Griswold is coming out of retirement...after 38 years....

[Friarfan]

1. Does anyone else currently play in a Roy Hobbs-type league?
2. What kind of advice does anyone have regarding training (both work-out and hitting-wise)?
3. My biggest fear is real pitching....I can hit in batting cages....so what videos, etc should I watch regarding learning about the rotation of pitches, etc. to help me understand the theory and basics of hitting live pitching?

4. Anything you can think of?

Thanks in advance!

Gris

Exciting stuff, Bob. I'm excited for you. Not that I have any time with an (almost) 2 year old and my work schedule keeping me busy, but I'd love to put on the tools of ignorance again and get behind the plate.

My advice (mainly regarding subject #3) - you HAVE to see some live pitching first. Hitting in a cage is one thing, but you need to see the ball coming out of a live arm before you'll have any success. Watching vidoes and doing your homework that way won't hurt, but you need to see live pitching first, or you'll look foolish your first few times up. Get a buddy to throw you some BP, doesn't need to even be at any kind of velocity, but just seeing a ball coming out of a hand will help tremendously. Starting out by hitting off a tee, then graduating to a machine, then live pitching would be ideal. Don't do too much, just throw the bat head at the ball. Concentrate on just seeing the ball before you move on to stuff like stance, stride, reading the seems, etc.

Conditionng? Bah, it's baseball, as long as you can run 90 feet at a time, you're fine.

[griswold]

this is my second year of playing baseball in my silly league and my first year of doing it as a 40-year-old. the one piece of advice I can offer you, especially if you're playing left field: by the time your shoulder hurts from throwing the ball, you've already gone way past how much work you should have done. As soon as you start feeling twinges or dead arm, rest it for a little while. work on your hitting or run or something. but if you get to the point where you just can't throw any more, your arm is going to be useless for a couple days.

Good advice...I don't have that strong of an arm anyways...but I'll make sure to shut it down at early twinges. Thanks, mjl

[griswold]

Exciting stuff, Bob. I'm excited for you. Not that I have any time with an (almost) 2 year old and my work schedule keeping me busy, but I'd love to put on the tools of ignorance again and get behind the plate.

My advice (mainly regarding subject #3) - you HAVE to see some live pitching first. Hitting in a cage is one thing, but you need to see the ball coming out of a live arm before you'll have any success. Watching vidoes and doing your homework that way won't hurt, but you need to see live pitching first, or you'll look foolish your first few times up. Get a buddy to throw you some BP, doesn't need to even be at any kind of velocity, but just seeing a ball coming out of a hand will help tremendously. Starting out by hitting off a tee, then graduating to a machine, then live pitching would be ideal. Don't do too much, just throw the bat head at the ball. Concentrate on just seeing the ball before you move on to stuff like stance, stride, reading the seems, etc.

Conditionng? Bah, it's baseball, as long as you can run 90 feet at a time, you're fine.

Yeah, buckeye1 (Frank) and I did that some last night. Hit off the tee, then used the machine and then he soft tossed baseballs at me from like 20 feet.

Wed night is our first practice with the team. I'm hoping someone can pitch to me there.

Thanks for the support, buddy!

I'll keep you informed of my progress.

[Cobain's Ghost]

what is this league's position on ped's?

[baldgriff]

Call your shot ---------- and then bunt!

[In the Corn]

Wink at the pitcher and then watch out for "in your ear."

[griswold]

what is this league's position on ped's?

Does Aspercream count as a PED?

[griswold]

Wink at the pitcher and then watch out for "in your ear."

Lol....not that there is anything wrong with putting one in your ear?

[Steve]

what is this league's position on ped's?

I'd bet they consider beer a PED.

[Long John]

Good advice! I played old-man softball until 2 years ago.

The "be confident enough to let up when appropriate" will be my problem....I've always played sports like I believe that I'm still 19 but my body reminds me that I'm 49...

That will be a problem. lol

I'm the same way, Gris. I play co-ed volleyball like I'm 19 until I feel like I'm 59. And then I realize I'm 39 and I hang my head in shame realizing how out of shape I am.

[Long John]

I wish I had the arm to throw a baseball further than 15 feet these days. 2 shoulder surgeries took everything out of it

I wish I hadn't thrown so many curveballs as a kid that I didn't need TJ surgery in both elbows.
I wish I hadn't practiced throwing to second from my knees as a catcher so that my knees would allow me to get up when I squat down.
I also wish I hadn't had to type so much as an adult that I didn't need carpel tunnel surgery on both arms.

Well, at least my mind is intact...

[griswold]

Well, at least my mind is intact...

[Judge Jude]

Baseball, a game meant to be played by children and professional athletes.

Enjoy!

[griswold]

Baseball, a game meant to be played by children and professional athletes.

Enjoy!

Children...yep, that's what my wife said....