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Online now: 2 members: Keys7337, twonine; 14 anonymousDiscussion: position
| Posted | Discussion |
| Dec. 17 barrym 158 posts | Feedback, tell me what is harder to play, The infeild or the outfeild. Tell me the easiest also. Also i think Brad from team demolutin will give windy city's 3rd baseball all he can handle. |
| Dec. 17 #6 Men's 60 1173 posts | barrym, I would say infield.Now that were all playing senior ball, the ball comes at you in the infield so fast,sometime only instincts keep you from getting hurt.Not puttimg down the outfielders,but my vote would go to the infielders. Easiest........catcher. in Senior Ball. |
| Dec. 17 barrym 158 posts | Speed and stamina plays a big part in the out-feild especially in the major divisions, but your right the ball comes off the bat so fast it could be over real fast especially at third base. |
| Dec. 17 #6 Men's 60 1173 posts | barrym,and that's where I play,and everyone is worried about the pitcher....oh hell, here we go again. |
| Dec. 17 barrym 158 posts | Its always funny no one wants to play the infeild. I WONDER WHY. It takes guts especially at 3rd no beers before your game. lol |
| Dec. 17 barrym 158 posts | #6 just make sure your medical insurance is up to date. |
| Dec. 17 JohnBob Men's 65 256 posts | I play 3rd also but feel that with the senior bats the outfield is harder to play because they have to play so deep and charge the ball hard to kept batter on 1st,plus some times the line drives will rise or knuckle. Also the sun and wind can make playing the outfield very difficult. Now if you ask which is the most dangerous then I'll vote for infield hands down. |
| Dec. 17 mad dog Men's 65 4191 posts | pitcher is the hardest,while having to hit a mat,he must also be able to field the dredded middle shot.INF,OF rank about even to me(i'm INF).catcher easiest but not all that easy as he has to be your voice back there as he sees all the field. |
| Dec. 17 salio2k Men's 60 547 posts | Infield is the hardest...........DH is the easiest. |
| Dec. 18 Paco13 424 posts | I play SS and I do agree that the ball come at us extremely fast with few seconds to react, but at least we are somewhat used to it. What the new bats has done is for the OF to have to field ground balls coming at them still very fast...and believe me the OF is in a lot worst shape when it comes to ground balls and bad bounces than the IF. Not to say the speed of line drives, they do not have that much time to react either, take a wrong step and they are doomed. If the IF makes an error it is usually one base, if the OF makes an error is usually 2-3 bases. Give me 4 horses in the OF and I will win a lot of games even with an average IF. The game has changed tremendously due to the bats/ball combinations. In short the OF is a lot more difficult and perhaps more important than the IF as it is now…change the bats/ball combination and we the IF become the men again, until then the OF are the men. That hurts but is true. |
| Dec. 18 Dirty Men's 50 1371 posts | sad dog, you find it hard to hit that huge-a$$ mat????? Try pitching to a real strike zone (you know, a vertical one like the game is meant to be played) if you cannot hit that large mat/plate combo. |
| Dec. 18 mad dog Men's 65 4191 posts | dipty is that why you were cut from your senior team,couldn't hit that huge mat.mat is 21 X 34 by the way. glad to hear you think the mat is that large.most of what i pitch is call strike (with the kids)so get your facts straight again.i play inf mostly for senior ball,dipstick. |
| Dec. 18 Dirty Men's 50 1371 posts | You find 21" X 34" to be small? Doesn't make sense if you pitch with a real strike zone, since realistically you pretty much have to put the ball in maybe an 18" X 15" at best area to get a strike called. |
| Dec. 18 green rocket 51 posts | Playing defense is just plain difficult. A heck of a lot depends on the field conditions. Some of those rock hard dirt infields gives the fielder one chance to get it right. I hate seeing bad hops in the infield (or OF). The fielder got his glove right where the ball should be and the....bam! Over the glove or much worse, hits the fielder. Outfield nowadays you need more than 4. With the fast pace of softball, you're constantly throwing to your cutoffs. It takes a toll on your arm. Some of you guys still got good reflexes, play tight on the bags, quick hands and a good hose. More power to you! |
| Dec. 18 barrym 158 posts | I agree, you have to give pitchers their due because that ball comes so fast its all reaction time. As to the infeild one bad hop can spoil your whole tournament. |
| Dec. 18 barrym 158 posts | Id be willing to bet that people who complain about the balls play the out-feild. But it is a situation where everyone bats and like to hit it far and hard. |
| Dec. 18 mad dog Men's 65 4191 posts | well i hope i don't ever get an ump that is that bad,that his zone is only 18" x 15",hell the plate is 17" wide and add the width of a ball approx 3".for depth it depemnds on how hi ya pitch,on lower pitches you can get back to 3' from the plate and it SHOULD still be a strike(most umps look at where it lands regardless if ya have a mat or not). |
| Dec. 18 taits Men's 65 4548 posts | Lets just go to 3 pitch ball. Darn matt was fine before they enlarged it. Teams pitch to your self. Each batter shall receive a maximum of 3 pitches. There are no walks and no strikeouts. Batters are out if they do not put the ball into play after 3 pitches. Perhaps this way, players won't go middle at least on purpose & hit their own player... Unless they don't get along. |
| Dec. 18 barrym 158 posts | I have umpired for 15 years, and most umpires want it to be a hitters game instead of walks ect. Every batter should be looking to hit the first good pitch he likes. Umpires don't want to have these games drag on and on they perfer the action. |
| Dec. 18 taits Men's 65 4548 posts | You also get the umps that let it drag on too. One reason they get behind. Many good ones out there, few that are not. |
| Dec. 18 stick8 1992 posts | As an ump when I ump rec league ball I'm looking for strikes and outs with a liberal strike zone. In tournament ball it's different. |
| Dec. 18 mad dog Men's 65 4191 posts | hey stick can ya come do some of my games,i swear ya have to throw within 3" of the middle to get strikes,sometimes,and don't higher than 10'(ASA rules 6-12').when i've umped call strike i will be a touch on the pitchers side,not MLB size.LOL |
| Dec. 18 Dirty Men's 50 1371 posts | sad dog, what makes you think your judgement of pitch height (and that is all it is, judgement) is any more accurate than the umps'? stick, I have heard that philosophy before and it is so wrong. Guys in league can easily care just as much about their games and the outcome as those in tournaments, so to change your approach is a terrible disservice to the guys in those leagues. Call liberal strike zone, conservative strike zone, makes no difference but just be consistent ALL the time. The game does not change, the rules don't change, neither should the umpire's approach. If you are in that big of a hurry to get the league games over, let someone else work them. |
| Dec. 18 mad dog Men's 65 4191 posts | and what makes you think i can't judge it.i have judge distance,heights all my life,and i can tell you i'm am really close on what i see. by the way for a quick ref,i can touch a spot 7' hi with my hand,add a 34" bat and i'm right at the 10' mark,a tad under. |
| Dec. 19 stick8 1992 posts | I understand what your saying Dirty and I don't disgree. Consistency is the key and we demand it of our umps. It's not that we're in a hurry it's just that we don't want to get the games way behind schedule. Most players buy those $250-300 bats, I say swing the damn things. That's why my strike zone is more liberal during rec--and I do emphasize rec--league ball. I realize many do care about winning leagues so we try to be consistent both ways. If I have 4 games with the first one at 6:30 (70 min time limit) and if I'm still there at 11:45-midnite, something is not right. |
| Dec. 19 ju25 Men's 60 236 posts | What's the big deal about a more liberal strike zone in rec as compared to tournament ball. If the strike zone is the same for both teams no problem. The most important thing when you are umping(IMO as a player) is consistency , hustle,and knowledge of the rules. I've taken a low hard one in rec and have the ump tell me that would've been a strike on Saturday. Now back to the original topic Hardest position to play(Not most dangerous). In my career I have played every position except pitcher. For me pitching would be the hardest, because it's not that easy for me to consistantly throw strikes and then be ready to field. Hats off to those guys(It's also the most dangerous) In the infield 2nd base, always felt like I was on the wrong side of the field. Didn't play there enough to adjust to the angle of the ball coming off a right handers bat. In the outfield it would have to be right field. The spin off the right handed batters could be treachorous, with the slicing line drives and the skip towards the line base hits. Ever since I started playing 40+ ball some 16 years ago I think the demand for good outfielders has become greater. JMO, although an infielder will usually say infield and an outfielder will say outfield. |
| Dec. 19 Dirty Men's 50 1371 posts | Consistent application of the correct rules is fine. But just to be "consistent" is not sufficient. I cannot, or should not, bend rules and cover it by saying I am consistent. The rules are the same no matter if the game is on a Wednesday night or a weekend. And tournament players also swing $250-300 bats, so why not make them swing the damn things too? Games get behind if pitchers can't pitch and fielders can't field. Seldom because the rules were applied correctly. I used to ump at a facility where we were also told to look for strikes and outs. I refused to approach the job that way. I had too much respect for the players and the games, and my fields ran on time as much as anyone's. There are many reasons why games fall behind, often just a lack of hustle on and off the field and a lot of wasted time between innings. And there are many ways to avoid that and still call the game as it is meant to be. |
| Dec. 20 stick8 1992 posts | I don't disagree with any of what your saying Dirty. I guess the best way to describe this whole scenario is I adjust to the pitchers. Even though it's a USSSA league most pitchers in the leagues I ump throw the ASA arc. I'll give it to them (within reason)--es. I might give them a bit more depth also. I wouldn't strike anyone out like that but it puts it the mind of the hitters to be swinging. Most batters do adjust and rarely do I call someone eout on strikes. You are right about why games fall behind. I have a digital clock I put up on the backstop which counts down the time. If players wish to doodle their time between innings or not hustle it makes no difference to me. It's their time. |
| Dec. 21 Mr. Manassas 244 posts | It must be nice to know everything about the game..."Hell"...every game!!!! I think that some people spend too much time on the internet. Just a thought not a sermon.... |
| Dec. 21 Joncon 328 posts | In my opinion, outfield is much more difficult to play. Just running in and out there kicks my ass. Plus, you have way tto much time to think about catching the ball and thinking is my enemy. Plus, it's a long damn way to throw the ball in. Plus, if you are playing right or left, you spend about 25% of your energy chasing foul balls. Plus, if it's a morning game, the balls are wet, along with your shoes. Plus, if its a dusk game, the ball disappears into the gray sky. Plus, If a chick with a nice rack happens to show up, you are too far away to fully appreciate her. |
| Dec. 21 E4/E6 Men's 70 873 posts | JonCon You are so right on with your answer. A good rack should be appreciated close up! I'm a SS and agree, the outfield is tougher to play physically. But the infield is tougher mentally. More focus and awareness may be needed. After all, we are dealing with balls coming at us at the speed of light, and occasionally faster. |
| Dec. 21 Dirty Men's 50 1371 posts | Yes it is. :) |
| Dec. 22 TGIII Men's 60 106 posts | Great question. Both positions are equally important in the role they play. However, games are won or lost based on the outfield. A fatigued outfielder will play next to the fence, not charge the ball, and have nothing on their throws. This creates an extra base situation for the offensive team and good teams will take advantage of it. A fatigued outfielder will also have a hard time hitting as their legs are dead and they are now swinging only with their arms. A tired infielder will not give up extra base hits, so theoretically it will take three hits to score. A tired outfield will give up a run with two hits (excluding homeruns). A fast outfield will win a lot of games. However a well timed doubleplay will break the back of any team and change momentum. Have a Happy Holiday |
