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Online now: 1 member: TABLE SETTER 11; 79 anonymousDetails for ChiPrimeMarty
Real name:
Martin Lolich
Location:
Downers Grove, IL
Division:
Men's 60
Messages posted by ChiPrimeMarty »Message board home »Start a new discussion
| May 28, 2012 ChiPrimeMarty | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: Talking Trash rightrj1, it's not a matter of being "sensitive" -- it's a matter of sportsmanship, and respect for the game and those who play it. As to whether a lot of trash talk will help your team win a Senior Softball game, I doubt it. One thing's for certain though -- it will earn you and your team the reputation of being a bunch of jerks. If someone on my team started talking trash, a half dozen teammates would tell him to cut it out. Full Monty, I don't think Gary's posts in this thread or in this forum are tantamount to "bullying." A bully is someone who uses his physical or mental strength to pick on those weaker than him. I don't know how far he can hit a softball, but the words he types here are only as strong as the validity of his arguments. On that score, I don't think he qualifies as a bully. |
| May 28, 2012 ChiPrimeMarty | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: Talking Trash Saying stuff to get inside an opponent's head to put him off his game is not good-natured. Perhaps the best definition of trash-talking is the intent behind it. |
| May 28, 2012 ChiPrimeMarty | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: Talking Trash Good-natured and mean-spirited are 2 different things, which is why I said let's be clear about what trash-talking is. |
| May 28, 2012 ChiPrimeMarty | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: Talking Trash mad dog asked: "is it trash talking when you back up what you say your gonna do" Yes, trash-talking is trash-talking, regardless of whether the player can back it up. It's a reflection of character, not ability. Let's be clear about what trash-talking is. Expressing confidence in what you can do (Larry Bird putting the ball in the hoop) is boastful, but tearing someone else down (like yelling at a weak hitter that he can't hit when he steps to the plate) is mean-spirited and poor sportsmanship. Also, it's very doubtful that talking trash will help your team win the game; more likely it will fire up your opponent. This isn't the NBA, the NFL, or even a semi-pro baseball team like the Chicago Cubs (sorry, as a White Sox fan I couldn't help myself talk a little trash there). This is Senior Softball. It can get very competeive, but even in the hardest-fought game between two tough teams there can be (and often is) a spirit of friendly competition and mutual respect. This is one of the things that makes competing in Senior Softball an overall satisfying experience. If trash-talking became widespread and accepted in our sport, I think some players would walk away from it. At the very least, it would leave a bitter taste for those who outgrew that sort of immature behavior decades ago. |
| May 22, 2012 ChiPrimeMarty | Topic: Bats Discussion: Best Method for Breaking in a new composite Senior Bat ?? Let me clarify: I was looking for input on 2 things: (1) Best method to "break in" a Senior bat to get it game ready (2) Best method to ensure durability of a Senior bat I mentioned some advice I received from the Miken guy at a tourney, but I was by no means stating that his advice was the best method. I also mentioned some things everyone probably agrees on, like rotating the bat during the initial hitting sessions and not hitting cold/wet balls or using the bat a lot for BP. This is something pertaining to everyone who uses a Senior bat, so I thought it would be a worthwhile topic. I talked to Alan (who may be a bit keyboard challenged) but seems to know his stuff about composite bat technology. His advice was to hit 25 balls (44 core, 375-400) with about 50% - 55% effort, rotating the bat 1/5 - 1/4 turn with each swing; hit the next 25 balls with 60% - 70% effort, rotating the bat with each swing; hit the last 25 balls with normal game swing, rotating the bat ... ... and it should be game ready. This method achieves both objectives: Getting the bat game-ready and helping to enhance durability. When a new composite bat strikes a ball, small spider-web cracks develop under the paint in the composite material. Distributing these small spiderweb cracks around the barrel up & down the sweet spot produces some "give" which opens it up for top performance. What you want to avoid is taking full hard cuts with a new bat, which produces larger localized cracks rather than the evenly distributed smaller spiderweb cracks. The bigger cracks can turn into weak spots and breaking points. Anyway, that's how I understood it. Alan, please clarify if I didn't translate this correctly. |
| May 21, 2012 ChiPrimeMarty | Topic: Bats Discussion: Best Method for Breaking in a new composite Senior Bat ?? Just ordered a Reebok Melee EL 28oz, and I want it to last longer than the 4 Miken U2's I broke in the last 2 years. I also want this bat ready to perform up to its potential at my next Senior tourney in 5 weeks. I'm looking for the best method to break in this bat ... without having it break on me after a couple hundred hits. The last time I bought a Miken off the truck at a tourney, the Miken guy advised rotating the bat while hitting it at the top & bottom of the sweet spot with another bat or a rubber mallet. Also stepping in the handle to increase the flex In batting practice I don't hit wet or cold balls, or in cold weather and I rotate the bat with each swing (1/8 turn) Once the bat loosens up and gets that broken-in pop, it's used only during games. What other and/or better methods are there for breaking in a Senior bat, and getting the most durability out of it ?? Does the type of ball used for batting practice (aside from not being cold/wet) make much difference in terms of risking breakage ?? I broke my last Miken during BP before the first game in Milwaukee this weekend. It was warm, dry, and the bat had maybe 100 hits on it. |
| May 1, 2012 ChiPrimeMarty | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: Brickyard Tourney Question for SSUSA Staff: It is noted on the schedule that "Schedule Subject to Change at Discretion of Tournament and Field Directors" Is it possible that our first game on Saturday (noon, 55AAA division) will be unexpectedly moved to an earlier time slot? Some of our players will be driving down from Chicago Saturday morning and might be late for that first game if it's moved up without advance notice. |
| April 18, 2012 ChiPrimeMarty | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: Any work from you "buyers" on the Veteran Core Bat Last response I got from Steve[smckinlay@gmail.com] was Feb 5 this year when he said the Veteran Core should be ready by May. Since then I've sent him 3 more emails asking for updates and posted twice in this forum in a Veteran Core thread he posted in, but nothing since Feb 5 ... and YES, I paid $99 for a bat in Sept 2010 and so far I'm still swinging in the breeze. |
| April 18, 2012 ChiPrimeMarty | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: LTB 26el or 27bal yellow senior combat Ain't no "maybe" about it. And here's another thing for certain: Batsunlimited won't get my business in the future. |
| April 18, 2012 ChiPrimeMarty | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: LTB 26el or 27bal yellow senior combat Batsunlimited continues to advertise the yellow bats even though they don't have any, and haven't for awhile. Several days after placing my order I got an email telling me to call their 800 number about my order. When their salesman gets you on the phone he'll try to sell you a new Worth Launch 510. I told him I wasn't interested in any other bat, and got my PayPal account refunded. I asked him why they're still advertising the yellow Combats for sale (you can add it to your cart and transact the purchase!) when they didn't have any to sell, and he said he didn't know why. |
| Feb. 24, 2012 ChiPrimeMarty | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: Veteran Core bat I bought the original white Veteran, then took Bill up on his offer of $99 for the 2011 GBA -- which I paid for on Sep 13, 2010 -- and never received. He's been good about returning emails and answering questions when asked, and Steve has responded as well. Last word is delivery sometime in May of 2012 -- 20 months after I paid for a bat. I'm not holding my breath, but I'm holding out hope. I have only one senior bat remaining (broke 3 in the last 2 years) but will hold off buying another until May (and my first 2 tourneys) have come and gone. I have good teammates who will let me use theirs if my last Miken breaks. |
| Feb. 8, 2012 ChiPrimeMarty | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: Something I doubt you know about Congress. When I was in my early 20's my father owned a neighborhood tavern frequented mostly by guys our age now. When I tended bar my dad knew my interaction and conversation with our customers could be a positive for the business, but he cautioned me to never ever get into debates about religion or politics. It was good advice, not only in that business environment but also within a group like a softball team. I'm pretty sure some of my teammates hold very different political views, and given the level of political discourse so evident today I've made an effort to avoid the divisiveness that can easily spoil team chemistry and even friendships. I'm all for intelligent fact-based civil debate on important issues. Unfortunately there is little of that on any level, including nationally televised debates between candidates who might be the next POTUS. |
| Jan. 13, 2012 ChiPrimeMarty | Topic: Bats Discussion: New Veteran CORE thread..... Bill, how about a Friday update? |
| Dec. 30, 2011 ChiPrimeMarty | Topic: Bats Discussion: New Veteran CORE thread..... Bill, how's production of the Veteran Core coming along? |
| Dec. 9, 2011 ChiPrimeMarty | Topic: Bats Discussion: New Veteran CORE thread..... I ordered and paid for a new GBA on September 13, 2010. I was hoping to have the bat for the Winter Nationals in Fort Myers that November, but I guess I missed the cut on the GBA's that were produced and distributed. During the course of the 2011 season I broke 2 bats and replaced them after I couldn't wait any longer. Living in Chicagoland I won't be playing any outdoor softball until April, so delivery of the new Veteran Core is not as urgent. Waiting more than a year for any product bought and paid for would be outrageously unacceptable from any company that was not a small American outfit trying to make a competitive bat in a market dominated by big foreign manufacturers. Bill, I sincerely wish you success, and I hope my long wait and patience will have been worth it. I'm really looking forward to trying out the Veteran Core. I have a couple favors to ask. Please keep us posted on this board, and try to give us an idea of how the weights of your balanced & end loaded bats swing in comparison to Ultra2's of the same weight (or some other bat most of us are familiar with). I'd like to make sure I get a bat that feels right for me and won't have to return it for a model of a different weight. I understand your bat may feel different from other products out there, but buying a bat without swinging or hitting with it can be a very hit or miss proposition (pun intended). Be as communicative as you can be. It will build trust and confidence with the players upon whom the success of your business venture ultimately depends. |
| Sept. 25, 2011 ChiPrimeMarty | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: Changes to the HR Rule - needs more thought Here's a suggestion for a modified 1-up rule: In AAA after 3 homers have been hit, my suggestion is having the 1-up rule appliy to TOTAL OVER-THE-FENCE hits. For example, under the current 1-up rule if Team A has hit 5 more over-the-fence shots than Team B, they are still only 1-up on shots counted as HR's. If Team B hits one they are even, and the next shot by Team A counts as a homer. My suggestion is to count the total over-the-fence shots whether they are counted as HR's or walks. The team that is behind in this count will continue to have their over-the-fence shots counted as HR's until they go 1-up in actual number of over-the-fence-shots. This could result in team B having more shots counted as HR's, especially if team A keeps hitting over-the-fence walks and stays ahead in the total count. This may not seem fair, but it does discourage power teams from abusing the 1-up rule and just keep cranking shots with their U2's. It's a bit of an equalizer between teams with power disparity, and it re-introduces some strategy for hitting HR's without ruling them as outs. I agree that a home run should not be an out. That especially sucks for the guys who rarely hit them. But at the same time, I think cranking shot after shot over the fence detracts from the game. This is a game of offense and defense, but the latter comes into play less and less as a higher percentage of balls are hit over the fence. |
| Aug. 30, 2011 ChiPrimeMarty | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: Who is the best 50 AAA right now in SSUSA? K Sheeran is as good as any team we played this year, including a couple Major teams in mixed brackets. We cruised through our other bracket games at Lansing, but couldn't get past them. In the first game there were almost no easy outs. Solid base hits and home runs when called for, plus great defense. Their second baseman put on a highlight reel performance against us. We traded leads with them a few times in the championship game, but in the end they didn't have to bat in the 7th. |
| Aug. 16, 2011 ChiPrimeMarty | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: What would you do Apologizing to the pitcher may not be "necessary" for the reasons some have stated, but it is a simple sportsmanlike gesture that could help prevent animosity from escalating to where opposing players start going after pitchers intentionally. Perhaps the best prevention is to have a pitcher who fields his position well and turns shots up the middle into outs and double plays. The flipside of that is when it becomes evident that the pitcher is not a good glove man and shooting the middle is a sure way to get a hit. This has long been part of the game and an important part of team defense. Even so, there is a difference between going for hits and having total disregard for the safety of the pitcher. It's a mental attitude that crosses the line from taking advantage of a weak link in the defense to intentional intimidation and not caring if someone gets hurt. As with all things, a little perspective is in order. Winning a softball game should not be a matter of life or death. |
| Aug. 15, 2011 ChiPrimeMarty | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: What would you do I have never deliberately tried to hit the ball directly in line with the pitcher because some pitchers are good glove men and the object is to hit the ball where they ain't. However, a lot of my hits are up the middle in the 6-1 or 4-1 hole. The center field gap is an inviting target, especially when the outfielders are spread far apart. One time I loaded up with the intent to split those outfielders and took a cut that would have easily cleared the fence if the trajectory had any elevation. It didn't, and went right between the pitcher's legs just below the jewels before he had a chance to react. It didn't touch him and I apologized as I was on my way to first, but he and his teammates were having none of it. For the next couple innings they shot the middle but did no damage to our pitcher -- me. |
| Aug. 15, 2011 ChiPrimeMarty | Topic: Bats Discussion: Veteran CORE is almost ready....... Bill, I bought the original White Veteran 28oz balanced, and want my CORE to have a similar weight/balance. Can you tell me which CORE model that would be? |
