/ASA league, and there have been a few players that have come in from USSSA and they have been totally outclassed. I dont know what the difference is, but we had one guy pitch against us, and he was a tourney player. We lit the guy up, the final score was like 26-2 slaughter rule, and when he hit he looked like he never swung a bat.

[chw42]

USSSA is weird. We play in a hybrid ISA/ASA league, and there have been a few players that have come in from USSSA and they have been totally outclassed. I dont know what the difference is, but we had one guy pitch against us, and he was a tourney player. We lit the guy up, the final score was like 26-2 slaughter rule, and when he hit he looked like he never swung a bat.

 

USSSA pitching is flat. The arc is 3-10 feet, so people can tee off more. When you put in the 6-12 foot ASA arc, a lot of players struggle with it. I have two completely different approaches for the two leagues. I don't have any kind of leg kick in USSSA, but I almost have to in ASA or else I'll hit everything foul.

 

I actually enjoy USSSA pitching more, but people who usually play the tournaments are assholes. Whereas you get people just playing for enjoyment on weeknights, some of the people who come out of the weekend tournaments think softball is their life.

 

Around here, USSSA is where all the best players play. If you want to play real competitively, you play USSSA. I've never seen an actually sanctioned ASA or ISA tournament here in Austin.

Edited July 6, 2015 by chw42

[NorthSideSox72]

Im in a 16in coed league in Lincoln Park this summer, played against a bunch of douches this past Thursday.

 

We were tied going into the 5th (we only had 4 guys so it was a pleasant suprise for our winless team) but then our defense pretty much just fell apart (dropped balls, girls just not paying attention at all, etc) and gave up 9 runs. During the next inning, this short guy gets a single but then takes off for 2nd because he sees a girl had picked the ball up. He makes it easily of course and I shouted at him from SS to take it easy, you're up by 9 runs no need to take the extra base. The next inning he's up again and points to me before he goes to the plate (he proceeds to hit a grounder to me and I threw him out by 2 feet or so only to have our first basemen drop the throw). Then in the last inning we have our bottom of the order up and they bring in a new pitcher who is now throwing "curve balls", and at this point we are down like 18 runs (we really fell apart the last few innings). I'm competitive but damn douche moves by that team.

As a guy who often pitches when playing 16", I just want to point out that you can't really throw curveballs. With the arc minimum at 6' (and usually it's a lot more than that), at that low a velocity, you can't get enough horizontal rotation to have it actually move in any meaningful way. You CAN put serious backspin on it if you flip-pitch like I do, which makes it drop harder as it approaches the plate, but that's really it. It is 90% about location and arc/velocity, along with maybe some side-jump angle tricks. The spin is limited to making it drop a little harder.

 

[bigruss]

As a guy who often pitches when playing 16", I just want to point out that you can't really throw curveballs. With the arc minimum at 6' (and usually it's a lot more than that), at that low a velocity, you can't get enough horizontal rotation to have it actually move in any meaningful way. You CAN put serious backspin on it if you flip-pitch like I do, which makes it drop harder as it approaches the plate, but that's really it. It is 90% about location and arc/velocity, along with maybe some side-jump angle tricks. The spin is limited to making it drop a little harder.

Yea I know, they weren't really curveballs but he was doing the whole side-step thing to try and put any curve he could on it.

 

The pitcher previous to him did the backspin flip pitch as well as doing "fake" pitches all the time (would do the motion, stop, then would pitch fast after that trying to get your timing off). I may do that to a top hitter, but not to bottom of the order girls especially when up 15 runs.

[NorthSideSox72]

Yea I know, they weren't really curveballs but he was doing the whole side-step thing to try and put any curve he could on it.

 

The pitcher previous to him did the backspin flip pitch as well as doing "fake" pitches all the time (would do the motion, stop, then would pitch fast after that trying to get your timing off). I may do that to a top hitter, but not to bottom of the order girls especially when up 15 runs.

I only do the pump fakes if I have a reason. Like, the hitter is talking crap (usually just for fun), or the like. Otherwise I don't bother. Though I will sometimes pause before I pitch just for a second or two longer than seems needed, or speed up or slow down the motion, just so they can't get a good timing going. I rarely do the sidestep either, unless the hitter is clearly pounding my pitches.

 

Also, for whatever reason, while I can pitch 16 pretty well, I am awful with pitching 12.

 

[chw42]

I only do the pump fakes if I have a reason. Like, the hitter is talking crap (usually just for fun), or the like. Otherwise I don't bother. Though I will sometimes pause before I pitch just for a second or two longer than seems needed, or speed up or slow down the motion, just so they can't get a good timing going. I rarely do the sidestep either, unless the hitter is clearly pounding my pitches.

 

Also, for whatever reason, while I can pitch 16 pretty well, I am awful with pitching 12.

 

There's actually the possibility of getting blasted by a ball in 12 when you pitch. 16 comes off a lot slower and the ball isn't as hard, so it might be a mental thing. At least it would be for me.