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Details for christom10

Real name:

Michael Christopher

Location:

Parker CO

Division:

Men's 55

Messages posted by christom10

Dec. 10, 2025 christom10	Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Clarification of Rule: PROHIBIT SPECIFIC 'CHIPS' Thank you, Dave. I look forward to the updates.
Dec. 10, 2025 christom10	Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Clarification of Rule: PROHIBIT SPECIFIC 'CHIPS' Can you provide where that is documented in the rule book or summary of SSUSA committee meeting, or is this just accepted from message board posts?
Dec. 10, 2025 christom10	Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Clarification of Rule: PROHIBIT SPECIFIC 'CHIPS' Let me give you a scenario. In 2026 I receive a medical reclass for, we will take your mental health example above, from 65 M+ to 65 Major. I go and play on a team that is 65 Major. That 65M team currently has 3 65M+ players. Do I count as a chip on the 65M team. It was my understanding that SSUSA was going to address how many 'chip' players and how many medical reclassified players you can have on your roster. If this is not addressing that rule, is there a rule in existence that shows the combination of chip and medical reclassified (personal experience downward re-rating) that can be on a team.
Dec. 10, 2025 christom10	Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Clarification of Rule: PROHIBIT SPECIFIC 'CHIPS' Can you clarify the rule below by giving an example? PROHIBIT SPECIFIC “CHIPS” – Proposal to prohibit a player who has received a personal rating history write down from being a “chip” on a lower rated team for the current season • PASSED 10-1-1
Nov. 3, 2025 christom10	Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: SSUSA National Rules Committee 2024 (December 4-6 - Tucson) Seeking clarification on the official minutes for 2024 Rules committee meeting. Seems like SSUSA considered taking the two players from non-border state rule away from AA/AAA in 2026. Officially it says, "passed 10-0", "motion to reconsider passed 10-0", "motion to table pending staff review 10-0". Has there been a final decision made on this rule change? §13.1.(3) A. 2. • TEAM REGIONS OF SSWC – Beginning with the 2026 Season, for Men’s 40+ through 60+ teams rated AA and AAA, the two (2) currently allowed “out of region” players are phased out. All players must be from the home state and bordering state(s) or must have a current year valid snowbird card. • PASSED: 10-0-0 – MOTION FOR RECONSIDERATION: • PASSED: 10-0-0 – MOTION TO TABLE PENDING SSUSA STAFF REVIEW AND REPORT: • PASSED: 10-0-0
Sept. 7, 2025 christom10	Topic: Players looking to join a team Discussion: Worlds 50's Major+ Outfielder Kael played with the 50M Havoc team out of CO. They got bumped 2 years ago by SSUSA to M+ and the team broke up. Kael is fast, plays CF in the 5-man and has a strong arm. His best attribute is he is a good teammate in the dugout. He'd be a good short or long-term pickup.
Aug. 22, 2025 christom10	Topic: Players looking to join a team Discussion: 50s Major+ outfielder Da Wiz, Kael is not 55 eligible (52). Can only play 40/50.
July 14, 2025 christom10	Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Player Ratings Brotherhood - you get the benefit of being the home team (written with with heavy sarcasm).
April 30, 2025 christom10	Topic: Tournaments Discussion: Carson City I think the deadline was extended to 4/30, so there will be changes to the list.
Oct. 24, 2024 christom10	Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: One Pitch Softball One-pitch tournaments will reduce the amount of teams that will travel to that tournament. There was major 'heartburn' when SSUSA was going to reduce to 4 game guarantees.
Oct. 24, 2024 christom10	Topic: Tournaments Discussion: Winter "Worlds" DJ12, someone may have already answered this question, but the only way to get non-east coast teams to come to Florida is to not have tournament scheduled a week after in Arizona. There is zero incentive for a team west of the Mississippi to travel to Florida if there is a tournament a week that is easier for us to get to.
Aug. 20, 2024 christom10	Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: Rocky Mountain Shootout - Rule Clarification DBAX, the confusion is that one rule states you have to have both feet in the box. The new rule PRIMARILY focused on being called out if your back foot is in front of the front of home plate. However, the new rule also says you can't start with in front of home plate AND in the box. Basically, umpires were not allowing pitches to pitch until both feet of the batter were behind the front of home plate. You know how with a 3-1 count some batters will stand up in front of the box as far as they can. This wasn't allowed.
Aug. 19, 2024 christom10	Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: Rocky Mountain Shootout - Rule Clarification At the RM Shootout there was some confusion about home plate and where a batter could start in the batter's box. Based on the National Rules Committee meeting notes on 12/6/2023, the rule was interpreted correctly. I believe the main focus on the new rule has been "The batter will be called out if he hits the ball when the back foot is completely further forward than the line defining the front edge of home plate." The part of the updated rule that hasn't received as much attention is, “The batter must take an initial position with his back foot no further forward than a line defining the front edge of home plate." National Rules Committee Official Minutes (December 6-7, 2023) §1.5 • BATTERS BOX and §7.3 • BATTING POSITION – There were multiple proposals presented by both public and committee membership regarding changes to the batters box and batter position rules. For the sake of consistency across all venues where SSUSA plays, the committee adopted, generally, the USSSA Rule 1, section 5, as follows: “The batter must take an initial position with his back foot no further forward than a line defining the front edge of home plate. The batter will be called out if he hits the ball when the back foot is completely further forward than the line defining the front edge of home plate. NOTE: All other illegally batted ball infractions regarding the side and rear lines of the batter’s box, along with stepping on home plate, remain in effect.” • PASSED: 12-0-0
July 25, 2024 christom10	Topic: Tournaments Discussion: Westerns National Championship Nicksest, unfortunately for SSUSA 'competitive' means that you're winning/losing your games by +/- 5 runs a game. Unfortunately, I don't think SSUSA looks at the complete scope of those losses. Do you only look at in age, in division games (55m vs 55m, versus 55M vs 60M+)? Do they take into consideration if a team is consistently being flip-flopped in the open and scores enough runs to eventually lose by -5? This year, Mile High in CO has only won 1 game against a 55M team. They petitioned and were told they're too competitive to drop to 55AAA. However, you had teams like Stadium (when I first started playing) that used to hang around in 50M winning everything, getting top 3 at Worlds and then being allowed to stay in major. Not only do teams want to be competitive, but they also want consistency across the board in how the rules are interpreted/applied.
May 20, 2024 christom10	Topic: Tournaments Discussion: Rock N Reno 55M Bracket The 55 major bracket says there are 9 teams but lists JayCo 55 twice.
Jan. 19, 2024 christom10	Topic: Teams looking for players Discussion: 55 Major Team in CO Vegas TOC in April.
Jan. 3, 2024 christom10	Topic: Teams looking for players Discussion: 55 Major Team in CO Established team based out of Colorado looking for a couple players to solidify our roster. The old "Scrap/Iron Elite 50s" team is reuniting to play 55s. Looking for an outfielder and/or utility player, but open to any positions. Email or text Mike at 303.668.8398 or christom10@hotmail.com.
Nov. 13, 2023 christom10	Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: Bumped Up?? That contradicts rule 6 on the Team Ratings -Guideline Procedures. 6. A team retains its rating unless it falls below 3 players from the original team. The new team ranking is then determined by the playing history of the current team members. Yes, 7 new players, however they have 4 players from the original team that should carry a major plus tag, no? Suggestion...consolidate all of the SSUSA rules under a specific rules only thread that is read only and members can't comment on.
Oct. 6, 2023 christom10	Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Batter out of the box Webbie25 - there are 2 issues I see. One is Dave's attempt at humor (What Box) and boxes drawn on dirt fields. After a couple of innings, the front of the box is almost decimated. As Dave indicated with the picture "there is no box", we know there isn’t time or money to redraw the box between games. However, if you implement the rule USSSA has, which is if a batter makes contact with the ball with both feet in front of the plate the batter in that picture is clearly going to be or should be called out. The second issue is turf fields. The boxes are never symmetrical from field to field and can’t be ‘redrawn’. If the rule is changed where both feet can not be in front of the plate when contact is made it, then you don’t worry about the box being drawn incorrectly AND the batter doesn’t have to make changes from field to field on where to stand in relation to the plate. The only time I have an issue with a guy being out of the box is when they’re moving forward and shoot middle. At 55 Worlds I saw several guys called out of the box when they hit a HR. Totally stupid IMO. Also, I think we can agree that the box issue only/mostly relates to guys stepping out of the front of the box, not the back or sides.
April 26, 2023 christom10	Topic: Bats Discussion: wig popper I follow Senior Softball Bat Reviews. I wanted to compare end-loaded, 12-inch, one-piece bats so I purchased a first batch Wig Popper and a Suncoast Melee 3 12". Haven't been able to hit them until recently due to weather. I alternated 5 swings each, 4 rounds. The Suncoast, for me, had greater exit velocity and distance and I didn't like the sound the Wig Popper made. Maybe the Wig Popper needs more break in time, I find it hard to believe that Suncoast isn't on the top 10 list for either hard/soft barrel bats, or on his balanced list when it was number one at one time. I understand new bats have new technology, better balance points, etc but I don't see Suncoast as some 'antiquated technology' that's no longer competitive in the market. In the end it all comes down to personal preference. Just my .02 cents.

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