Slowpitch

the addict

the addict

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Does anyone else play in competitive softball leagues. I played football all through school and college, and am extremely competitive. Played baseball and wrestlled in HS. Once all of that ended, I needed a fix because I couldnt live without athletics. I am a below average golfer but enjoy it. Golf however wasnt doing what I wanted for my competitive drive. I started playing slowpitch softabll in a league and it is more fun then I ever imagined. If anyone has never played I reccomend it. Absolute blast with friends. I was just curious too see how many people play after getting through school.
 
WhatsHisNuts

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10 years ago, I played in a high level league in Michigan with a bunch of guys I played college baseball with. The league played double headers every Friday night. Was a ton of fun.

Cut to 2010. Im playing in a co-ed work league. Not quite as fun, but I still like playing....even if it hurts to watch grown men miss a pop up.
 
THE KOD

THE KOD

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I used to love to play some slow pitch.

One of my fondest athletic memorys was in a game of slow pitch softball.

I was in a work league. Our team was not very good as a matter of fact we sucked as far as won loss went.

I always played first base and I was comfortable there as I could get to ground balls and take the throws and strech and all that. I never could really catch the high flys too good.

Anyways so we are scheduled to play the best team in the league. These guys were lumberjacks, and worked for a tree cutting company. They all looked like Greg Luzinski . The whole lineup. They had hit about 300 home runs already.

They had a string going of hitting a home run in every inning they played for 22 innings.

So I get to the field and alot of guys didn't show up that night. Go figure. KOD was put in center field and we put the accounting nerd guy in right field. I was nervous but I said to myself , I could do this. I could play this center field position.

Now this is from a guy that in high school one time I was not paying attention and I got hit on the top of the head by a hardball that I mis-judged in center field during a game.

I think the Lumberjacks sensed that I was out of position somehow.

The first guy up hits it two miles high and KOD takes a few steps and eyeballs it. I had alot of time to think as that ball touched the sky.

I was wondering what I was going to eat for dinner that night and other assorted thoughts.

The ball comes down from the stratosphere and I manage to catch it .

One out.

I think I pissed the big boys off with that catch.

Next batter.

Its their cleanup hitter and he looks mad. I back up a few steps nervously twitching around.

The guy rips it and I mean almost tore the hide off the ball. Its high and its long. I drift back trying to get under it. I see that it may be going out of the park so I start running hard. Somehow someway I crash into the 4 ft chain link fence and catch the ball like a ice cream outside the fence.
There was a kinda whoosh heard after the catch from the few friends and relatives sitting in the bleachers.

Two outs.

The lumberjacks huddled and I think they were talking about me. They may have decided to try someone else. I look over and there is Timmy Thompson the accounting nerd and he has his glove off and is picking dandelions. I edge over more towards right field.

Next guy up hits it hard and I mean on a line like no other softball hit in the annuls of the league.

The sound of the ball on the aluminum bat could be heard from the street. Like a chunk sound but differant.

I drift over and see Timmy holding his glove up to block the sun. I don't think Timmy was aware that he was in a softball game and he had responsibility's.

I am at a full gallop because I know Timmy aint catching that line drive screamer.

The ball was scorched like some kind of meteor entering light speed.

I am getting close to Timmy and I slide by him going about 25 mph. It seems like slow motion. Slow motion in a softball game. Kind of ironic how things happen.

All my instincts took over. Every sandlot game I had played. Every ball I had catched over the years, all the games I had been in leading up to this. Making the Lumberjacks take the field with no home runs to speak of.

The ball and my glove intersected perfectly and I catch it at a full sprint. It lands in my glove with a thud.

Three outs !

I made all three outs against the Lumberjack team

As I ran off the field the guy that hit the last ball passed me and said .... nice catch KOD.

That was all I needed to remember that day and time.

Slow pitch softball.

Them were the days my friends.
 
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THE KOD

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gardenweasel said:
not to toot my own horn:)bsflag),but back in the day,i played on a state championship industrial league slow pitch team....

industrial league means that you play on a company or organizational team(we played teams like bethlehem steel,gmac etc...all those guys were HUGE hulking monsters that hit the ball 350 feet).....it`s a step below the highest level league(which was AA at the time)...

but, basically the same industrial team was also in the AA league(by invite of the bureau of recreation honchos only after scouring the state for the best) and we finished 3rd out of 10 teams...and went 1-2 vs the eventual state champs...

tried fast pitch for a couple years,but,the sport was dying at the time and the game is just too pitcher dominant...

addict,thanks for allowing weasel the opening to brag about past glories...:walk::D
Click to expand...
................................................................

fawking minion braggard !
 
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gardenweasel

gardenweasel

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Scott-Atlanta said:
................................................................

fawking braggard !
Click to expand...

:142smilie ....it`s a sport for over-the-hill guys with damaged egos that can`t play actual baseball anymore...

i`ll say this,though..it`s nice to work for an organization that supports and provides these types of shenanigans for their employees....

you make all kinds of contacts...and of course,you spend way too much time in the bar(they also had girl`s leagues)......

i don`t think the sport is quite what it used to be back in the 70`s-80`s....

used to be big...probably because of the amount of folks growing up in the same age group at the time(baby boomers)...
 
DOGS THAT BARK

DOGS THAT BARK

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Was ate up with baseball/softball in early years like I am with golf now-
--but comes a day you know its time to hang it up. That day came after I didn't play for couple of years and decided to fill in. Problem wasn't hitting-catching or throwing but running.
Warmed up fine--batting practice better than I expected--but 1st time up hit what should have been easy double--except fell down 3 times before I got to 1st base. I had not ran "full speed" in couple of years and my legs and mind would not sinc. I thought I should be running as fast as in the past but legs would not accomodate.

Dusted myself off--and took myself out--and was emotionally shocked for several days knowing I had reached a point in life I thought only other people reached.


Scott
We played a little differently in the Missouri--our cleanup hitter batted 4th--not 2nd. :)
 
gardenweasel

gardenweasel

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DOGS THAT BARK said:
Was ate up with baseball/softball in early years like I am with golf now-
--but comes a day you know its time to hang it up. That day came after I didn't play for couple of years and decided to fill in. Problem wasn't hitting-catching or throwing but running.
Warmed up fine--batting practice better than I expected--but 1st time up hit what should have been easy double--except fell down 3 times before I got to 1st base. I had not ran "full speed" in couple of years and my legs and mind would not sinc. I thought I should be running as fast as in the past but legs would not accomodate.

Dusted myself off--and took myself out--and was emotionally shocked for several days knowing I had reached a point in life I thought only other people reached.


Scott
We played a little differently in the Missouri--our cleanup hitter batted 4th--not 2nd. :)
Click to expand...

i had a friend who was the best shortstop i ever played with...he was amazing.....he had a couple(i believe partial) knee replacements...and after the second,decided to go back and play in a 60+ league(he was a good bit older than me)...

well,he got dizzy,then sick after coming back to the bench...and collapsed and died...don`t know whther it was a blood clot hanging around after the last knee procedure or what...great guy...great athlete...i figured if anybody could get back out there,it was this guy...

dtb`s right...better to hang-em up when you know it`s time...
 
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gardenweasel said:
....it`s a sport for over-the-hill guys with damaged egos that can`t play actual baseball anymore...
Click to expand...

Stopped playing two yrs ago after playing very competitive tournaments for about 10 yrs and this quote pretty much sums it up. You would be surprised how big it still is though.

Fully sponsored teams flying guys all over with some guys actually getting paid to play, roids (duh), bats that people shave out the walls to make them unbelievable (this is what eventually made me decide to walk away, seen two pitchers take a ball in the face with zero time to react), flying across the country just for the weekend.

The tough economic times cost the "sport" some of the top spnsorships in the country the last few years but it's still crazy how serious it gets at the top state and world tournies around. This is a far cry from your local city league, 6' 5" guys roided out with hot bats and nice swings. What a sport. :sadwave:
 
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OAKAS

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I played semi-pro baseball throughout the Midwest until I was 40. Played fast-pitch softball for 2 years and like someone said above it is way too dominant on pitching. I don't know if anyone here remembers Sioux City Penn Corp. They won the World Fast-Pitch title many times. Back in the old days when Fast-Pitch was going strong, Sioux City was hot bed for softball. We had the World Tourney here 1 year.

Had many teams ask me to play Slo-Pitch, but really was not interested in playing.

I can remember our baseball team had an exhibition charity game with the top All-Star Slo-Pitch team in the area and we beat them 28-0 in 4 innings.
 
SixFive

SixFive

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I played tee-ball one year.

Fast forward to my early 20s and I start playing church league softball. I can hit home runs :shrug: and quite easily too. Pitcher can't make it one game so I give it a go. Pitched every game I ever played since. Played on the local state police time as their 'ringer'. Only guy on the team not a cop.

Not sure why, but I can hit the long ball. Probably can't now, but I had a few glory years on the slow-pitch softball diamond, and I agree, it's way fun. :0074

Lots of guys are scared to pitch too. Not me; I loved it. Always in the action, no boredom, and very fun. I always had quick enough of a release and reaction time to never get hit hard. A bruised shin is the worst injury I ever had pitching.

Best game... Co-ed. 4-5 with 3 home runs (max of 3 home runs per game in the league), a double, and 7 RBIs. I highly recommend co-ed IF you have girls that are good and care. Way more fun, and they usually carry the team.
 
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this is my first year not to play in 19 years. my body is old. played on a fantastic team out of Texas. we won 2 of the 3 state tournaments (different sanctions), 1st at regional, and were National Champs in 2001 ---> bragging I know. lot of fun but too much travel nowadays. agree with the other poster, it is completely driven by "hot" bats nowadays. when my little ass could start hitting homeruns there was a problem. :142smilie
 
gardenweasel

gardenweasel

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Tman said:
this is my first year not to play in 19 years. my body is old. played on a fantastic team out of Texas. we won 2 of the 3 state tournaments (different sanctions), 1st at regional, and were National Champs in 2001 ---> bragging I know. lot of fun but too much travel nowadays. agree with the other poster, it is completely driven by "hot" bats nowadays. when my little ass could start hitting homeruns there was a problem. :142smilie
Click to expand...

little probably being around 6`2" and 220?....:grins: ...some of these monsters are ...well,monsters....

when i played york barbell was the regional power...they really needed to have their dna checked...
 
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