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Online now: 4 members: Dick6, Spear19, TABLE SETTER 11, dillydilly; 82 anonymousDiscussion: Defense
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| Dec. 18, 2017 Webbie25 Men's 70 2414 posts | Defense I was reading the survey thread and something OZ said resonated. So as not to hijack the thread, I started this one. How many of us hit 1-4 or more times a week, but never actually PRACTICE defense? I think it would be most of us, because the emphasis of our game is hitting. But one of the things I have always said is that when hitting the best you can do is a grand slam for 4 runs, and you have to have the runners on to do that. Defensively, one good play like taking away a hit, getting the double play, throwing a guy out, or just not making mistakes to open the door can stop countless 5 or 7 run innings. Actually having infield practice has seemed nonexistent for many years.I personally enjoy playing defense and am practicing hard to become the best third baseman I can now that I am on a team with several great outfielders. No matter how natural you are as an athlete-it doesn't happen without practice. The best teams I have ever played with were real good, if not great, defensive teams. At Major+ you can open a 7 run inning with one small mistake, considering the great hitters in that division. And OZ-you are correct that better defense would shorten games. Mark Weber (Webbie) Timberworks 65M+ |
| Dec. 18, 2017 DaveDowell Men's 70 4318 posts | So true, Webbie ... “Offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships.” • [Paul "Bear" Bryant] |
| Dec. 18, 2017 Garocket Men's 55 259 posts | Defense will never win you a game. Offense always wins BUT defense can keep you from losing. Never heard of anyone winning 0-0 |
| Dec. 19, 2017 lb16 Men's 60 196 posts | My take on this yes defense will save you a run or two here and there. And will get you out of an inning or two here and there. But face it slowpitch softball is an offensive game. Simple way to explain you can play stellar defensive game make all the routines with no errors and still lose because your team didn't hit. Yet you can play a game make multiple errors and still win because you hit the crap out of the ball. It's pretty simple you have to "score" more runs than the other team regardless sorry guys offense rules in slowpitch softball!! |
| Dec. 19, 2017 curveball Men's 65 705 posts | I'll take my chances every game with a defense that gives only 3 outs per inning. |
| Dec. 19, 2017 DaveDowell Men's 70 4318 posts | Had a player tell me several years ago "..This game was so much easier when we only had to get three outs an inning, before we started kicking it around, throwing it away and no longer being able to bend over to stop a ball.." ... Words of wisdom ... |
| Dec. 19, 2017 Webbie25 Men's 70 2414 posts | I am always amazed how defense is downplayed-and here it is again. How many games have you lost 28-26 where you hit the heck out of the ball and couldn't catch a cold defensively. We had a game 3 years ago in Dalton that we lost 48-37 and gave them about half of their runs with errors-including a two out error on an easy play that turned into a 9 run inning instead of being out of the inning with 0 runs. What if your team gave up 12 runs a game instead of 20 from playing good defense? I guarantee you would win a lot more games. Very few teams hit ALL the time and sometimes you have to win a game defensively to win a tournament. If the wind is blowing in hard you had better not give up runs defensively, either. And ib16-a run or 2? An inning here or there? One inning that you get out with no runs can change a game. It can save you 5 an inning. That one error you make with 2 outs and nobody on can easily become 5 runs. And the higher the division you play, the more it can cost you. Everybody can hit-but the teams that win consistently also play good defense. |
| Dec. 19, 2017 r4pitch 92 posts | Defense won use more torneys the last 3 years than offense..(team usa 50m+) turning double plays and making the routine plays win torneys ...That close game you win along the way is won with defense.. When i hit during week we always end with ground balls...Before every game we take grounders ..It matters and helps |
| Dec. 19, 2017 HJ Men's 70 481 posts | Defense is not just catching the ball and throwing it but playing smart and generally not trying to get the guy at 3rd which just lets the batter get to 2nd. That said, with minimal practice time throwing ability can be greatly improved and I can't find guys willing to practice throwing. I am thinking going to a fast pitch academy to take private infield practice. Anyone doing this?? |
| Dec. 19, 2017 OZ40 549 posts | THANKS WEBBIE! It's nice to have at least 1 comment I made in the 50 posts in the previous thread recognized as lucent.:-) |
| Dec. 19, 2017 softball4b Men's 70 1248 posts | Webbie and Lucent in the same sentence........It is a Christmas Miracle! |
| Dec. 19, 2017 Mikelmart 152 posts | If anyone doesn't think defense matters has long term memory issues. I mostly play outfield and have time to think about plays that are not made including my own. Think back about all the times that you give a team two or more outs in an inning or an umpire doesn't make a correct call extending the at bat of the other team. I remember coming back into the dugout thinking " wow we should have been out of that inning a long time ago". Getting all your outs when you are supposed to pumps up your team and gets you back in the dugout with some extra momentum and deflates the other team. I don't work on defense hardly at all but after playing outfield for over 50 years if I were to move to the infield on a more permanent basis I would work on my defense until I was more proficient. If anyone thinks that defense isn't important maybe you're a Major+ player who measures success by the long ball only. |
| Dec. 20, 2017 softball4b Men's 70 1248 posts | In fairness to Garocket, literally he is correct. In reality you almost always cannot outhit your defense. Lord knows I have been on teams who have tried. Hitting 5 or 7 runs every inning and having a great open inning is Vegas odds. There is a lot that can be said for hitting a 3 run homer with 2 outs as a demoralizing affect on the opponent equally as effective is the double play with bases loaded and no outs. Turning a potential big inning into something a lot less. Championship teams utilize both offense and defense as weapons. I have never, yes I used the word never, saw a true championship caliber team that did not have defense and offense. The 3rd component is pitching. There is a HUGE difference between a pitcher and a thrower. For the most part IMO, that guy that throws 7 MPH underhanded has a tremendous impact on the defense side of the ball. I played in one game where the wind was blowing 20-30 MPH and our pitcher walked 3 guys. We won easily. Another our pitcher walked 13 guys, we almost won. The only guy I know to throw a no hitter in senior slowpitch is not a true pitcher, Ron Chenier. This could be much longer because as some people say, actually most of them, I am somewhat verbose, sounds better wind bag. You might win some games with just hitting or defense or pitching or insert aspect here, but if you plan on winning it all or just most of your games, everything needs to click. Merry Ho HO |
| Dec. 20, 2017 DaveDowell Men's 70 4318 posts | softball4b ... I watched Mike "M.A." Clary throw a no-hitter in a 40-Masters championship game in Reno a long time ago ... He lost the perfect game on his 21st batter with two outs in the 7th inning by HIS OWN throwing error ... Sorry M.A., and I know you may not agree, but lobbing the ball about four feet over and wide of your 1B after fielding the bouncer back to you is YOUR error (LOL!) ... |
| Dec. 20, 2017 Omar Khayyam 1357 posts | Wow—a no-hitter in slow pitch! I have been pitching for 65 years and in those thousands of games, never threw a no-hitter. I have had a few shutouts, and let me tell you that great defense made those possible. (I'm not counting the shutouts I pitched when the sun was low and behind my back. I lost one of those shutouts when the batter closed his eyes and swung hard, hit what should have been a double, but it got by my fielder who was drawn in for the frequent pop-ups, rolled for a home run.) |
| Dec. 23, 2017 stick8 1992 posts | About 1991 or so in a local house league I played in we achieved a mercy, shutout, no hitter and perfect game. The league had a 3 inning mercy rule (up by 25 or more) which we attained. It was 9 up 9 down for the other team. The funny thing was 3 players on the other team didn't get to bat!! |
| Dec. 23, 2017 baseballbill 137 posts | Most teams have offense. The team that usually wins the game is the team that makes all or most of the routine defensive plays. |
| Dec. 23, 2017 OZ40 549 posts | Stick, was that when we played together on team JUNK? Seems I remember a game like that at Liberty Park....night game, 9:40 on diamond 5? |
| Dec. 23, 2017 stick8 1992 posts | Oz , merry Christmas to you and Madelynn!! Actually that was a downriver league I played in. The one you referenced was close-- someone made an error in the last inning (bubba maybe?) and then the next batter got a double. Lost the no hitter and shutout. Timmy was bummed that night. Wasn't this at softball city? |
| Dec. 24, 2017 OZ40 549 posts | BUBBA! We have had some fun, eh? What a cast of characters we've met over the years...... |
| Dec. 24, 2017 stick8 1992 posts | No doubt. I think every team should have a bubba on it. Such a good person who everyone wants to do well but then..... |
