Softball!

[Teenwolf]

Last year, I got into 2 games with the college radio slow-pitch team (The Re-Ups), and played horribly. In 2 games, I think I went 0-7 with 4-5 errors in RF. Brutal. Definitely didn't help that I was drinking all day through a double-header.

After years of trying, I finally weaseled my way into a fast-pitch league this year. I find hitting a lot easier to do in fast pitch, as opposed to corkscrewing into the ground on a slow looping pitch.

First game: 1-3, single and a BB. Fielding was still very rough. 2-3 errors in RF, though it was played in terrible conditions, rain and a sloppy field.

Second game: 1-4, but the one hit was absolutely crushed over the LF's head, and he was playing deep to begin with. Problem is, I'm out of shape and slow, so what should've been at least a double or triple was held to a single when my baserunner wasn't budging off 2nd and held me there.

Anybody else still playing, or are the sports bar patrons too old and broken down? :P Also, my shoulder kills me, but f*ck it. I'll play through it.

[senorsheep]

Still playing, and still loving it. I've been playing with the same group of guys for 20 years. When we were 25, we used to wonder "How can these old guys beat us every week?" Now we're the old guys laying the smacketh down on those young punks.

I pitch and hit leadoff. Pretty sad that I'm the "wheels" of the team. LOL

I think I'm one of three guys on the team that has yet to have a sports-related surgery. :knockonwood: I definitely feel the pain after a doubleheader, especially early in the season, but it's nothing a good soak in the hot tub can't cure.

[Teenwolf]

That's awesome, Sheep. Do you allow base-stealing? Our league allows leading off or stealing after the pitch leaves the pitcher's hand. I've been too chicken to take off so far, but it's tempting to cause some havoc.

[dslaw]

Just slow pitch anymore. Shoulder surgery and an extra few pounds mean I play 1b instead of OF like I did when younger but I still love it. Avg hovering around .600 this year so I need to go on a tear or else I may not make my goal of playing when I am 50. A guy ripped one to me last week that I would have backhanded and made an easy out 10 years ago - this one was into right field before I moved. Sucks getting old.

[Hammer]

I play fast pitch on Monday nights. I pitch and play 1B and while I am generally sore after throwing, I cant get enough of it and wish I had time to play more. We have has 3 of 7 games rained out and I am hitting .462 thus far. Need to get more swings in the cage as its been hard to be effective at the plate with 4 at bats every other week. We allow bunting except for when there is a runner on 3B. No stealing and leading is on the release. Pickoffs are force outs at the bag. no tag play.

[virgonomic]

I umpire around 130 games from May to September. 2/3 slo-pitch and 1/3 fast pitch. Last summer I joined a 3-pitch team. I hadn't played in a couple summers and missed it. We stayed together for the fall and winter (indoor slo-pitch). We are playing slo-pitch 2X/week this summer with umpires and I'm loving it.

I play SS/3B/LF but love 1B and had a great game there Sunday. We won 18-1.

[primetime]

I play modified fast pitch every tuesday night, can't stand slow pitch. I don't have enough patience to wait for a ball to come down.

[hacko]

I still play Dheaders on sundays - we are in a reg league our team is made up of 50 - 40 30 yeaqr olds with a few sons thrown in. - Most of the teams is made up of 20' year olds. We are always in the top 3 of the league depending on family commitments .

[swampdragon]

I play in an old man Sunday morning league. The league is competitive but my team isn't - but it is still great fun. Most of the guys are 40+

The league is a temple based league in Northern New Jersey. 16 temples each field a team.

As you can guess - the trash talk is funny and cerebral.

The lineup of
Epstein
Rosenthal
Roth
Feldman

only strikes fear if they are on the court room bench - not the dugout bench

I am the "cagey veteran" and love pitching slo-pitch (if you get two strikes on you, I do have a decent chance of making you foul out).

Every week my wife hopes that I don't get hurt - how is that for a vote of confidence.

[Judge Jude]

I just did a pretty fierce 4-mile, steep-hill hike yesterday in 85-degree weather with no rest breaks (and 2-mile hilly hikes Sunday and today), so I'm not a total couch potato even as I'm pushing 50.

But I can only imagine how many tendons I'd explode playing softball.
God bless you old-timers!

[Catfishkid]

I played fastpitch for about 18 years. I finally stopped when I hit 41. I was a catcher. I loved calling pitches, trying to figure out how to get a guy out. Our pitcher wasn't the fastest, but had a great changeup, which made calling pitches more challenging.

I stopped playing for about 7 years, but two years ago started playing in a modified fastpitch league. Not as mentally challenging, but still fun. Now that I am 50 though, I try not to catch more than half our games.

[Hammer]

I played fastpitch for about 18 years. I finally stopped when I hit 41. I was a catcher. I loved calling pitches, trying to figure out how to get a guy out. Our pitcher wasn't the fastest, but had a great changeup, which made calling pitches more challenging.

I stopped playing for about 7 years, but two years ago started playing in a modified fastpitch league. Not as mentally challenging, but still fun. Now that I am 50 though, I try not to catch more than half our games.

my dad is 57 and catches me every Monday night. Every Tuesday morning he tells me how much I lost out of the inheritance. I figure to get nothing by seasons end.

[Teenwolf]

How's the season going?

I went 3-4 with a bases clearing triple today, now hitting .423 through 7 games. Have yet to hit a HR, though I could have today if I didn't have to worry about runners stopping ahead of me.

Also, our newest player is the father of one of our guys. As a 69 year old, he isn't embarrassing himself. Though that probably says more about our level of play than his.

[virgonomic]

How's the season going?

In first place with an 8-2 record. I am our regular 1B and also play 3B. We have had a rainout, 2 forfeits and a long weekend so we hadn't played in 2 weeks. We got together to practice tonight and one of the next teams picked me up to play 3B. I was using my new Combat Wood composite bat. I went 3-3 with a triple and 2 runs. We won 9-5.

Standings http://www.rahockeyleague.com/league...0&clientID=603

Personally I am batting 0.563 with 4 RBI and 8 R in 7 games.

[hacko]

we are 12 & 1 with 1 week left & playing the other team in first for all the marbles - has been a fun year for the team & for me. After next week we play the league tourn where as the old team we have to stay out of the loser bracket. Last year we had to play 6 games on the last day and by the time we got to the championship game we moved like old men & got beat. When we get beat we get out youth (meaning they run & run.) while we compete by out thinking them,