Message board »Message Board home »Sign-in or register to get started
Online now: 2 members: TABLE SETTER 11, dawg888; 118 anonymousDiscussion: Can softballers play baseball?
| Posted | Discussion |
| Nov. 17, 2010 slomo 47 posts | Can softballers play baseball? I've often wondered if I could still play baseball. I, along with 6 other softballers were asked to play in the Roy Hobbs Wooden Bat Senior World Series with a BB team that has been together about 7 years but not had much luck in this event. I hadn't played a baseball tourney since early in my military career about 40 years ago. With SB players at all the key spots (SS, 2nd, Catch, LF, myself in CF, and a sometime P), we promtly lost our 3 pool games and I wondered if maybe we were in over our heads. But when single elimination began we started to come together as a team and we won 5 in a row to take the Division two World Series crown. Included in our string of wins was a 11-4 shellacking of Western Silver from San Diego, winners of the Division One crown. We played in the Minn. Twins Stadium and at the Bosox Player Development Center. Fields were awesome. I struggled with the wooden bats (too heavy for a little guy like me) but I sure enjoyed roaming the vast OF w/o the fear of running into another OFer.I'm not trying to be bragadocious (sic), but I'm posting this as a 66 y/o guy who is thankful that the Lord has allowed me to keep decent legs and OK health to still be playing ball at an age when most can't. I know it could all end tomorrow if it is His will- not mine. So I take nothing for granted and I thank Him every day and especially when he allows me to walk onto that ball field. SLOMO PS Softballers CAN play Baseballl!!! |
| Nov. 17, 2010 E4/E6 Men's 70 873 posts | Slomo, it would be my thought that if you could get your timing back at the plate you could play Hardball, I dont think theres all that much difference otherwise. It sounds like after your 1st three games you found your timing. If its round we will try to hit it. If its square we will try to make it round. =) |
| Nov. 17, 2010 einstein Men's 50 3112 posts | Hey John. I'm getting rounder all the time but it doesn't seem to be helping me much especially on the dance floor. Thanks for the humor and the wit. It's one of the few things we agree on, Kevin and I and that is, how terrific you are. Good luck in Vegas. |
| Nov. 17, 2010 taits Men's 65 4548 posts | I have done it and there are many leagues in the country in most states that play during the week as week as the weekends. Age grouped and I know a few seniors locally that gave up softball for it. Initial cost is roughly 250 or so and a fairly long season. They play a "world " for lack of a better word, series in PHX I believe it was, and I hear its a good one. I have a neighbor who went to it about 3 years ago. Find your age bracket your comfortable with and try it out. There are some good pitchers and lousy one too. |
| Nov. 17, 2010 boston Men's 60 355 posts | I played both from age 39 to about age 47. It was called an oldtimers league. That meant you had to be over 30 to be considered an oldtimer. I would have been insulted if I were called an oldtimer at age 30. The league allowed 4 players on the field that were under age 30. Which meant playing kids in 18 to 29. You had to be 32 though to pitch. The games got to be too long and the kids too young. I was getting older and the youngsters were geting younger. Nine innings in 90 to 105 degree heat in southern NM was just too much. But there was a defining moment that made me walk away. I was on 1st and stealing second. Thought, I had a great jump and the catcher was an 18 yr old high school all-state catcher. The little turd threw me out from his knees. I can run and even at age 47 I was fast. But when that happened it was a serious reality check. That was 9 yrs ago and I haven't been back since. Although,I have been tempted to try a 50 and over leaque in El Paso. I still play softball with the youngsters. I have had good days and bad. But, nothing seemed as tough on my pride and ego as that moment in baseball. |
| Nov. 17, 2010 mad dog Men's 65 4191 posts | first off congrats slomo. i have played off and on since 1999.i played in Italy for 2 years and ran our base team(worked for the navy as a civilian) the 3rd year.it took a bit to hit live pitching,BP wasn't that big a help but some.i moved to San Diego,ca in Nov 2000 and played over 40 baseball in 2002(took a year to find a league),than had to leave to go to visalia,ca.i have filled in a couple times here since i moved to Texas in 2006. |
| Nov. 17, 2010 Omar Khayyam 1357 posts | slomo, good for you. I think I could play hardball against guys my age with one exception—doubt if I could hit the dang thing, even with a old hurler! In other words, I would never try to do what you did. Congratulations. |
| Nov. 18, 2010 Webbie25 Men's 70 2414 posts | Boston-I've seen you 'run'. We all have visions we are close to as fast as we used to be. We are, but it just takes a lot longer to get to the next base!!! :-) |
| Nov. 18, 2010 Webbie25 Men's 70 2414 posts | Slomo-I played baseball through college, but hadn't played since 1976 until I went to a Detroit Tigers Fantasy Camp last January. Sure, you can play, again. I played 8 7 inning games in 4 days. What fun. I pitched 12 innings-too many-but did well-no runs-a little wild, and hit one ball 390 with a wood bat in Florida at sea level. That was a bit of a surprise. I would have gone to Phoenix with a team from here, but a leg injury stopped that. It was still fun, though. |
