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Online now: 2 members: 15smokey, TABLE SETTER 11; 88 anonymousDiscussion: How did you get your start in softball?
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| Dec. 15, 2010 stick8 1991 posts | How did you get your start in softball? I saw this on our local Michigan board and thought it might be interesting to put up here to generate a discussion. If your memory is still intact (lol) feel free to post the story or events which led you to play your very first slow pitch softball game. |
| Dec. 15, 2010 Webbie25 Men's 70 2413 posts | Hey Stick8-I played my first slowpitch game at Ann Arbor Veterans Park in 1969. I grounded to the pitcher 4 times because I couldn't wait for a pitch after playing baseball and fast pitch for many years. Great idea for a thread!!! Lively chats and recalls forever!!!! (ooops, sorry) :-) |
| Dec. 15, 2010 Marv19 Men's 60 498 posts | I started 35 years ago. It looked interesting to me so my partner in business and I formed a team. At our first practice I dug out my old metal cleats from HS. (big mistake) My first at bat I swung at a pitch and missed. My cleats stick but the left knee didn't. I heard a snap and couldn't straiten out my leg. Yep ... torn meniscus! Not a great start but once the knee healed I have been at it ever since. |
| Dec. 15, 2010 ju25 Men's 60 235 posts | Just out of high school (1971) a bunch of guys put together a team. We played in Dearborn,Mi. with open fields,wood and lead pipe bats, steel cleats,blue jeans,harwood balls(lopsided by 2nd 0r 3rd inning)and collisions at home plate were legal. Learned how to hit to right field because the left fielders would run down everything. Bat had to be a minimum of 34oz. for the ball to go anywhere. Hit first over the fence HR at Powers field in Dbn. Heights(280' fences) |
| Dec. 15, 2010 mad dog Men's 65 4191 posts | mm no one started playing in school,we played in grade school when i was a kid(late 50's,early 60's)also played in high school for gym class(grad 67).started league type play when i went in the military(69).didn't see a metal bat till 72(pacaf tourney in japan).can't remember the early balls we used back then. |
| Dec. 15, 2010 outfielder Men's 65 59 posts | Got talked into playing in a church league, and after playing baseball in high school and college and using wooden Louisville slugger bats, the softball was bigger and supposedly easier to hit but the wooden baseball bats weren't doing so well, barely getting it to the grass, then came the BOMBAT MEATHEAD, 38 ozs of pure aluminum, wow, the ball then made it to the left fielder. Had one Bombat that got curved on the end and I would turn it one way to hit to right and the other way to hit to left. All the writing wore off but, hey Mad dog, it wouldn't break. Fences were 250 and it took a shot to get one out. Those were the days. |
| Dec. 15, 2010 goforit 97 posts | After college i played 2 years of baseball and then one year of fastpitch (got bored standing around). Started playing slowpitch in the early 70's til 1988 when i stopped playing. Ran into a friend coming back from the Vegas Worlds and he told me about Senior Softball. Started playing Senior ball in 2005, its great still running into guys i played with or against in the 70's and 80's. Can't say enough about how much fun this game is. |
| Dec. 15, 2010 surf88 Men's 65 1000 posts | I started playing slowpitch ball in 73' on Hilton Head Island. Played for Sea Pines with some pretty good boys. Moved to North Myrtle Beach in 74' and played there with the league in N. Myrtle. Played for Willards Fireworks. Played a tournament in Shallotte, N. Carolina in 75'against a prison team. They arrived in a school bus and the guards got off first with shotguns. They unshacked the prisoners and we got it on. I had to camp out on the left field fence the whole game. Those guys were monsters! Played in So. Carolina until moving to Colorado and did all the Triple Crown and U-Trip tourneys throught the 80's and 90's. Played first senior tournament in 99' Went to Denver to play in the Colorado Senior Olympics. We put together an awesome team with Doc Dimarco, Denny Cheatam, Greg Broeckelman, Mike Massong, etc. We scored 112 runs and gave up 6 in the tourney. Very thankful to still have the ability to play ball with a bunch of good guys and the comraderie is invaluable. Ed |
| Dec. 15, 2010 stick8 1991 posts | I started off on kind of a fluke. A buddy of mine called me up and needed a lift home from the park he was playing at because his car got stolen. At the time I had no knowledge of what slow pitch softball was. So when I walked into the park to find him I saw all these fat, out of shape beer belly guys with shorts riding up their rear ends and knee high socks trying to imitate ballplayers. I thought it was the stupidest thing I'd ever seen. My buddy asked me to play because they were always short guys. At first I laughed at him then when he said their sponsor buys all the beer and food I joined. My debut: 0-3 with 3 pop ups to the pitcher. |
| Dec. 15, 2010 JBTexas Men's 70 434 posts | started in 1968 first year in the Air force. played base team at Wright-Patterson, Dayton Ohio. and Mad Dog we used Dudley Blue Dots in the day. Early 70's at Hulbert Field, Ft. Walton Bch Fla was first big time league, Smith Pubing, Pub. Played Warren Motors, Little caersar out of Virginia Bch. and Jiffy Club in Tourneys. |
| Dec. 15, 2010 mad dog Men's 65 4191 posts | ah jbt,you know what pacaf was/is then,LOL.. and stick,look at ya now...:):) surf,were you big enough to pick up those old metal bats,they were pretty heavy ya know...LOL outfielder,yeah most were about that,as they were built mostly for fast pitch.i could hit one out every now and again on those fields with wood. |
| Dec. 15, 2010 oldnslow 19 posts | Was introduced to slowpitch in 1970 as a result of being hired by NY Telephone. My 1st steady job after getting out of the Marines in 1969. I only went looking for a job after I walked into a Triumph showroom and tried to buy a gorgeous red convertible Triumph TR4A. When we got to the part about where do you work - And I said I didn't really - Just collecting VA checks - The salesman said go get a job and come on back!! It was the start of a beautiful relationship. Me and softball I mean. Lost track of the salesman. |
| Dec. 15, 2010 DoubleL10 Men's 70 907 posts | My uncle was a foreman at Fuller Brush Company in Atlanta in the '60s. I started playing Industrial League ball in the summer of 1964 and got hooked. Open fields at Piedmont Park. Teams in our league used rovers and I learned how to hit gap shot in the outfield and could run all day. Of course, I was only 17 and quite a bit lighter then! My first experience with good softball occured when I moved to Virginia in 1972 and tried out for and made a team called Federal Wrecking. That was a very good team but those were the days of only one team from each Region qualifing for the Nationals. We came in second to Greenbelt Shell. Had some great leagues out at Cabin John Park and Greenbelt Park back then. |
| Dec. 15, 2010 BruceinGa Men's 70 3233 posts | I went to a neighbor's game when I was 22. I thought "I can do this". It was about 3 years before I found a team, a modified slowpitch team. We played in a City of Atlanta league, playing in Piedmont Park and other parks as LL did. This was probably 1973. Played 2 years there, sat out a year and then played industrial slowpitch with a Southern Bell team and then for some A teams around Atlanta. We played Howards, Dave Carroll, and other big teams in the SE. In 1983 and the following 8 years I played with Rehoboth Presbyterian Church, a perennial powerhouse in church softball. With them I played in the Smoky, Twitty Classic, Southeastern and many more big tournaments in the south. |
| Dec. 15, 2010 Capt Kirk 541 posts | While stationed at Bergstrom AFB (1967-1968) in Austin, TX and I was assigned to the 727 TAC Squadron, we didn't have much to do, start playing pickup games at lunch. While in Turkey played fast pitch in 1968-1969, had a 11 yr break and starting playing in our industrial league (Lockheed) in Sunnyvale, CA (our team was the Traitors), also played at Twin Creeks Softball Complex in Sunnyvale, CA until 1996. I retired in 2006 and moved to the San Antonio area and starting playing senior softball in 2007 in the San Antonio Senior Softball League, currently I am managing/playing with the Texas Tornados (Mens 60AAA team). |
| Dec. 15, 2010 ShaneV Men's 55 393 posts | After little league, Babe Ruth and High School hardball, didn't play in college. Summer of '77 was asked to play a rec game with a bunch at Central Washington University. It was fun and I missed playing. After graduation I hooked up with a friend in my home town in '78 and played nearly every year since, men's & some coed. I remember swinging an XBH that I think was 38 oz, in the 80's. Hit my first one out (280') with an aluminum bat in the 80's, next one (290') with a Freak in the 90's. Really loved the composites when they came out but never understood bat restrictions. Why not use the best technology made? And now we do. I hit a few out (300') this year and my first ever walk-off. I like the idea that anyone who can get the right technique can experience the feeling. Doesn't mean I will ever be considered a home run hitter. Been playing senior since 2005. ShaneV |
| Dec. 15, 2010 Airbosn Men's 70 329 posts | Back in Brooklyn, NY in the late fifties we had stickball season, baseball season, softball season, etc. My relatives and I played some kind of ball all year long. Played fast and slow pitch during my military career around the globe. Never stopped playing, however, at 54 started playing senior ball. |
| Dec. 15, 2010 RIK56 Men's 60 137 posts | i started late in slow pitch,i was at schofield barracks hawaii in 1979 and played with the company team,i was a real good outfielder but could not hit worth a crap. |
| Dec. 15, 2010 garyheifner 649 posts | In 1961, I was running during the summer getting in shape for my high football season. I stopped to watch a little of an adult park district 16" softball game. One of the teams was a man short and a guy said aren't you the 4 hitter on the high varsity baseball team. I said yes, played that night and now 5 decades later along with what has to be well over a $100,000 later, the beat goes on!!!~!~ |
| Dec. 15, 2010 outfielder Men's 65 59 posts | Hey guys, now this is what this site is all about, great posts, very interesting seeing what brought us all together in this wonderful sport. Thanks for the memories. |
| Dec. 15, 2010 The real deal Men's 70 114 posts | After college baseball and two years of semi-pro league, I started playing fast pitch softball - what a blast! Still can't believe the things some of the pitchers could do with a pitched ball. After moving to CA., slow pitch was the only thing available. A little anti-climactic at first, but now it's one of the joys of life! Currently playing 2 nights a week city league (one of those with my 3 sons) in addition to senior ball. Let's play two! |
| Dec. 16, 2010 CallaVett Men's 50 61 posts | I started playing softball in 1980. I was in the Air Force stationed in Germany, most of my unit was in the field for maneuvers and someone stopped by my work section looking to pick-up players for the intramural league game that night. I showed up in jeans and tennis shoes, I borrowed a glove from another guy on the team. I went 4-4 and hit a gland slam (open field – no fence), after the game the coach asked me to play on a regular basis. I went and bought a glove and cleats the next day. I didn’t hit another HR until 1984; I had the infamous warning track power until 2000 when I started to buy quality bats instead of the K-Mart specials. Steve |
| Dec. 16, 2010 Capt Kirk 541 posts | I played on a coed team in the 90's with my wife, and daughters, and my sister-in-law, just great. I wish we coud do it again. |
| Dec. 16, 2010 hitman Men's 70 339 posts | Watched my uncle play travel ball when I was young and finally got to play at Sunday School pinic in early teens. Didn't have a high school baseball team and there was nothing above Little League at the time. Gym classes played when it was warm enough. Played some college intermural and then wen to work and Company had 20 fastpitch teams. By 1970 everything switched to slow pitch and stayed. No lights on fields, unlimited arc and you learned to hit or sit!!!!!! Started Senior ball in 2002. The Hitman |
| Dec. 16, 2010 Mario Men's 50 451 posts | Started playing unlimited arc back in 1981. The team that always won the leauge was the team who had a pitcher who could throw strikes that went as high as 25-30 in the air. You had to learn to go backside. From there started playing tournaments for a local C team. After moving to Indiana in 1982 I played Industrial for Borg Warner in Muncie In. After that a B team picked me up. Played with them until 1986 when New Construction picked me up. With New we played all the Major NIT tourneys. After New, Starpath out of Monticello Ky. picked me up. Then we became Starpath/LE-ALCO. Lots of fun playing with some of the best players in the late 80's and early 90's. Started playing Senior in 2010. |
| Dec. 16, 2010 JBTexas Men's 70 434 posts | Capt k, still got you, played last year on a Co-ed team in UC with my daughter, son-in-law, and two grandsons and one grand-daughter. If my two boys had been in town we almost had our our team. Unlimited arc beings back great memories of three great years(1973-76) playing in Delaware with the Bower Beach Boys, boy could we make hitters look bad with that arc. |
| Dec. 16, 2010 frampton Men's 55 55 posts | My first year in college a friend worked at a sporting goods store that had a team, so I hooked up with them. (A local HS baseball coach was on the team, we used to have 2-3 hour practices, taught me lots of great techniques.) That was 1973, played in Oakland leagues throughout college and law school. In 78 or so started playing in a pickup game in the Berkeley hills, which lasted well over 20 years in various incarnations, that got me with a new group of guys and Berkeley leagues. Some tourneys in those days, though when my daughter was born I limited it to league play, had to choose volleyball tourneys in the winter, was just a better volleyball player. Got into fastpitch around 1980, played that through '95 when my swing was just too slow to play in A leagues. Played less and less slow pitch too after that, at least, until I started playing senior ball in 2005 with some guys I played with and against back in the day. |
| Dec. 16, 2010 DRob 34 posts | Interesting topic. I started playing fastpitch right out of high school baseball in 1964. Played for my church team for 3-4 years while switching from 3rd base to pitcher. Fastpitch was beginning to die out around Indpls around 1970. By then I had become a policeman and was pitching for the police department fastpitch team when we decided to go to a police slowpitch national tournament in Dayton, OH. 80 teams! We were clueless and had no idea we could play 4 outfielders? We ended up doing poorly but switched to slow pitch anyway. I played on and coached that team for several years before I hooked up with a 50+ team. Turning 65 next year and still at it. Interesting note: I played fastpitch against my high school basketball coach. Guy named Marvin Wood. He was also the coach at Milan when they beat Muncie Central for the Indiana state championship in 1954. The story was retold in the movie "Hoosiers". I still play ball with one of the guys who was on that basketball team. Roger Schroder. Nicest guy you'd ever want to meet. Roger started playing in our senior league with a bunch of guys he had coached on a local high school baseball team. Mario, I think there are several guys still playing around Indy who played for New Cosntruction. |
| Dec. 16, 2010 oldnslow 19 posts | Hey Outfielder - Ditto your comment!! "Hey guys, now this is what this site is all about, great posts, very interesting seeing what brought us all together in this wonderful sport. Thanks for the memories" Hey Stick8 - Great idea for a post!! |
| Dec. 16, 2010 softball4b Men's 70 1248 posts | My Father, did not believe in sports. I worked everyday after school on either the farm or my Uncle’s feed store. When I went to college I decided to play football, during the off season I tried my hand at baseball. It was an all black team with 2 token white guys, 1971 in Southern Arkanasas, insert stereotypical comments here. After practice one day Jim, the other white guy, asked me if I wanted to play softball. My baseball swing was controlled and my softball swing was different. I did not know you weren’t suppose to hold it like an axe and swing as hard as you could. Played a double header and hit 4 HRs, no fences, I could run back then. My BB career was done, yeah softball. Two things I remembered, so many bugs you honestly could not see the lights themselves and I was swinging so hard I grunted everytime, have not stopped since. First 15 years of softball, my nickname was “Grunt”. |
| Dec. 16, 2010 surf88 Men's 65 1000 posts | Great posts. Read every one. If anybody remembers playing ball along the Coast of Georgia, So. Carolina and No. Carolina, way back when, give me a holler. I played from Savannah on up to Wilmington. Hey Mad Dog, I remember those heavy aluminum bats. Still have a couple in my stash. Surf |
| Dec. 16, 2010 southpaw Men's 70 1077 posts | My first game of softball was in the summer of 1970 in the Republic of Vietnam. I was the armorer ofr C troop, 2/1 Cav. We had stopped for lunch next to a huge field. After our C-rations, a few guys started throwing a ball around. Someone yelled, "Let's play a game." A few had gloves and some broken or cracked bats. Half-way through the game, I was in center field and a long, high fly was hit my way. As I was running back, the ball still going up, an enemy mortar round hit behind me. Ball kept sailing, I ran the other way! End of game--back to the war. |
| Dec. 16, 2010 Joncon 328 posts | I played a couple years of Little League when I was 9 and 10, then took a short break. When I was 45/46, my son asked if I wanted to play league softball. 13 years later and I still really enjoy the game. |
| Dec. 16, 2010 BruceinGa Men's 70 3233 posts | Surf, I played in Savannah in a big church tournament in 85 or 86. We played at the 4 field complex on the right before you get to Paulson. |
| Dec. 17, 2010 leftyfalcon Men's 65 158 posts | Started playing in 1968.Had to be 18 in Cajun Country to play adult softball. Joe Lefty Falcon |
| Dec. 17, 2010 Capt Kirk 541 posts | Southpaw, I served in Vietnam from Aug. 1969 to Aug. 1970 at Vung Tau Air Station, I have some great memories but none of them were played on the softball field. |
| Dec. 17, 2010 surf88 Men's 65 1000 posts | Hey Bruce, I left Hilton Head winter 81' for Colorado. My buds thought I was crazy leaving the beach and headin to the mountains. Been here ever since. Played in Savannah up until 81'. Ed |
| Dec. 17, 2010 salio2k Men's 60 547 posts | Capt Kirk........had a 3-day R&R in Vung Tau in '69. Merry Christmas to all. |
| Dec. 17, 2010 southpaw Men's 70 1077 posts | Captain Kirk, I was in Nam from Jan. 3 until early December. Got an early out for Christmas. Orders actually came on the day before I was to head to Australia for an extra R&R. Had already met my wife in Honolulu earlier in June. That was the only game of softball I played in Vietnam, for sure! Glad you and Salio2K made it back. |
| Dec. 17, 2010 lazer larry Men's 50 95 posts | RIK56 are sure you weren't in the brigg when you learned to play. If you hit like crap then you turned that completely around 180* now you hit the crap out of it. I started in intermural league in high school it was fast pitch but we had 2 of the only 3 pitchers in a four team league. All of our guys had to adjust our baseball swings. LazerLarry |
| Dec. 17, 2010 razer 15 posts | I started in 1970 in Massachausetts where I played a lot of baseball, and played softball on sunday mornings with my brother in law. I moved to Maine in the spring of 71 and looked around for some baseball. There was none. I looked around for some softball and the only leagues were 2 hours away. I put an ad in the local newspaper to start a league. We had 4 teams the 1st year, 8 the next, then 16. We had as many as 40 teams some years. That was pretty good for a ruraul area. My kids grew up watching and they now play. The last 10-12 years I have played softball with my sons and get together every summer for one tourney in Maine. Thats my story. |
| Dec. 18, 2010 ChiPrimeMarty Men's 60 104 posts | Grew up on the outskirts of Chicago, and from 4th grade on spent most summer days playing pick-up games of 16" softball at the local park. Got good enough so that I was usually the youngest kid playing with the older guys. First organized competition was 1972 when I was a 14-year-old playing in a 15-19 year-old league. First taste of 12" was intramurals at SIU in Carbondale, spring of '76. Played Chicago Park District 16" 1980-92. Started playing 12" regularly in '85 and have been ever since. |
| Dec. 18, 2010 lazer larry Men's 50 95 posts | ChiPrimeMarty, I was at SIUC in 77 & 78 lived in the north most of the towers 7th floor and had a bunch of friend that lived in Lewis Park. Got to love the ice cold beers at Pinch Penny Pub and the girls at Peppermint Lounge. I travel thru there on business every now and then, man has it changed. I had most of my courses at Carterville at the Student Tech College. My roommate was from Chitown his name was Steve something, but claimed his dad did something with Playboy. Might have been hot air. Do you play with the Windy City Boys, if so i might know you. I play with Coors Light, first base and some outfield Lazer Larry |
| Dec. 18, 2010 ChiPrimeMarty Men's 60 104 posts | lazer larry, I'm with Chicago Prime 50AAA. At SIU I spent 1 semester at Schneider tower but mostly lived off-campus. Most of my classes after soph year were in the Design Dept blue barracks east of the tracks not far from the towers. Had good times at a lot of the bars, including PK's. Really liked Shawnee National Forest and state parks like Giant City & Ferne Clyffe. Still go down there every few years to hike & camp. Used to go down for the huge halloween party on Illinois Ave, but those days are long gone. |
| Dec. 18, 2010 RIK56 Men's 60 137 posts | I forgot about my 16" days in the chicago burbs,played when i was 12 or 13,baseball coach used to not like us playing that.big heavy wood bats and no gloves lol. |
| Dec. 18, 2010 Sloball39 Men's 60 15 posts | I played basketball in high school and college, but when I went to Viet Nam in 1970 there was nowhere to play. I was lucky to be assigned to the Americal Division (not a grunt). On Sunday afternoons, my unit would play other units in softball for kegs of beer. After Nam, I was stationed at Fort Meade, Maryland. They had an 11 field complex and I was hooked. |
| Dec. 18, 2010 ill41 Men's 60 11 posts | Graduated from high school in 1967 went to work for Caterpillar in Joliet.Tried out for there fast pitch travel team.Traveled all over Northern Illinois great times only lasted 2 years,then got into slow-pitch unlimited arc.Still play in the 18-35 leagues in the Joliet Park District. Paul |
| Dec. 18, 2010 Mr. Manassas 244 posts | I played baseball and wrestling in High School but went to college and wrestled. When I came home after my freshman year a friend asked me to play on a slowpitch softball team. When I went to the first practice I thought that I would dominate the leaque...I was their worst player...no patience...and got mad at myself so I decided to work on it...AND now 40 years later I am still playing... |
| Dec. 19, 2010 Fastsam Men's 60 56 posts | After playing baseball at St. Mary's College (Moraga Ca.) Contra Costa College (San Pablo Ca.) and In the A's Org. I sat out from any contact with baseball or softball for five yrs. Then a friend of mine who played on a coed team and invited me to come to one of there practices to drink some beer and have a few laughs with the ladies.. I had to swing although I hadn't picked up a bat in five years. After a few swings and hearing the oh's and ah's from the ladies I was hooked. That was 1982. Have not missed a season since. |
| Dec. 19, 2010 Tater50 Men's 60 336 posts | Due to very strict/religious parents, I was never allowed to play any sports; had no glove/bat/or ball. Would take a broom handle & hit rocks all the time. When I was 26/1976, I bought an old BB wooden bat & was up at a ballfield on a Sunday hitting with some couples, when I was discovered; played a few games & moved out of the state; did not start playing again until 79. Been playing ever since. Was discovered for SSB by Winkey of Faith Electric in 1999 @ Al Bishop Park while playing a Church Tourney; had no clue that SSB existed. Its been fun. Tater50 John (member SSUSA/SPA for 10 years) |
| Dec. 19, 2010 mad dog Men's 65 4191 posts | i see some of you didn't know about SSB,till someone seen ya and asked if ya would like to play.i'm just the opposite,i used to watch them in sacramento,at tahoe park(they played before we did,also practices),back in the mid 80's,and i think thats where it all got started basically.i finally got into a 40 league(was 41) in folsom,ca,to start my SSB play in 1991(2 years).then had to move(civilian working for the military)to puget sound to work for the navy and played 40+ ball in bellingham,wa for 2 years.agian moved to italy where i played no senior ball (for 5 years)but played squadron,came back to the states in nov 2000 and got onto my first 50+ team and been playing ever since. |
| Dec. 19, 2010 Ho 301 posts | I used to play with Joe Dirtwhen I was a kid, he was a year behind me in school...so that makes me older than dirt. I feel like the ancient mariner because I started playing softball 3,000 games (a fact) ago as a 15-year in the adult fast pitch leagues as a short stop. Ended up playing seven nights a week with six different teams (church, industrial and open)at different positions (SS, Catcher,1b and 3b). I, also became very religious back then. They had a rule if you played for any church you had to attend twice a month. One summer I played for a catholic team, a methodist team, a nazarene and a baptist team. Ending up going to mass on Saturdays, sunday school(Baptist) and church (Methodist)on Sunday's and camp meetings on Wednesday night (Nazarene). Starting as a 15-year old, I used to play 60-to-80 games a year until the legs went and I switched to slow pitch.Knew it was over at age 45 in fast pitch when I tried to steal second twice in a game and was thrown out by ten feet both times. Starting to pay the price now (bad knees, torn shoulder tendon, etc) for all those 3,000 games but I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. Ho |
| Dec. 21, 2010 Corky Men's 55 451 posts | Started playing "A" Industrial with a bunch of guys from the factory....had a liquor store across the street that provided our usual 40oz for lunch and a sponsorship. |
| Dec. 22, 2010 canIjack Men's 60 322 posts | I started playing Modified Pitch Softball back in 1979. It was called the Hollywood Entertainment league. I first met Wayne. And if you know Wayne, he has not change in 30 years. Was he pitching of course he was. The leagues still goes on today, its just has moved from Poinsettia Park in Hollywood in the 80’s to Bal Boa Park, in the San Fernando Valley to present. Stars and players ranging from Tony Danza to Jose Conseco, Back in the day 19 79, I played with Roger Mosley (Magnum PI), John Amos (Good Times), John He told me that he was sick and tired of going home and telling his Kid that we had lost. So he John would pay me to hit hrs, when we losing. John was a football player and couldn’t play to save his life. The same with Roger Mosley. I met all these guys when I was a Bouncer at a Speak Easy Nite Club in Hollywood. Yes we were all Disco Kings in those days. Those were the days, |
| Dec. 22, 2010 juice3 5 posts | Started when I came back home after my run as search and rescue/rescue swimmer in the Nvay. I missed my window for baseball and a friend said come on we need one more for league. I thought no way Im a baseball player, but I went. That was 21 years ago and Ive been hooked ever since. |
| Dec. 23, 2010 samg 35 posts | I grew up in the same area as softball4b. I played baseball and like softball4b had to find ways to get to practice. I was a natural at the sport and loved it. I joined the army out of high school and they did not have baseball so softball was as close as it came. Unlike softball4b, I did not have the size or strength so I had to learn quick to place the ball and usually would get a double out of it. Over the years I learned size is not all that is needed, after many laps running for not hitting a deep fly ball, and I now hit for power and can place hit most pitches and only 210 lbs compared to my 170 frame I use to carry. I am new to the senior softball league, "rookie", and even had to prove myself to a team here in Ohio before I could get a thumbs up to play with them. I thought that was actually pretty neat, :-) since most teams would call me to play. I am looking forward to playing in the senior level of play and hopefully one day, play with softball4b on a team or at least get the opportunity to play against him. :-) sorry bro, but you have to admit it does put a smile on your face. |
| Dec. 23, 2010 JamesLG 420 posts | Back in the late 60's my Dad and I went to watch the Heidelburg team play in Tacoma and that is all it took for me to know that game was for me. I was never a big guy but could hit any ball including a golf ball a long way. I struck out way too much in hardball so slowpitch was right up my alley. I have only missed one year (1984) that is the year I quit drinking Merry Christmas to all. Thanks: James |
