Home of Senior Softball-USA and Senior Softball World Championships
Advertisement: Queen Kapiolani Hotel

SSUSA Message Board

Sign-in or register to get started
Online now: 1 member: berger; 8 anonymous
Change topic:

Details for mck71

Real name:
Undeclared
Location:
PA
Division:
Men's 65

Messages posted by mck71

April 1, 2025
mck71
Topic: Bats
Discussion: OG Bats

I agree as well, will be hitting my OG in Va Beach this week, year 7 with it! and I was able to pick up an OG 2.0 brand new for a reasonable price so that is my back up (also have 3 OG red knobs so think I am good, my wife will sell then when I am dead). LOL
March 26, 2025
mck71
Topic: Tournaments
Discussion: Tidewater Classic

The full schedule was posted on Tournament page on Monday, good luck to all!
March 2, 2025
mck71
Topic: Tournaments
Discussion: roster

AB - I would suggest calling the home office between 9 - 5 PST and they will walk you through it first time.
SSUSA. 916-326-5303. Good luck!
Feb. 25, 2025
mck71
Topic: Tournaments
Discussion: A wild suggestion for the 12 ft pitching height

John - Part of the problem is where do these umpires come from who do our tournaments? Sadly there aren't many 12' sanctions outside of Senior ball. USA/ASA went to 10' a while back, NSA was always 10', USSSA is 3' from release with a cap of 10' and believe ISA is the same?. Add in that outside of USA/ASA, not one of those other sanctions has umpires calling "illegal" so without making excuses (even though this reads like one), most umpires don't have that experience with 12' AND (this is the big one), MOST players complain about the 12' pitch so rather than listen to the complaints, they simply seem to have 10' MAX as their height limits. We get a lot more 4 - 5' pitches than over 10' IMO.

And I know, they should TRY but sometimes they just don't. I am an umpire as well and I try and umpire as I would like my umpires to behave; I hustle, I keep game moving, I make sure scores are correct after each inning and my strike zone is the same in inning 1 and inning 7 and all in between. I will add that I have had to make adjustments to my "illegal" call simply because I am a loud guy and I would startle the batter! lol Now I make sure I say either "illegal" (usually a high pitch) and "flat" for a low one because I can say flat quicker than I can say illegal and most flat pitches come in quicker but I only say it loud enough for the batter and the catcher can hear me. I will point up to the pitcher to let them know if it's high or a palm down sign for flat so they understand what I called.

As far as compensation, I can't speak to that. I mean if they get $35 a game for 90 mins, that is a decent wage and I believe some make more than others but not easy for one guy to be out there for 6 games a day. I stopped doing tournaments for that reason, did 9 games in one day and by the last 2 games, which happened to be Championship games, my legs were heavy and I was tired so felt bad for the teams but they had no one else to do the games so I "sucked it up", but you get my point, I am never sure how many games they have done so not sure so I try and not complain too much.

And as for helping myself out, I simply try and pay attn to what the umpire is calling. I absolutely don't have to agree with their calls but I better be ready to hit a ball that I THINK they might call a strike or I am the idiot, right? :-)

Best of luck to everyone this year!
Feb. 19, 2025
mck71
Topic: Rules of the game
Discussion: Throwing of a bat

Randall - I would warn a player initially and if it happens again, you then have that option to call dead ball batter out. I would enforce that myself when either blatant or someone (incl. myself) gets hit after the warning. Hope this helps.
Feb. 19, 2025
mck71
Topic: Tournaments
Discussion: A wild suggestion for the 12 ft pitching height

Awe come on Gary, you have been around long enough to know you can't make absolute statements like that. I definitely know what 12 feet is and have been around quite a few that know it as well. I will add it has gotten lower since USA/ASA went to 10 feet. I would say in my experience, more times than not it has been flat pitches more so that high ones but that might be just me.

And LC7 - My brother, it's a big yellow ball, we throw it slowly underhand to guys who mostly spend their time hitting (you don't see many fielding or baserunning video's on YT :-) So yeah, when I get ahead in the count, I seriously doubt Oreo will be on the menu but again, that's just me so if that makes me a cheater, well... it is what it is! :-)

Best of luck to all this season!
Feb. 19, 2025
mck71
Topic: Tournaments
Discussion: A wild suggestion for the 12 ft pitching height

kotonk - I believe that while the enforcement of the 6 to 12' arc is not consistent at all, adding this device into a tournament setting would cause more issues as well as expense to TD's than it's currently worth? I always try and give feedback to TD's if I feel an umpire or two need "help" with their definition of 6 - 12 but other than that, I just try and make sure I understand their strike zone before it costs me (ex. pitch comes in at 4' and they call it a strike, I simply ask "is that going to be a strike all game?" and this way I don't let a low strike 3 get me out).

LC7 - I am a pitcher and so what I am reading is if I throw a pitch that is 13 feet high or 4 feet low, you are telling me I am a "cheater"? I don't have a height gage with me when I throw so I do count on the umpire to understand the difference between the 2 to some extent. And when they don't and they won't allow me to pitch over 10 ft (happens more than you might believe), are they cheaters? Yeah, I am focused on that word because it has a very negative connotation. I pitch they way the umpires allow me and if they call a pitch illegal, REGARDLESS IF IT ISN'T (and yes, I am an umpire as well), then I have to throw another pitch or that batter walks, basically a "such is life" event. To me, cheaters are players who shave bats, allow illegal players on their roster, throw their game balls in the cooler, etc. To me, that is the true definition of cheating but you do you sir, good luck!
Feb. 17, 2025
mck71
Topic: Rules of the game
Discussion: Player injured in a rundown.

IMO Randall, the second you called "time out" the play is now over and I would consider everything a "dead ball" ruling. I am sure there are way smarter men and women with rule specific data to back up what I am saying but while you are correct that the person more than likely wasn't going to continue the run down, because you called time you should have put the runner back to 2B. I mean what you are saying is that if I don't feel like running the guy down, I can simply peg him in the face and then tag him while he is lying on the ground and save myself all that running back and forth? :-)

(and yeah, just trying to be funny BUT you see what I am saying)
Jan. 16, 2025
mck71
Topic: Bats
Discussion: Rolled bats

Not Dave - I ASSUMED when I read the post that is "implied" to senior bats you bring onsite because SSUSA rules are very clear as Tim pointed out on any non senior bat, very easily determined by umpires when you step into the box (or should be easy). You can always ask at any tourney just to be on the safe side. Good luck to all in 2025!
Nov. 8, 2024
mck71
Topic: Teams looking for players
Discussion: Atlanta MONARCHS LOOKING FOR PLAYERS

He mentioned it in the first line Oldballs - "We are Classified as a Major Gold (50+) in ISSA and Major in the rest of the Organizations." I know they have other age teams and Eurskine seems to help out the other teams as well, know they have a 60 M team (Monarchs/Miken Elite) but not sure they have a 65 team.
Sept. 21, 2024
mck71
Topic: Tournaments
Discussion: 3 losses in bracket play

jl - there is a thread below discussing the same thing. Most agree that it's fair (as do I). As Dave stated, as long as we are playing, we should be playing for something. I am assuming that you guys were one of the teams they sent home. So, flip the script and you guys lost 4 in a row, do you want to play an exhibition game and be done? This has been the format for as long as I have been playing SSUSA in 5GG events, was even voted on a few years back and majority ruled to keep the format so really no need for it to be corrected IMO. Congrats to all the winners and all the competitors!

P.S. - it was actually 5 teams they sent home, nice run in LB by NW Elite.
Sept. 17, 2024
mck71
Topic: General and miscellaneous
Discussion: Score from Vegas Session 1

It's on the main Tournaments page Sherwin listed as Results.
July 24, 2024
mck71
Topic: Tournaments
Discussion: Eastern National revision for Potomack not seeing it

Open the pdf, at the top you should see an icon on the top left that looks like a circle with an arrow on it, if you hover your mouse on it, will say "refresh", just click on that. Good luck!
July 17, 2024
mck71
Topic: Tournaments
Discussion: NORTHEAST CHAMPIONSHIPS 2024 •

Complete results are posted on Tournaments page.
July 12, 2024
mck71
Topic: Tournaments
Discussion: Brackets

Some of us might have to work while we are playing Tim so knowing which field is always helpful and I appreciated Dave getting those assignments posted so I could book the closest hotel to my venue! ;-)

Hope to see you in a few weeks buddy, been too long!
July 12, 2024
mck71
Topic: General and miscellaneous
Discussion: ILLEGAL PITCH

I am a very loud umpire and noticed when I "yelled" illegal or flat, I would startle the batter (flat comes out faster on those low hot ones some guys try and get away with, me included! lol) Now I do what JohnnyQ stated, arm out so pitcher and everyone else knows but say illegal or flat so only the batter and catcher will hear, seems to be a better solution for when I am calling games and if an umpire does it that way when I am playing, I very much appreciate that as well.

Agree with JohnO28, just an arm out or up does nothing to help the batter unless guy on deck or baserunner is watching and letting batter know.
July 3, 2024
mck71
Topic: General and miscellaneous
Discussion: Qualify

Pretty much same rules apply as here:
https://www.seniorsoftball.com/multimedia/guide_to_adding_players_to_world_championships_rosters_2023.pdf

As always, best to call the Home Office with specific requests. Good luck!
May 10, 2024
mck71
Topic: General and miscellaneous
Discussion: 50 AAA team looking for a 2B for Knoxville May 31-June 2

John, should list your state as that tourney is an ISSA one and players have to be in states that touch. Good luck, team list is out, a LOT of teams, should be a great tourney as always.
March 31, 2024
mck71
Topic: Tournaments
Discussion: Bracket Updates

I am quite sure at least Fran has the password to his laptop JohnO, she is CEO and his wife, so we are good there.

Happy Easter all! :-)
March 26, 2024
mck71
Topic: Tournaments
Discussion: Bracket Updates

JohnO, I knew I had posted this a while back and so I took your challenge. Before I go on, I would like to know Dave/Tim, anyone if there is a search feature in your own messages, finding this took WAY too long! lol


I am sure that Dave doesn't need anyone to stick up for him, he answers all inquiries (within reason) but the issue with results are twofold:
1) large brackets but mostly the fact that they are 3GG vs DE
*NEW ADDITION - there was a vote to go to 4GG to keep costs down, tghis was voted down by members hence taking away the possibility to utilze a different results engine like Quickscores, whom SSUSA has had conversations with and the 3GG wrap is the issue)

2) His current system is proprietary, means that an office worker can't just open up excel and update the scores, they have to be done on HIS machine which seems to be in constant use in creating the next big tourney.

Like all I would love to see results in a timely fashion but have decided to allow everyone else to complain and assume that at some point this will get resolved, just like the ball and the count as curveball stated.

Happy Holidays to all and good luck in 2018!

Posted on Dec. 14, 2017
Older messages »
INTERNATIONAL
SOFTBALL
TOURS
NATIONAL SPONSORS
OFFICIAL GLOVE
OF SSUSA