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Online now: 2 members: Flava 21, TABLE SETTER 11; 65 anonymousDiscussion: Is winning the most important thing?
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| June 21, 2012 Webbie25 Men's 70 2413 posts | Is winning the most important thing? I thought I would start another thread to avoid interrupting Steve's thread on Minnesota any more than it has been. I believe a lot of players of senior age have shifted priority. While everyone certainly plays as hard as they can to win, I think for a lot of players the being able to still compete and the camaraderie may actually mean more than just winning. I have seen this a lot and believe it is a good thing. Life is not all about winning. Gary19 call is a lack of pride. He also calls using senior bats prideless, several times. What do you guys think? |
| June 21, 2012 taits Men's 65 4548 posts | Attend with a positive attitude* play to win, but if you don't there will be another day to compete. Maybe even, even the score with the team(s) you lost to. * going with the wrong attitude puts you in a different playing mode. I've played with many guys that went to the T with a defeat-us attitude because of one or two teams were were pitted up against. Not good. |
| June 21, 2012 Gary19 Men's 50 2609 posts | The only important thing? Of course not. The most important thing? Absolutely. Winning is the essence and at the core of all competition. I realize not everyone feels that way, but I am FAR from the only one who does. And I certainly never understand any tournament team forming and spending that kind of money just for some male bonding. There are far cheaper ways to do that. And yes, I have called the bats prideless. NO reason for the oldest, slowest group still playing to be using equipment banned for everyone under 50. Just none at all. So you aren't exactly breaking news with that one, Mark. |
| June 21, 2012 stick8 1991 posts | Webbie I beleive winning and camradarie are both important. Not to speak for others but every time I put on a uniform and drive to the field to play ball--whether it be a league game or tournament--my first and foremost goal is to win that game(s). If an umpire is going to call balls and strikes, teams are going to keep score, a sponsor is paying or partially funding your team and there are prizes for winning then I believe you owe it to yourself to try and win--within the rules of course. As odd as this may read I see nothing wrong with being a sore loser. That doesn't mean making a fool of yourself on the field by running your trap at the other team or the umpires and screaming out silly excuses why you lost. For me it's tipping my cap to other team saying they played a good game and then self-evaluating what I can work on to get better so the next time I play that team my team might come out on top. To me it's a learning curve and challenging yourself to get better--even if your winning. I believe that's somethiong either you have or you don't have inside. Camaraderie comes natural in most cases. I beleive if you play enough of the tournament circuit and the local leagues you'll get to know the other players as they will get to know you. Then the camaraderie sets in. I know some who strictly play for that or the social part which is ok too. IMO there is a time for that and but when the umpire says "play ball" we play ball!! After the games are done it's tailgate time. Anyone who knows the Coors Light team out of Indiana might agree they redefine tailgating. jm $0.02 worth |
| June 21, 2012 Gary19 Men's 50 2609 posts | "If an umpire is going to call balls and strikes, teams are going to keep score, a sponsor is paying or partially funding your team and there are prizes for winning then I believe you owe it to yourself to try and win--within the rules of course." That says it all. Correct again, stick! |
| June 21, 2012 Webbie25 Men's 70 2413 posts | Maybe I should qualify my statement. Stick-from all accounts you still have the fire to play and win. At AAA I saw a lot of teams and guys that were just happy to still be on the field. Injuries, illnesses and the like take their toll and a lot of guys never thought they would play again. Yet here they are with some concessions in the rules that allow them to be out here. Gary-as usual you didn't read my whole post. I assume that everyone is going to go out and compete as hard as they can to win. That is a given with every player I have met out here. But my question is the level of importance attached to it. The super competitive players will still have that fire. But some can still play and have fun, too. Some guys still work out, stay in shape-take BP several times a week, while others do just enough to be able to play. Gary-It's easy to say people are prideless from behind the typewriter-why don't you actually come to a tournament and call some guys prideless to their faces. |
| June 21, 2012 Gary19 Men's 50 2609 posts | Sure playing can be fun, but ultimately only if you win, otherwise the fun is severely compromised. Perhaps not ruined, but certainly lessened. What do you call the "need" for the oldest, slowest group to be playing with bats banned for all other age groups? Especially when there are plenty of other viable alternatives. Seriously, what do you call it? |
| June 22, 2012 stick8 1991 posts | Webbie not trying to speak for others but I have a suspicion most players, whether it's just for the fun of it or competing to win are happy to be on the field. Overcoming illnesses or injuries may give them an appreciation of the game they may not have had before but one of my teammates on this 55+ day league I play in said it best: "I only have so many steps, throws and swings left in my career". His motto is get all you can get while you can. |
| June 22, 2012 frampton Men's 55 55 posts | It's all just a matter of emphasis, I guess. Anyone who's played with me will tell you that I give it all between the lines. That said, I've played competitive sports all my life, and have won more often than I've lost in the long run. (I was actually better at volleyball than at softball.) So I guess some of the emphasis on results has been replaced by emphasis on the process. If I've given my all (and all my teammates have as well) and the other team wins, I no longer have it in me to get pissed off about it. Sure, winning is better. But losing doesn't affect me the way it did when I was younger. (Though losing *constantly* would take its toll. That's why I'm glad we have divisions based on skill level, with the rankings based on game results.) And to answer Gary19 -- the composite bats make for what I (and I think many others) believe to be the best kind of game -- a fairly close game with both teams scoring 15-20 runs. The bans by the younger associations can be seen as irrelevant to our discussion -- why should we care how those associations run their tournaments? Maybe they shouldn't ban composite bats either. In any event, I guarantee you that the guys on my team, and the teams we play, have plenty of pride. We play by the rules that are set up, we play hard, and enjoy ourselves before, during, and after the games. I don't have much time for anyone who would say that we're deluded in that enjoyment. |
| June 22, 2012 Gary19 Men's 50 2609 posts | frampton, what could be cared about is the reason the younger associations banned them. My understanding is strictly for the exit speed of the ball off the bats, which is exactly what causes the safety issues for the oldest, slowest group still playing. That would be why this is relevant to any senior discussion. The use of the bats and what they allow many (certainly not all) seniors to artificially do make it a bit of a contrived enjoyment, as does the excessive number of age groups and classifications. Anyone up for dunking basketballs with a trampoline? |
| June 22, 2012 taits Men's 65 4548 posts | A few things: I got booted off a good team later in a season because I wouldn't go the St. G with them when asked later. I had told them in Feb, months before I would be going with some team, undetermined at that time, because I like meeting and & playing with other people from all over. I've played with teams from 5 states and two teams out of Canada. St G is an open roster and not quite the same as regular assn rosters. Quite a mixed bad of tricks. But a fantastic experience. The senior bats are the mainstay for hitting but they are also compromised with the dumbed down in cor\comp balls now being used in some places. The 44\375 or so balls aren't a bad match for the issues they use as rationale or excuses for using lessor ball pop. Play to with a positive attitude, and make some friends for a lifetime experience you likely won't fine anywhere else except in maybe another sport you might play. |
| June 22, 2012 frampton Men's 55 55 posts | "Contrived enjoyment", that's good. Sort of like a faked orgasm? If the faking is good enough, who's to say it isn't fun? Seriously, though, I think the ideal is to be playing teams of comparable skill level. Losing 40-10 isn't much fun at all, and neither is winning 40-10 IMO. Our usual tournament in Northern California is six teams, round robin, so five games in a weekend. The teams in the NCSSA are ranked together, so there may be 50s, 55s, and 60s in a given bracket, but with close to equivalent talent levels based on prior tournament results. Oh, and it's not only true that seniors are slower in reaction time than the younger players, but their bat speeds are slower too, so it evens out. |
| June 22, 2012 Gary19 Men's 50 2609 posts | Great post, with one exception. This is strictly anecdotal, but reaction time defensively is much more compromised as we get older than bat speed. The one thing I was told by a guy I played with years ago before I got into Senior ball is that the arms are not as strong as they used to be, speed and range is not what it used to be, reactions are not what they used to be, but if you could hit you probably still can. There is a huge difference between having quick enough reflexes to react to ball hit off these bats and maintaining enough bat speed to hit a rather large ball moving very slowly. So while I am sure many guys don't quite have the bat speed they did, to call it "even" does not appear to even be close to correct. |
| June 22, 2012 HJ Men's 70 481 posts | It is a shame that there is a one-trick pony on this website who can't or won't stick to the subject. We all know your opinion on bats and rules, that is not the subject of this thread. The most important thing for me is to play as well as I can on any given day. Being highly competitive helps, but I find I must constantly push myself to run for balls and backup plays and stay in the game to play at the highest level I can. If I can say I did my best for the team to win then I am happy irrespective of the final score. This means hitting the ground to catch flies, working the pitcher for walks and always taking the extra base opportunity when on base. It does not mean breaking the rules to win although I have been accused of overly aggressive base running. Frankly, winning is less important to me than playing as well as I can, but the effect is I am doing the best I can for the team to win. The camaraderie, the structure, the motivation to stay in shape, are all important, too. |
| June 22, 2012 Gary19 Men's 50 2609 posts | And exactly what subject wasn't stuck to? The originator of this thread brought up the special bats and pride aspect first in his original post (my God, don't you guys read the posts), specifically refering to me, so I responded. Goodness HJ, follow the bouncing ball. HJ, what would make you happier? Going 4-5 with 5 RBI (let's call that something close to doing your best which you said is the most important thing to you) or 1-4 with a single and your team won? For me, even as a pitcher, I would take a 20-18 win over a 7-5 loss. |
| June 22, 2012 the wood Men's 65 1123 posts | Frampton: I agree with your position. I still want to win every game and every tourney but I don't get as tourgues out of shape about it when things don't go our way. Yes, I'll do what I can to make it work better the next time as a player or as a mgr. But the relationships are the only thing that linger. Having played for 40 years and chasing championships for most of that time, my philosophy has changed. As was stated by Stick, we only have so many innings left to us so we best use them wisely (i.e. use them in the way that we feel makes the most sense). HJ: Those of you who continue to 'fuel his fire' are what makes him relevant. In the absence of this message board, he is totally irrelevant to senior softball. Think about it... 1,800 + posts in 18 months and hasn't played a single tourney game. If he bothers you just ignore him. BW |
| June 22, 2012 Gary19 Men's 50 2609 posts | "If he bothers you just ignore him" So sorry to hear that some find honesty and truth bothersome. |
| June 22, 2012 birdie Men's 70 802 posts | Freedom of speech!!!! What a great country!!! I will take winning first and parking lot second. Thanks Harry |
| June 22, 2012 swing for the fences Men's 50 1224 posts | Yes and no... to answer your question Mark, lol... I always play to compete and do the best I can... I always figure, if I do my best the winning will take care of its self.. I don't get to high or low with a win or a loss! I have played Thousands of games and won 100s of championships.. playing this much, you will win some and lose some... for me it's just flat out playing the game and doing something that I love.. The relationships I have made are high up on the scale also. |
| June 22, 2012 garyheifner 649 posts | Webbie 25 You are correct. My team has evolved far past winning being the only goal. We are like family. Don't criticize and rip into each others play. Wives come along. We share good news and bad news. Joy and tragedy. Sickness, surgeries and death. Eat together. Sit by the pool and tell stories and jokes. Car pool and share expenses. Several of our celebration parties have been as much fun as winning the ring in competition. I feel bad for seniors I see storming to the parking lot after a tourney, swearing, cussing and slamming ball bags around. They just don't get it. P.S. Just because a person is trying to be honest and truthful, it doesn't mean he is right. |
| June 23, 2012 DoubleL10 Men's 70 907 posts | I just read all the posts with interest. I agree completely with Woodie and Harry! While I still love playing the game and competing, the relationships and the competition are what ultimately cause me to return - win or lose. I enjoy seeing and visiting with old friends (and making new ones) at the various venues to which we travel. Even playing on new teams or teams with new players is a treat. Every one is different and I enjoy the bonding and camaraderie that exists. Life is good and, at my age, I try to enjoy every day. As Woodie says, we only have so many innings left. And, Harry, exactly WHAT is in that parking lot? LOL. |
| June 23, 2012 boston Men's 60 355 posts | When I go to a tournament it's business. It's all about winning. As I tell my teamamtes if i am paying to go to a city like Vegas, Phoenix, Dallas etc. and it's to play ball that is all that matters. I will have some brews in the designated drinking area or at dinner. If I want to hang out and drink and party with the boys. Leave the equipment at home and let's go party. The other factor is with the tourney brackets when do you really have time to enjoy yourself. By the end of the day it's beer, ice packs, jacuzzi, beer, dinner and bed. Now in our league you play with your buddies try to win but then it's about hanging with your buddies. |
| June 23, 2012 Gary19 Men's 50 2609 posts | Ya gotta like boston, one of the two wisest guys on here. =) |
| June 23, 2012 docswear Men's 55 99 posts | Webbie25 For me winning is certainly a goal but only one of many and not the most important one when it comes to playing softball. I get more enjoyment out of playing the game and the camaraderie than I do winning. Winning is certainly preferable and I do all I can to do so but not at the expense of enjoying myself. I have been playing softball for 40 years now and certainly went thru the winning is everything phase but , like wood and others have found greater enjoyment in just realizing I am lucky to just be able to still be out there. I certainly understand and respect those that feel differently but you are taking a poll and that is my input. Enjoy your GSF teammates. Great bunch of guys! Doc swear |
| June 23, 2012 HJ Men's 70 481 posts | G 19- good question. Parameters are too limited. A win with 1 out of 4 hits, might be very satisfying if a good catch or assist from the outfields was crucial to the win. Going 4 out of 5 could be terrible if I dropped a fly I should have caught, threw to the wrong base, or otherwise didn't perform to my standards. To honestly answer if I went 4 out of 5 and otherwise played to my standards I would personally feel better about a game than If I stunk up the place and the team won. Of course, no one other than myself would know any of this and my outward demeanor would be the same. I always thank the other team as we shake hands after the game (win or lose) and I always try to compliment the other players for what they did well (good catch, hit or throw). Unlike football which was my prime sport, I find that getting too excited is counterproductive to playing softball for me. If I play my best I am doing the best for the team to win. Wood- nothing on this blog would ever bother me.I just respond if I feel a response is necessary, but I do understand your point about making the irrelevant relevant and will self censor. |
| June 23, 2012 E4/E6 Men's 70 873 posts | Webbie, anyone (imo) who says winning isnt important is kidding themself. However, it, for me isnt the most important thing. my friends, my team mates, and the people I meet while playing softball are what matter most. The competition is second. Then there are the different places we get to see while playing, an added bonus. Like "DH" Doc said, winning is preferable, but not the end if it doesnt happen. Gary19, you have every right to express your ideas and opinions, I only wish they werent so repetitive and damning of senior softball and players who choose to play it with the "Special Bats" and rules. You have chosen not to play tournament ball, good for you. We who do continue to play enjoy it as it is. Why continue to beat the dead horse? |
| June 23, 2012 Davy 22 posts | Perspective from a 76 year old softball player. Winning maybe everything when you are young but age has a way of providing balance in both life and softball. Any tournament you come home from is one to be treasured both for the playing experience and friendships. Of course you do your best to help the team win but losing doesn't make you a failure. Enjoy it, meaning present rules, bats and balls, etc while you can, win or lose, because it will not last forever. davy |
| June 23, 2012 Omar Khayyam 1357 posts | I like Davy’s perspective: it’s not essential to win to have a satisfying senior softball experience. I may have been playing longer than any other poster on this board: this is my 60th consecutive season of playing league and/or tournament ball. In all those years and thousands of games, I’ve always played my best. I have always run full speed to first on a popup or ground ball, I’ve been prepared to play my pitching position if a ball is hit up the middle, I keep fit, I take batting practice, in other words, I play to win. But winning has never been the most important thing for me. There are so many other things in life that are more important than winning a softball game or tournament. For 30 of those years, I played on a non-championship league team. Why? Relationships. Even though I play now on major teams, relationships are still important to me. I value the friendships, the times shared away from the field, the support and encouragement of fellow players over the years. And I just enjoy playing. Like Davy understands, life is shorter than we think, and the joy of playing over the years has been a source of constant satisfaction and we should value our ability to still play when most of our peers are no longer able to participate. |
| June 24, 2012 southernson 280 posts | The day I put on a uniform and play any game with teammates where there is a score kept, and don't have winning as a team as the primary goal, for me that's the day I walk away. Talent wins games, chemistry wins championships. There is a undeniable bond formed when you sweat blood together working towards a common goal, when individuals put their own wishes secondary to the group, and in doing so that group overcomes adversity together to succeed as a group. It's a special thing in sports which gives birth to trust,lifetime memories, and and lifetime friendships. But at the end of the day, the W has to be a part of it for me. |
| June 24, 2012 stick8 1991 posts | Well put southernson. Allow me to add to that players or coaches who actively recruit other players in the off-season in the effort to make their teams stronger. |
| June 24, 2012 Mr. Manassas 244 posts | As the Bird-man will attest to....I love the competition!!! You strive to win but you deal with the frustration of losing if that is your lot....As far as the equipment is concerned ...you use what is legal at the time....End of discussion...... |
| June 25, 2012 Webbie25 Men's 70 2413 posts | I just got back from Temecula this weekend. Thanks Marv for putting on a great tourney. On the topic I started here, it was very surprising the number of players that came up to me from many teams there to say hi-are you that 'idiot' on the message board? And every one was laughing about it and friendly about it. I feel like I met a ton of new friends and it was so many I won't remember them all, so I hope they forgive an old man with a poor memory for names. Plus, I will remember this opportunity to play the best in the Nighthawks, West Coast, and D&K. I hope we have many more chances to go at it on the field. It doesn't get any better than this-from the playing to win aspect, and then enjoying the fact that we competed hard afterword, and maybe made a new friend or two. One observation from above posts is(and I touched on it briefly) that the guys playing M+ and M still have a lot more fire and winning is the number one goal. When you get to AAA and AA, and remember I was there and experienced it, there are a lot of teams that, although they play as hard as they can and compete hard to win, realize what happens after the game and within their teams is JUST as important as winning. And that really is the way it should be. One other aside-several of the guys I talked with this week were very adamant about the fact that they think SSUSA has it right with the way they run things, from the bats to the rules. That's why it is successful. |
| June 26, 2012 Gary19 Men's 50 2609 posts | "That's why it is successful" Perhaps, if you find typical 3 or 4 team brackets a standard of success. Oh, by the way, "surveying" the limited number of guys who participate and getting their opinions is not exactly proper methodology. Try asking the, oh I don't know, 90+% of seniors playing softball who don't play tournaments to see what they think. Just saying....... |
| June 26, 2012 spoonplugger Men's 60 95 posts | How you play the game shows some of your character. When you lose people see all of it. Leave it on the field. We don't invite players full of themselves back again. Seems they don't in Ohio either. |
| June 26, 2012 Gary19 Men's 50 2609 posts | "We don't invite players full of themselves back again." Who exactly are "we"? No name. No location. No conviction. |
| June 26, 2012 Olden Slow Men's 75 209 posts | 2 scenarios..I play on a Thursday single wall league..We expect to win most games..Sunday league also single wall they (not me) expect to lose..Had 2 Double headers won both on Thurs..Lost both on Sunday..Thursday was more fun...But I would and do play either way.The big difference is the Sunday guys go home win or lose and the Thursday guys go for Pizza after...win or lose. I just enjoy playing and I always give all I have...Same goes for my Tourney Team. |
| June 26, 2012 stick8 1991 posts | Webbie with all due respect I feel the urge to offer a little bit of a different view from my perspective. I fully agree the primary goal is to win but when you write this: "One observation from above posts is(and I touched on it briefly) that the guys playing M+ and M still have a lot more fire and winning is the number one goal. When you get to AAA and AA, and remember I was there and experienced it, there are a lot of teams that, although they play as hard as they can and compete hard to win, realize what happens after the game and within their teams is JUST as important as winning." What your implying is major and major plus teams don't consider off the field activity important as on the field. I certainly can't comment on AAA and AA teams nor any experience you have had in your tenure but I can tell you from my experience in 5 years of playing on 3 different teams in 50 major plus that the teams I've been on have for the most part pretty much had the idea bonding off the field is just as vital as playing. In fact I think it comes more natural for older players, although you'll find a few select jerks in every crowd. |
| June 26, 2012 the wood Men's 65 1123 posts | Stick: My experience is in line with yours. I believe that the level of play has less to do with the team's attitude than its composition. But I am puzzled by the last sentence of your post. As an 'older player' I have an interest in determining what it is that you meant. BW |
| June 26, 2012 Joncon 328 posts | If winning was the most important thing, I would have quit playing LONG ago. |
| June 26, 2012 stick8 1991 posts | The Wood I think on many teams (not all) you might have one select jerk who 1) blames his teammates for losing 2)complains about where he is in the field and batting order 3)complains that a certain player should sit and tries to recruit other [players to take his spot--and there are others. It may not be in the open but behind others backs. Not good for a team. |
| June 26, 2012 Webbie25 Men's 70 2413 posts | Stick-it was not intended to imply that at all. I was only talking about the fire in the belly aspect above. I know our GSF team often gets a house at road tourneys to save money and it helps us to spend time getting to know each other. Of course, when you have the best of both worlds, you get a highly competitive team that also gets along well, and it happens a lot at M and M+ level. Your last 2 sentences say it better than I did, but that's closer to what I meant. Our 4 team bracket was extremely competitive this week. That sure beats a 24 team bracket that has 16 walkovers in it. |
| June 26, 2012 Gary19 Men's 50 2609 posts | Joncon, What could be more important? So you don't play with scoreboards or standings? |
| June 26, 2012 swing for the fences Men's 50 1224 posts | Gary, competing is more important than winning! Winning A Team game is based on a entire teams ability to play.. Some great players are not either lucky enough to play on a good team or play with friends. When I walk on a field I'm there to do the best! If the team loses I'm not happy about that, but If I did the best with a good effort, I can live with a loss and find the value of trying to win just as important as a win. I have been lucky over the years to play with teams that almost always won, We had are share of bad losers on the team! However, I never thought they were more a winners than Myself(just because they took a loss so hard) because I won just as much as they did. I figured they were just bad lossers!) I choose not to get to worked up over a team loss and I am always more concered with what I could of done Better to help make our team win... G 19 you don't play so you have lost touch of what's important, or you were a loser who thinks winning is the most important thing, so you quit! |
| June 26, 2012 Gary19 Men's 50 2609 posts | swing, what exactly did I quit? 3-team brackets? I play plenty, just not hundreds of dollars for a weekend of a tiny bracket. Sure you live with the loss, most everyone has losses. But that does not diminish winning from being the most important thing. Only thing? No. Most important? Yes. And I agree you don't need to be a bad loser to show you want to win. There are many ways guys and gals handle losses. |
| June 26, 2012 HJ Men's 70 481 posts | Perhaps 1 thing hasn't been said. Winning in your 20's for many of us was different from winning in our 60s and 70's. I consider myself extremely lucky to be able to still play hard in my late 60's. My skill level isn't the best, but my intensity and judgment have not waned and the extra base is always taken, I think that Swing's post said it perfectly (not the G19 stuff). It doesn't matter if you lost if you can look in the mirror and say I did my best to win and then think about what you could have done better. |
| June 27, 2012 Gary19 Men's 50 2609 posts | "It doesn't matter if you lost if you can look in the mirror and say I did my best to win" That will be true when they start giving awards to the guys who tried the hardest and not to the ones who scored the most runs. But until then................ |
| June 27, 2012 stick8 1991 posts | Gotcha Webbie. Where was this tourney at that you were in? |
| June 27, 2012 southernson 280 posts | Webbie, Tend to agree with you alot, and I know what you are trying to say, but you are missing the primary difference difference between AAA/AA and Major level teams - it is CASH. Cash to Play in more tournaments, cash to travel, cash to have more time to practice, cash to recruit, cash to pay players and more. And I don't begrudge those teams that have the cash to play at that level, not at all, I support the local ones and always hope they do well. But how many Major or Major+ teams are there because the root cause is the superior "fire in the belly"? Cmon webbie, as they say in the streets, it's all about the Benjamins...and that's the difference. |
| June 27, 2012 Webbie25 Men's 70 2413 posts | Stick8-Temecula, CA-Nighthawks 55M+, West Coast 50M, and D&K 60M+ were there and all extremely competitive. Southernson-not all M and M+ teams have a big sponsor, but you have a good point. HJ-another good point-maybe another thing that was in my mind for this thread. |
| June 27, 2012 swing for the fences Men's 50 1224 posts | My Baron team has no sponser... would love to have one, but we don't have one.. We pay are own way! I love the guys on my team, I was offered to be paid for, but I stuck it out with the guys I'm playing with because I like them and we are very competitive at the Major level! |
| June 27, 2012 stick8 1991 posts | Webbie, where in California is Temecula? |
| June 27, 2012 mad dog Men's 65 4191 posts | stick,Temecula is approx 60 miles north of san diego on I-15 and about the same south from riverside...real nice area..... |
| June 28, 2012 phantomf4j 42 posts | OK guys, I rarely contribute, but I want to on this topic. I have a button that I wear occasionally on my shirt. It reads: "I have survived damn near everything." Prostate cancer, Naval aviator during the Vietnam War, failed marriage, job changes, you name it, I've probably been through it. Life has taught me that there are no guarantees, but it has also taught me that the world is not going to eat me. Softball is a wonderful sport and I love it. I even still get nervous before a big game. But it is not life and death. If I win or lose it is OK. But this much is important. If we are going to keep score, it sure matters whether I win or lose. It is just the competitive nature that most people have who participate in team sports. |
| June 28, 2012 canIjack Men's 60 322 posts | "WE PLAY TO WIN THE GAME" AND The only time that I don't try to win, is when I'm playing my grand kids. |
| June 28, 2012 boston Men's 60 355 posts | Dang canljack where supposed to let the grandkids win. No wonder my grandkids won't let me play games with them anymore. LOL enjoy gentleman and stay thirsty my friends |
| June 29, 2012 DCPete 409 posts | Everything a Team does on & off the field matters but Winning is always paramount. Just check out everyone's reactions the next time your team comes from behind in the bottom of the 7th to win a tournament game; nothing else even comes close to matching that moment . . . |
| June 29, 2012 stick8 1991 posts | DC Pete you just described the "thrill of victory". Imagine the reactions of being on the other side of your scenario, especially if it's the championship game of a tournament. That would be "the agony of defeat". It might be so quiet you could hear a pin drop. |
| June 29, 2012 Joncon 328 posts | ""Joncon, What could be more important? So you don't play with scoreboards or standings?"" 1. The social aspect. I have met hundreds/thousands of people playing ball, Some of them have become really close friends. Others, not so much but I still appreciated the experience. 2. The personal competitive aspect. Even though it's a team sport, I enjoy a loss if I played really well. Hell, I sometimes enjoy a loss if it was a really good game on both sides. Someone has to lose and there are only two teams out there. 3. The overall entertainment value is priceless. Whether it's something spectacular like a defensive web gem or an out of the blue 20 run inning or something funny like the ump trying to eject someone from another field or some clown getting tossed for going kicking dirt. I play with scoreboards and standings. That's what fuels the game. It's really no fun without them but, the real reason I think most of us play is simply because we love the game. It's also a great excuse to drink beer. |
| July 3, 2012 canIjack Men's 60 322 posts | Playing is fine but drinking a few beers with friends after the game, Win or Lose PRICELESS. |
| July 3, 2012 Gary19 Men's 50 2609 posts | If that is what you find priceless, win or lose :(, why not skip the game(s) and just go straight to the bar? |
| July 3, 2012 Ceres 73 posts | Gary, What kind of a comeback is that. Let me put it into other words. Two teams play a good close game . Afterwards some of them get together to talk about the game and socialize. Everyone has a good experience. Is that OK? |
| July 3, 2012 Webbie25 Men's 70 2413 posts | Ceres-he just digs a bigger stupid hole to climb into by being contrary about everything. You have the idea. When you are young, winning is the ONLY THING. In Senior ball, many have a different perspective. But we all COMPETE AS HARD AS WE EVER DID. Canijack-we didn't drink that beer after you beat us again. That deep sand and thick, thick grass took its toll Saturday, and we all had to get home Sunday. But we will have it some day. |
| July 3, 2012 Gary19 Men's 50 2609 posts | Certainly it is fine, you don't have to cry over every loss. I just detected an indifference to winning or losing, and that I don't understand. Webbie, you don't want to play an intelligence card with me. Trust me on that one. |
| July 3, 2012 swing for the fences Men's 50 1224 posts | I know I always play to win.. but find great value in the game either way, win or lose! I think most that play this game think the same way... G19 you are priceless, keep up the good work on being the sites #1 tool! No one is even close! |
| July 4, 2012 stick8 1991 posts | canljack, nothing wrong with having a few pops after the games but do you think that beer might taste a bit better if your team wins? |
| July 4, 2012 Webbie25 Men's 70 2413 posts | If you were a true MENTAL GIANT as you claim, Gary, you wouldn't have to stoop to where you do stoop to. Stick8-it always tastes better when you win, but you can still enjoy the fact that you competed and did your best. |
| July 4, 2012 stick8 1991 posts | Of course Webbie. Having a few pops with teammates and members of other teams is the gravy in all this. It's really no different when I go out of town for work. Instead of busting my rear end playing ball I'm there to meet with clients to do business. At the end of the day we may head out for dinner and drinks, on my dime of course. Sometimes I can sweeten the deal with a drunk client :) |
| July 11, 2012 canIjack Men's 60 322 posts | Thanks Webbie25 for answering for me and ALL the Guys who enjoy a cold one after the game. stick8 Hey man, there is a difference. We have a beer or two then we go Home and get Drunk. While you and your client drive home drunk.lol |
| July 11, 2012 mad dog Men's 65 4191 posts | webbie you have hit the nail on the head with g-19.....he must live a pitiful life if this is his entertainment... |
| July 11, 2012 stick8 1991 posts | Canjack there was truth to that years ago! |
| July 11, 2012 Gary19 Men's 50 2609 posts | sad pup, your ignorance seems to know no limits. |
| July 11, 2012 mad dog Men's 65 4191 posts | just the same as yours, non-player g-19......find a team if you can,as we all know how that has worked out in the past...... |
| July 11, 2012 Wayne 37 Men's 65 773 posts | From my experience, most teams don't win games, the other team loses them. Such is senior softball. Played in too many games we should have won, and lost because of, well it happens too often to mention. |
| July 11, 2012 stick8 1991 posts | Wayne that is so very true. How often have you and your teammates asked yourselves after a loss "how in the hell did we lose that game"? From my experiences and this is only my view, I would say more times than not our mistakes helped the other team beat us. But if your team is on the other side of that coin would you say that the other team gave you that game or was your team clearly the better team? That would be an interesting topic to debate |
| July 11, 2012 Wayne 37 Men's 65 773 posts | Stick8, I agree it goes both ways. It's not hard to tell the difference. |
