Message board »Message Board home »Sign-in or register to get started
Online now: 3 members: Dondi026, Emmitt, TABLE SETTER 11; 159 anonymousDiscussion: Looking for a Senior League Rule
| Posted | Discussion |
| Aug. 15, 2017 Larry S 54 posts | Looking for a Senior League Rule Looking for a Senior league rule that deters the teams big home run hitter from being walked most every time he comes up to bat. |
| Aug. 15, 2017 B.J. 1105 posts | we had the same problem in our top division rec league..we wrote up what we called the protected batter rule... who ever was chosen in your line up if walked more than once whether intentionally or not they went to 2nd base and all runners advanced 2 bases... if walked again they then went to 3rd base... if during an at bat after the first walk the pitcher threw the batter a strike then he could be walked with no penalty and the batter went to 1st...the protected player learned quickly that if he got a good pitch he better be ready to swing |
| Aug. 15, 2017 djs_1964 8 posts | I play in a 50+ league where after you've been walked once (intentional or not; strikes in the count or not), at any time, each subsequent "no-strike" walk puts you on 2nd base and all runners advance two bases. If you take a called strike or swing and foul (or miss) during that subsequent at-bat and then get walked (again, intentional or not), it's just a regular walk. So the pitcher gets one free "pitch around him" at-bat. After that, IF HE DOESN'T THROW A STRIKE, it basically costs him a double. In league games, while it is a team game, it isn't much fun to show up and not even get to swing the bat. This way you can be walked once, and then usually get at least one pitch to swing at in your other at-bats. |
| Aug. 15, 2017 djs_1964 8 posts | B.J. must've posted while I was typing :) Very similar rule. |
| Aug. 15, 2017 BruceinGa Men's 70 3233 posts | When I coached girl's slow pitch we had a rule that disallowed "intentional" walks. The batter would bat until they got a strike. I would instruct my pitcher to try to throw the first pitch a strike then throw four balls. My reasoning that we gave the hitter a chance to hit so it wasn't "intentional". There wasn't any arguing. :) |
| Aug. 15, 2017 Omar Khayyam 1357 posts | We have lived successfully with a rule forbidding intentional walks. Of course pitchers pitch more carefully to a big slugger and sometimes they are unintentionally walked, but these power hitters pay the same amount and are basically playing to have fun, so what if they hit a home run now and then. It helps that we only have about three guys out of the 100 or so regular players who can regularly hit 300 feet (our definition of a home run hitter) and some leagues may have more. Nonetheless, why penalize a boomer for his abilities? |
| Aug. 16, 2017 Mannjo 61 posts | The league I play in has a very unique rule to address this. You can issue an intentional walk,but the manager just inserts a runner at first and the batter stays at the plate. If a pitcher throws four straight balls the same rule applies. Now if the pitcher throws a strike ,he can issue an intentional walk with no penalty. That batter must take first. If a pitcher throws three balls,then a strike,then another ball,that batter must take the walk. This stops any by passing of big hitters. |
| Aug. 16, 2017 TerryN Men's 65 11 posts | One of the 60+ leagues that I play in has a rule that if the batter walks for any reason, he has the option to take first base or stay at the plate with a new count and have a runner inserted at first base in his place. This league ranges from rec players to Major+ players, but everyone gets a chance to swing the bat. |
| Aug. 16, 2017 amr-4-lc 47 posts | in our senior league we have a rule similar to those above. we designate two HR hitters per game, if they are walked without a strike being thrown it is two bases, and runners advance two bases as well. if a strike is thrown during the AB it is only a one base walk. the part of the rule i don't understand in our league is that it only applies from innings 1 thru 5, the 6th and 7th innings when you can argue (games tend to be on the line during those last 2 innings) are a little more important than the previous 5 innings the intentional walk rule is done away with. somehow that doesn't seem to make much sense. any legitimate HR in our league will see a walk in those innings with nothing they can do about it. i agree with the statement above, these guys pay the same amount of money as anyone else in the league to play and have fun, only to have the bat taken out of their hands at the end of the game. to me a simple solution is that you have the walk rule for the entire game not just certain innings. unfortunately at this point, the rules committee believes that the rule as it stands is fair. opposition was voiced to the rule at our members meeting but to no avail. thoughts on whether or not you guys believe this rule is fair and other suggestions to maybe improve on the existing rule. |
| Aug. 16, 2017 stick8 1991 posts | djs_1964, What if you had 1 out, runners on 2nd and 3rd and the 7th (or 5th) run of the inning is at third? You're up to bat. Most teams would walk you to set up a force at any base or look to turn a dp. Presuming you've already walked per your league rule the defense can't intentionally or unintentionally walk you because that would be two bases--the runner at third scores, inning over. That's not fair to the defense. Mannjo's scenario appears more plausible. Put a runner on first and the batter still gets to hit--or gets a choice to hit or go to first. jmho |
| Aug. 16, 2017 djs_1964 8 posts | Stick, you are exactly right. Remember, that batter would've had to have been walked earlier in the game for it to be two bases this time. It is interesting to see the other options used. |
| Aug. 16, 2017 17Black Men's 60 414 posts | Senior League here in Ohio has a home run limit per team One guy is a "designated home run hitter" (announced before game starts) He (the home run hitter) can hit as many home runs as he wants in a game. The "rest of the team" can hit TWO (between all of them) for the entire game, and after two its an out. If the Home Run hitter is walked for any reason (4 balls or intentional) the next pass through the line up, (starting with the batter after the HR hitter who just walked) gets ONE more home run to hit---------regardless of where the home run total is at the time (a FREE Homer) So if homer hitter is walked in first inning and somebody else hits a homer between then and the next time the homer hitter comes up (it wont count against the homer limit) and the team still has two more to hit. If you've already hit your two homers and the home run hitter walks, you can hit a 3rd, (Freebie) and so on. If you have a team made up of guys who can hit homers, GREAT its a good advantage. If your homer hitter is your only legitimate home run hitter, and nobody else is a threat----------its NO advantage, and the home run hitter might take a lot of walks. This particular senior league plays with USSSA Bats and dead balls----no senior equipment. The bats are OK but the balls---------not so good. |
| Aug. 16, 2017 marcster13 102 posts | I'm not so sure I like having a rule that you can't walk someone. Most walks I see are either to put the force on or because the pitcher knows a guy blows middle and does not want to get injured by some asshat trying to hurt him. But as someone mentioned... what about the batter having fun? Softball is a team sport so if he gets on base from a walk he IS helping the team. We all know being able to help the team is the fun part. Play golf if you don't want to help a team win. Lol |
| Aug. 17, 2017 curveball Men's 65 705 posts | LVSSA Tues/Thurs top league, everyone hits, batter can't walk. In the case of 4 balls or wanting to put a person on for defensive reasons, anyone goes in to run except the batter. Batters all get their swings each at bat. |
| Aug. 17, 2017 Fuzz 20 posts | In our senior league, we allow two home runs per game. Additional "over-the-fence/untouched" home runs count as walks. The batter is awarded first base, but runners only advance if forced to do so. This lets hitters still go for home runs and also protects the pitchers and infielders from a safety standpoint. We've done this over ten years and it works well. |
| Aug. 17, 2017 stick8 1991 posts | 17black, you just described the GSL rule!! |
| Aug. 17, 2017 txnighttrain 119 posts | Too much whinning from big home run hitters. Go play with the young guys and hit home runs. However, most of those leagues have a 3 or 5 homerun limit then they are outs. It forces these guys to play softball and not engage in a homerun hitting contest. I have watched good hitters in other organizations with a 13 home run limit in a tournament where the rating was Major. The team that won didn't even use all their homeruns. They saved them and hit them in key situations. Good hitters have good bat control. |
| Aug. 17, 2017 17Black Men's 60 414 posts | stick8= YES our senior league is GSL-----------with all GSL rules. The only non GSL rule is we use a mat at the plate. I don't like the 5-10 arc and pitchers juking on the mound. It was "OK" in USSSA 25 years ago but I don't like for senior ball. |
| Aug. 18, 2017 stick8 1991 posts | I would also think you'd use the senior courtesy runner rule. In GSL you can use a courtesy runner only once an inning. |
| Aug. 19, 2017 curveball Men's 65 705 posts | stick, just like the Stote/Rock debate, "stoopid bats", pitcher headgear problems, we won't get everyone on the same page. The GSL rule of 1 runner per inning is plenty. Running is part of being a softball player, as is fielding, throwing, and hitting. ASA used to have the best running rule: a courtesy runner can only be used once per inning and that runner can only run once per game. You just have to face the fact that some players aren't the complete package. Teams must accept player short comings if they want that player on their team. |
| Aug. 19, 2017 The Screamer5 Men's 60 69 posts | I kind of agree with marcster13 on this subject. Maybe I'm just old school but walks (unintentional or intentional) are just part of game. As a pitcher, I'm always aware of the game situation, who the opposition's big hitter(s) are, who has been hitting the ball well, who is on deck and where the other team is at in their lineup. I'm going to always carefully pitch around the big hitters (hoping to maybe get him to reach for one or swing at a bad pitch)...but if I walk him, I walk him. The next batter(s) just have to make me pay for those walks. Am I'm suppose to serve him up something he can drive just because or in the name of "fun?" I don't think so. Each league is different and has to make rules that best fit their players...but for me, it's no "fun" watching the other team's HR hitter hit a HR off me. In my opinion, someone else is going to have to beat me. |
| Aug. 19, 2017 stick8 1991 posts | Very well said curveball. I umpired in Lansing today and in one particular game, 50 AAA, I have never seen so many courtesy runners used!! It wouldn't shock me to learn some players ran twice in an inning or ran for someone in the same inning when someone ran for them. Pretty wild. |
| Aug. 20, 2017 grayhitter59 Men's 60 345 posts | scremer5, in south florida we have a one walk rule, if any player is walked once the next time he has the choice of a new count. This a league not tournament play. Leagues are for fun and enjoyment. So have fun. |
| Aug. 23, 2017 DOERBAUM Men's 55 86 posts | IN THE LOCAL LEAGUE THAT I PLAY IN HERE IN WINTER HAVEN, ITS PICK UP GAMES UNTILL NOVEMBER, THEN A REAL LEAGUE WITH A DRAFT ETC UNTILL MARCH. (SNOWBIRD SEASON). DURING THESE PICKUP GAMES (SOMETIMES 3 TEAM GAMES) IS WHEN I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE WALKS. I ACTUALLY GOT INTO A BIT OF A VERBAL ALTERCATION WITH A PITCHER LAST YEAR, WHEN THE TEAM I WAS ON WAS DOWN 15 RUNS IN THE BOTTOM OF THE 7TH INNING, 2 OUTS AND NO RUNNERS ON. THE WHOLE TEAM IN THE FIELD WAS YELLING "PITCH TO HIM!" I HAVE YET TO HIT A 16 RUN HOMER TO WIN THE GAME IN MY 40 PLUS YEARS OF SOFTBALL, AND YET, THE FIRST PITCH WAS 15 FEET IN THE AIR AND LANDED 2 FEET OUTSIDE..... HENCE MY SUBSEQUENT DISGRUNTLEMENT....LOL! I DON'T EXPECT A DOUGHNUT ON EVERY PITCH, JUST GET IT TO WHERE I COULD REACH IT WITHOUT A BROOM HANDLE. NOW THAT SAID, DURING THE ALL IMPORTANT "LEAGUE" LOL!, WALK ME, ITS A FREE SINGLE IN MY MIND. THERE WAS A PARTICULAR INNOVATIVE SOLUTION ONE GAME THIS PAST FALL. I HIT FOR ALL THREE TEAMS BECAUSE THE NUMBER OF PLAYERS (31). THAT WAS A FUN DAY. EVERYBODY PITCHED TO ME CAUSE THEY WANTED ME TO GET A SWING FOR THEIR TEAM. 12-13 WITH 9 AS I RECALL. I GUESS IT BOILS DOWN TO HAVING FUN AT ALL TIMES AND BEING SERIOUS AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME. |
