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Oct. 23, 2012 garyheifner	Topic: Tournaments Discussion: LV World Tournament Discussion Gary 19 No, Vegas is not the highlight of my life. However, I do have to place an asteric next to my life having the guts to go to the world's and 10-11 other tournies each year and place my abilities and competitive nature against the best players in the USA. I might note that this is my 50th year of doing the above. Better than sitting around at a key board and posting irrelevant garbage. In regards to your question, when our team practices, during batting practice the infielders stand in the infield and pratice grounders and the outfielders run down flys. We then usually have a good round of infield practice, dlb plays throws from the outfield, cut offs etc. So I will place it at 50/50 hitting to defensive practice. Obviously defensive practice is kinda hard when we can't find an open infield surface at tournaments. We also stress verbal communication during live ball situations which many teams are weak on. P.S. My team never played a single tourney at full strength this year. Guys missed due to injuries, operations, birthdays. weddings, church activities, class reunions etc.
Oct. 22, 2012 garyheifner	Topic: Tournaments Discussion: LV World Tournament Discussion Boston What makes you possibly think seniors don't take defense seriously. Not only did my team make many great plays in Vegas and during the season, the opponents did it to us. Even had a 3rd baseman against us who couldn't react to a hard liner with his glove reach out and catch it barehanded. Still trying to figure out how he did that. Opps wait! Maybe you weren't in Vegas like Gary 19. I failed to see a single player (opponent) this year who didn't try hard on defense Don't let your comments sink to the level of Gary 19's irrelevent crap.
Oct. 21, 2012 garyheifner	Topic: Tournaments Discussion: LV World Tournament Discussion Allen55 You have a good point. That x-tra infielder up the middle is a game changer especially with the 70' bases. However, If that did happen, the rule must state that that x-tra guy must align on the dirt somewhere. I could easily see teams, (with macho I get get anything hit pitchers,) playing 5 outfielders which kills the safety factor for the pitcher aspect and it can get real hard to get a hit. I play in a dlb. header pick up league that has some great players and we use the 11th guy up the middle. It really cuts down on scoring and the games do move along.
Oct. 17, 2012 garyheifner	Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: The way softball was played back when: Yep, let's go back to the old U-trip days. I broke one guys collar bone on a slide at home and another guys ankle sliding at 2nd. Yep, I am real freggin proud of that. The umps don't even know what a 12' arc is today. How are they going to call balls and strikes without the mat. I remember dropping a legal arc 8 inches behind the plate and having it called ball 4 and we don't go to the semi's of a national tourney. He said a training course said that could be a ball. Or our 4 hitter in the same game who stood as deep as you could in the box have 3 straight pitches go over his back shoulder and have them called strikes. I remember so many games being a total bitching event for 7 straight innings. Lets go back to aluminum bats so players can cut the handles, add 2 inches and reweld to a 36" bat and sneak them into the tourney. Or cut off the end and stuff superballs in the barrell and reweld/refinish and then brag about all the Hrs they hit. For those of you who think the pitchers don't get hit at in senior ball, an opponent we played twice in a big tourney went directly up the middle "15" times in 2 games. Hey, that doesn't bother me because that's part of the job. Now, the 70 foot bases were, to me, a game changer. I kinda liked it. In vegas it definately brought the double play to a new level. I talked to several guys on a team after they beat us and we agreed there were at least 11-12 outs at 1st by a step that would have been singles on 65 footers. I think that with a runner on 1st and less than 2 outs you are going to see more guys shooting for the green rather than grounders through the infield.
Oct. 17, 2012 garyheifner	Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: The way softball was played back when: Yep, let's go back to the old U-trip days. I broke one guys collar bone on a slide at home and another guys ankle sliding at 2nd. Yep, I am real freggin proud of that. The umps don't even know what a 12' arc is today. How are they going to call balls and strikes without the mat. I remember dropping a legal arc 8 inches behind the plate and having it called ball 4 and we don't go to the semi's of a national tourney. He said a training course said that could be a ball. Or our 4 hitter in the same game who stood as deep as you could in the box have 3 straight pitches go over his back shoulder and have them called strikes. I remember so many games being a total bitching event for 7 straight innings. Lets go back to aluminum bats so players can cut the handles, add 2 inches and reweld to a 36" bat and sneak them into the tourney. Or cut off the end and stuff superballs in the barrell and reweld/refinish and then brag about all the Hrs they hit. For those of you who think the pitchers don't get hit at in senior ball, an opponent we played twice in a big tourney went directly up the middle "15" times in 2 games. Hey, that doesn't bother me because that's part of the job. Now, the 70 foot bases were, to me, a game changer. I kinda liked it. In vegas it definately brought the double play to a new level. I talked to several guys on a team after they beat us and we agreed there were at least 11-12 outs at 1st by a step that would have been singles on 65 footers. I think that with a runner on 1st and less than 2 outs you are going to see more guys shooting for the green rather than grounders through the infield.
Oct. 10, 2012 garyheifner	Topic: Tournaments Discussion: LV World Tournament Discussion "5" game Guarantee-simple 1. All the guys get to play. 2. What senior is going to to spend $1200+ for a Vegas package plus food and and x-tras drop 2 and be done on day one of a four day tourney. What, sit around the pool for three more days and then fly home. Two and done would turn Vegas into a west coast tourney. Two and done would kill the smaller qualifers. You go to qualifers to get in "5" games and practice, which according to Gary 19 will make you better and so can win the World Championship. 3. Played a bunch of U-Trip in my day and most of the bigger tournies were teams within driving distance. Drop 2-check out and go home. Vegas is a different story, especially for anyone east of the Mississippi.
Oct. 8, 2012 garyheifner	Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: How many players do you hit in worlds? We didn't win and was out of it on Day 3. In our "8" games we batted the "12" guys who came. What I have noticed this year is an overwhelming number of teams who bat 14-17 in the prelims and cut it down to 10 to 12 in the championship bracket play. We played several teams that batted their best 3 or 4 hitters at the end of the order in prelims and in their regular spots in championship play. I have to wonder whether it was to get the backups more at bats/playing time or an effort to avoid not winning all the games by a big margin and getting moved up???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????.
Sept. 29, 2012 garyheifner	Topic: Players looking to join a team Discussion: SportsmanShop Sportsman Shop Don't pay any attention to Gary 19. I believe you. The left fielder on my team is 69 and could run in the 4's-sub 5. I have seen two others this year in his speed range at the 65 level. I have had teams tell me they are afraid to pull the ball. Anyone who has seen Richie Douglas run would agree. After 30 years of coaching and timing kids in track and football I know what sub 5 looks like. See, the issue is the World Championships are going on. Gary 19 can't be a part of the 450 teams out in Vegas having a blast so he is going to be real bitchy (more than usual)the next several weeks.
Sept. 28, 2012 garyheifner	Topic: Tournaments Discussion: Participating Teams at Worlds Jawood Totally agree the TOC should be in same year. Nov. in Phoenix is perfect. I really enjoy playing there. My team has qualified for the TOC a number of times in Lakeland in Feb. Good competitive tournament but in each it has been long underwear, jackets, frost on the ground for the 8:00 am games and the wives bundled up in winter gear. That was not fun.
Sept. 27, 2012 garyheifner	Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: "Senior Moments" Age has absolutely everthing to do with it. Loss of concentration and memory loss both short and long term comes with increasing age. Think back on your parents and grandparents as they aged. I will bet the number of silly things or senior moments increased dramatically. I would like to see you repeat this post as you approach "70" if you can remember it and don't have a senior moment.
Sept. 27, 2012 garyheifner	Topic: Teams looking for players Discussion: Team looking for Non playing coach mc4softball Why don't you recruit Gary 19. He seems to have "unbelieveable" knowledge of the game/rules used in senior softball. He could be a part of the senior game and wouldn't have to swing a senior bat. I am sure his insight and knowledge would take your team to a level you never dreamed of.
Sept. 25, 2012 garyheifner	Topic: Associations Discussion: future of senior softball Harry Thom runs a very nice early season (May)tourney in Milwaukee each year. We always have 5-6 teams in the 65 division. Good teams, good fields, good umps. Great way for us Northerners to start the year and Senior Softball is alive and well in Milwaukee regardless of what the totally clueless might try and indicate. The other divisions seem to have plenty of teams for the 5 game round robin. There might be enough teams for the really younger guys if advertised. As I play in various park district and pick up games, I often mention to guys that they are really good and might enjoy the senior tour. They say, "what's that". There are millions of park district players out there. If SSUSA and the rest did more advertising there might be an overwhelming response of new teams. I don't know if Vegas could handle many more. My 65AAA division has 24 teams for next week and it will take "4" days to play it out as it is. Wow, really sounds like Senior Softball is in trouble.
Sept. 23, 2012 garyheifner	Topic: Bats Discussion: Miken U II vs Combat Ambush Gary 19 your reply above is not only lame but has a huge limp. Have you not "repeatly" said on this site that Senior Bats will take average hitters and make them big time power/batting average hitters. Maybe I missed your point but when have any of your posts made any sense?
Sept. 19, 2012 garyheifner	Topic: Bats Discussion: Miken U II vs Combat Ambush Ah, but Gary 19, Trevino and the rest of the boys used the finest-best clubs and balls that $$$$ could buy. Had they not, they/he would be long forgotten. In fact, every sport has used the best equipment that $$$ could buy throughout the history of sport. Even the gladiators in the Roman arenas and armies throughout history always invented and strived for something better. Those who cling in the past too long usually, thank God, go away. In most of history, the good old days weren't that good.
Sept. 16, 2012 garyheifner	Topic: Tournaments Discussion: Bases @ 70' P.S. I would like to see our NFL guys on a CFL field with CFL rules, it is a far more exciting spectator game. Maybe we should go to 11' or 12' foot baskets considering point guards these days can dunk with little or no effort.
Sept. 16, 2012 garyheifner	Topic: Tournaments Discussion: Bases @ 70' 65'---70' no big deal. Maybe less 2B-3B hits. Doesn't matter if you play senior ball or ASA sock ball, a hard hit ball gets to you real quick. Once you have played a few games with 70' bases, you won't remember 65 footers.
Sept. 4, 2012 garyheifner	Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: Souvenir vendors Now, let me get this straight. Gary 19 has a 46" chest and a 36" waist. WHICH-means he is top heavy WHICH-means he is prone to falling forward WHICH-means numerous concussions WHICH-means irrepairable brain damage WHICH-answers many questions that I have
Sept. 1, 2012 garyheifner	Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: Souvenir vendors Webbie25 If Gary 19 were to attend a senior event, sell senior merchandise, touch or swing a senior bat or even drive through the parking lot of a senior event, it would be hypocrisy at its' highest level. We don't need the NCAA or SSUSA to ban or apply the death penalty to him, he has already done it to himself. Basically an individual that the vast majority of us will never have to meet or compete against. Remember, the more you feed a wild animal, the more it keeps coming back.
Aug. 21, 2012 garyheifner	Topic: Bats Discussion: Testing I don't think it has as much to do with which composite bat/ball but the complete skills of the hitters for exit speed. I have pitched against big guys who hit deep towering drives or slow ground balls and little guys who smoke the ball up the middle. The only constant would be to get one of those robot machines that swings a bat at a constant preset speed/varied bat head speed and keep interchanging balls and bats for an accurate result. It would be an interesting study and I am sure there are a few out there who have the equipment to do this.
Aug. 19, 2012 garyheifner	Topic: Bats Discussion: Ambush Review Crusher I agree with you. I have an aluminum TPS I used to crush the ball with. Can't hit the 375/44 ball over 200' in batting practice when using it. I pitched U-Trip in the 70s and 80s and a little in the early 90s before composites. Ball was a blur up the middle. Guys would hit Hrs into the 2nd & 3rd rowsa of the parking lots. Senior Softball has put a lid on the technology and the ball used. The only new thing is increasing durability. The game is set, bats and balls won't get any better-deal with it. I thought this was a site to exchange ideas and thoughts without being insulted, called silly or stupid. Common sense is an interesting topic. Some may want to go back and review their body of comments and see if ever common sense came to the forefront.

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