What makes you go hmmmm about softball?

[Mr T]

I'm an old baseball guy. Been fun coaching my daughters as they start up. Also having fun watching CWS. It mostly makes sense as a baseball guy with a couple of exceptions.

Why do pitchers never get pulled? Or maybe they do and I just haven't seen it. Seems like I've seen some games where the pitcher clearly does not have it at all, inning after inning, and the team just goes down in flames. There is not even a second pitcher worth sending in? Really?

Change ups. Why don't softball players ever swing at change ups? It seems like this pitch is un-hittable in softball. I would think these balls would be getting cranked out of the park. I understand if a pitcher is changing speeds subtly and effectively, but some of these pitchers... I think it was the Mizzou gal, was throwing 70 and then her change up was 46. I mean that's a lot of time to realize what happened and swing for the fences, no?

For guys like me what else is baffling?

 

[softballphreak]

I'm an old baseball guy. Been fun coaching my daughters as they start up. Also having fun watching CWS. It mostly makes sense as a baseball guy with a couple of exceptions.

Why do pitchers never get pulled? Or maybe they do and I just haven't seen it. Seems like I've seen some games where the pitcher clearly does not have it at all, inning after inning, and the team just goes down in flames. There is not even a second pitcher worth sending in? Really?

Change ups. Why don't softball players ever swing at change ups? It seems like this pitch is un-hittable in softball. I would think these balls would be getting cranked out of the park. I understand if a pitcher is changing speeds subtly and effectively, but some of these pitchers... I think it was the Mizzou gal, was throwing 70 and then her change up was 46. I mean that's a lot of time to realize what happened and swing for the fences, no?

For guys like me what else is baffling?

I think you need to experience that for yourself as far as the change up is concerned. 70 mph at 43 feet and then 46 mph at 43 feet is a lot more difficult than you can imagine.

In baseball a good knuckleballer has batters all out in front—and that's with a 60' wait time at around 80 mph. Matter of fact 60' makes a lot of difference on any pitch compared to 43'. Even with 100 mph fastballs 60' is still a fair amount of distance.

 

[rowdy]

I had much better luck hitting a 95 MPH fastball in college than I do hitting a change up from one of my hitter now. The game of softball is way faster than baseball and unless you have experienced both it is hard to understand.

 

[SoCalDad]

The difference in the bunt rule between ASA and NFHS. Being a baseball guy as well, pulling back a bunt just makes sense. Still have to remind myself that ASA does not require a backward movement lest I look like a fool screaming at the ump "She didn't pull her bat back".....

 

[sluggers]

Why do pitchers never get pulled?

Reason 1: There is a myth that softball pitchers won't get hurt if they over-pitch. And, it doesn't matter how many kids do get hurt, the myth just continues. Brombacher of Florida has a pulled bicep tendon, Canion of Baylor had an arm stress fracture, and Kenzie Fowler of Arizona had a frequent buyer card at the ER. But, you'll hear, "Oh, softball pitching is a natural motion. It won't hurt anyone if they pitch 7 games in 2 days!"
Reason 2: The #2 pitcher is usually quite a bit less talented than the #1 pitcher.

I think it was the Mizzou gal, was throwing 70 and then her change up was 46. I mean that's a lot of time to realize what happened and swing for the fences, no?

Right...the answer is "No it isn't" A 70 MPH fastball thrown from 43 feet requires a reaction time on the order of hitting a 100 MPH fastball. So, hitting her is like a baseball player seeing a bunch of 100 MPH pitches, and then being asked to hit a 70 MPH off speed pitch.

 

[Mr T]

Thanks for the edumacation. I plead ignorance all the way. Wasn't trying to start a what's dumb about softball, but a what areas of softball are you dumb about

Also, about the change ups, yeah I have a vague understanding of how hard it is but I don't see many swings so far on the change ups. That kind of throws me. It's not that they are swinging way early. So I guess the change up is almost like a great curve in baseball where it looks like a ball not a strike?

 

[StacieM]

I'm not a guy like you, but what's baffling to me is why a -11, -11.5, -12, -12.5, or -13 bats are even made! As tiny as my 3rd daughter was at 5 years old trying to play with her big sisters she did not need a -11.

Oh....the other thing that's baffling....all the baseball dad's that think they know everything there is to know about softball and can do a better job coaching softball because they know how to coach baseball. I've been involved with softball for most my life and have been coaching for almost half of it and I wouldn't for one second think I could step onto a little league baseball field as a coach of a youth team and think I know everything there is to know about that game or about coaching a bunch of boys for that matter.