Message board »Message Board home »Sign-in or register to get started
Online now: 2 members: 9 ball, TABLE SETTER 11; 58 anonymousDiscussion: For 70 and over. 11 players on the field. Like or Dislike
| Posted | Discussion |
| Nov. 27, 2015 sjuhoops 145 posts | For 70 and over. 11 players on the field. Like or Dislike Maybe Like or Dislike and reasons why. Is it worth pursuing a change or should it be left alone. Thanks for your input. |
| Nov. 27, 2015 crusher Men's 75 524 posts | Game would be more fun and more like real SOFTBALL with 10 players. All the 70 teams I played against would do just fine with 10. |
| Nov. 27, 2015 antieinstein Men's 70 53 posts | 10 is much better still playing 65 just because of that. |
| Nov. 28, 2015 Fred S Men's 85 297 posts | I like the 11th player covering the middle. All our leagues here in all age groups us 11 players and I haven't hear any complainants from any of the leagues. The only down side of the 11th players is it knocks about 100 points of you batting average. You have to learn to hit away from the 11th player. |
| Nov. 28, 2015 curveball Men's 65 705 posts | Dislike. Never understood why when a guys power gets diminished due to age/strength, they stick in another fielder to cut down on an area the player has been conditioned to hit to for decades. Why do we punish the veterans?Younger age guys use the 5 man outfield to do the same, but they have the speed to play with 3 outfielders. 70's should not be subjected to learning a new way to hit, with decades of playing experience, they should be able to continue in their golden years playing the same game they are used to. What is the heck is the reason this was implemented in the 1st place? Are those thoughts still worthy of consideration currently? At the top level, it's hard enough to field a 10 man line up, let alone find an 11th man to play a position that he has no experience playing. From my experience, the top level 70's would prefer the 10 man defense. |
| Nov. 28, 2015 Wes Men's 65 335 posts | Many times it is very hard to get 11 or 12 player to travel to game when you only need 10---how we are going to have to get 12 or 13 to play 11---not good |
| Dec. 1, 2015 GDMoses 5 posts | I agree with all the reasons given for consideration of a change back to 10 players. Leagues can make their own rules. This is tournament ball. Making it harder for 70+ year old players to get a hit with a middle infielder and making the bases 70 feet makes no sense. Playing should be easier for the older players not more restrictive. There must have been a reason for this rule but it should be reconsidered if the majority of 70+ players object to it. There is a significant drop off in teams participating at this age level and higher. Maybe this is one of the reasons. |
| Dec. 1, 2015 Omar Khayyam 1357 posts | I've been playing with a man up the middle for years because of the older teams I have been on. Never heard a complaint. There have been complaints about bases going from 65 to 70 feet. This is a disadvantage to older batters, some of whom truly hobble down to first. I could live with the extra infielder either way. I don't think the man up the middle has caused many players to drop out although I respect antieinstein's decision to play with a 65 team because of it. Most of the older players I have known through the years have dropped out (not counting those because of medical reasons) because the hot bats have greatly extended the size of the fields and it is very difficult to get 65 and older outfielders who can handle an entire tournament chasing singles and doubles again and again to a fence 300 or more feet away! It's the hot bats that have driven many players from the ranks. |
| Dec. 2, 2015 cuda65 69 posts | I don`t get why some guys are complaining about that extra infielder. Just hit the ball somewhere else and it gives another player a chance to get on the field. I`ve [played many games since I played in the 70 division and I don`t hear any complaints. Our league in Cleveland which is a 55 and over league and a very competitive league uses 12 men in the field. It will lower your batting average so that should be an incentive to hone your skills. No need to change the rule in my opinion. |
| Dec. 2, 2015 Jawood Men's 50 943 posts | I'd like to see 11 defenders in all the age groups (50 & up). Helps protect the pitcher and moves the game along. Maybe we can get 7 innings in for a change. |
| Dec. 2, 2015 stattad Men's 65 235 posts | Agree with Jawood. Makes the batter learn to hit to other fields, and more importantly, it lowers the scores, which can get pretty ridiculous. |
| Dec. 2, 2015 crusher Men's 75 524 posts | Mr. Sjuhoops - just reading it looks like the count is 5-5. You may need to cast a vote to break the tie. lol I may hit up middle 1 or 2 times a year, it is always an accident. Played about 125 games this year and only hit 1 up the middle. I really do not want to hit a pitcher. |
| Dec. 2, 2015 17Black Men's 60 414 posts | I cant speak for 70 and older tournament ball, I'm still playing 50's in tourneys. I will say that one weeknight league I play in, not only uses an extra fielder over the middle (or wherever they want), but ALSO a screen for the pitcher. (which is like having 12 guys in the field?????) There was talk about removing the extra fielder when the league went to a screen-------but-----the league director makes sense when he says there seems to be fewer and fewer ball players each year, so he wants to get more people "involved" with the game, playing in the field instead of sitting on the bench. I think that's "noble" for league rules, and I'm fine with that, but don't know how that pans out for tournaments???? The league has some really, really good over the middle players, so if a team has a good shortstop, its like having two shortstops--------and if they are mobile, they get to a lot of bloop pop ups in short outfield too. As a hitter, I didn't like the idea at first of playing senior "league ball" with an extra fielder---and a screen-------but quite honestly, I don't even notice it much anymore unless that darn guy steals a hit from me LOL |
| Dec. 2, 2015 garyheifner 649 posts | Middle fielder is a good move. Lets another guy play and hit. Most 70s can't hit it deep. No middle fielder and guys are going to hit at the greatest weakness-up the middle. No middle fielder, the pitchers better wear all the protective stuff they can. It is a really simple game with a middle fielder. The hitter looks up and sees 5 defenders on the left and 4 on the right. Hit it to right. Been a dead pull hitter for 50 years. Moved up to 70s. Took me a few tournaments but don't mind saying I am getting fairly decent going to right. I found singles to right beats the hell out of 285' foot fly balls caught in left. Being a part time pitcher, I NEVER aim at a pitcher. But if the middle fielder is removed from 70s, I will go hard middle. |
| Dec. 3, 2015 rh25 Men's 70 29 posts | I'd like to see SSUSA go to 11 fielders in the 65's. We play with 11 in both the SPA & ISSA in the 65's and I believe it makes for a better game. |
