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Adam2 wrote: ↑17 Feb 2026 07:04 am

sikeston bulldog2 wrote: ↑17 Feb 2026 06:51 am

Adam2 wrote: ↑17 Feb 2026 06:46 am

sikeston bulldog2 wrote: ↑17 Feb 2026 06:37 am

Adam2 wrote: ↑17 Feb 2026 06:34 am

sikeston bulldog2 wrote: ↑17 Feb 2026 06:22 am

Adam2 wrote: ↑17 Feb 2026 06:12 am When my baseball career ended i played softball for a couple years. The game itself was fine.

What wasn't fine is about half the men thinking this is game 7 of the world series, and they are getting looks from MLB teams. (Wearing 17 wrist bands, eye black, trash talking, wearing chains) even in the COED league we played in.

It seemed the worse the player was the more wristbands and eye black he wore. It's easy to tell in softball who got cut from the freshmen baseball team in 1993.

It was one of the more pathetic things i've seen. I just had to laugh

rant over

You are a good ball player. The higher leagues are a bit more impressive. The one note i took away was- there were many studs i ran into in softball, none of which sniffed pro ball. Taught me how hard it is to play pro- 780 players on the 26 man rosters.

and you are correct about how good MLB players are. In college my roomate had crazy power, broke the school record in home runs.

He got drafted, and made it to the major leagues for a period. In 73 career MLB at bats he had 0 home runs. Crazy at the level of talent in the MLB. Even the players that are made fun of and mocked on here by posters (myself included) are beyond incredibly talented

Great thought. And true. Check this out. You and I can catch a MLB fly ball; throw out a runner from second, or maybe put a ball in play. Maybe.

Yet the pros make all those events look easy. You are correct. The talent at that level is crazy.

Would you say the difference between all star and mediocre is a mere few hits.

In my prime I could put a ball in play vs pitchers at the low minor league levels i would say. We consistently faced velocity in the low 90s, a few times we faced 95-96 to where i could make contact on them. (not saying i did that well)

but their off speed stuff is nothing like MLB pitchers. Against a major league quality starter I'm probably at best fouling one off. Their off speed stuff is just ridiculous. (again, this is 15 years ago).

as far as your questions about the difference between all star and average being a few hits? Good question, i'm not sure how to answer that. As far as batting average would go i guess i would say yes.

But as an overall player and mentality i would say no. Just watching an all star player on TV in the box, you can pretty much tell that he knows he's about to smash this pitch (just like watching Albert's face and mannerisms in the box, you could tell he knew he was much better than you) vs average to below average players seem to look more timid and reactionary (like watching Jordan Walker last year, you could tell he was not confident and knew the pitcher was probably better than him)

does that makes sense? that's just my early morning rambling without coffee

Why no coffee? I’m on cup four. Drink a pot per morning, then water. Trying to ditch cokes.

Go back to this thought. In the world, the whole world, there are 780 pro ball players. That’s some serious inclusion.

That means there are thousands of studs, who didn’t make it. That’s wild.

I agree with you, so many great players who never sniffed the big leagues. And it sets them back in life to be honest. Most of them grind as long as they can in the minors, by the time they give it up they are a 29 year old father of 2, with no job, no work experience and usually nothing to fall back on. They end up having to start a career at the age of 30 when most people are already 5 years into their careers by then if not more.

That's probably why there are so many ex minor leaguers coaching in high school and college. Because that is really the only type of job that their work experience as a baseball player can be valuable toward

60 year Cardinal fan wrote: ↑17 Feb 2026 07:13 am I had a friend who got a cup of coffee with the A’s in 1967. A year or two earlier he had played a pick up game with us. I was catching that day when he came to bat. It seemed like the ball was nearly in my mitt when he struck like a rattlesnake and lined the ball deep into left center field. I realized then, that there was a distinctive difference between a good amateur and someone capable of getting a sample in the bigs.

sikeston bulldog2 wrote: ↑17 Feb 2026 06:44 am Two points so far.

One, just how good a pro is. This based on the amount of really good players encountered in decades on the softball circuit.

Two- the game is very similar. Other than pitching and stealing, very similar. The major difference is the amount of hit balls. Rarely a strikeout.

So not only does it mean mucho balls hit, it means many shots. At the defense. Still need superb gloves to field those shots.

sikeston bulldog2 wrote: ↑17 Feb 2026 06:01 am

Debate- I would argue that softball is much more physically dependent than baseball. In softball, every player moves on every pitch hit. Which is about every two pitches. In baseball, you stand still and wait for three outs.

ecleme22 wrote: ↑17 Feb 2026 07:44 am

sikeston bulldog2 wrote: ↑17 Feb 2026 06:01 am

Debate- I would argue that softball is much more physically dependent than baseball. In softball, every player moves on every pitch hit. Which is about every two pitches. In baseball, you stand still and wait for three outs.

Uh…what?

sikeston bulldog2 wrote: ↑17 Feb 2026 06:01 am Good morning.

Most here have played baseball. I am assuming that same group played or are still playing softball.

Have you ever wondered why it’s called softball? It’s the pitch delivery- soft. Compared to baseball where the pitch is thrown hard, hence hard ball.

Other than pitching, and other than stealing, I have seen steal leagues, the game is about the same.

Have you ever priced a softball bat? They take the game serious. How about a .50 core Blue dot softball. Out will fly.

Debate- I would argue that softball is much more physically dependent than baseball. In softball, every player moves on every pitch hit. Which is about every two pitches. In baseball, you stand still and wait for three outs.

Every batter hits a ball. Constant action. All rules are the same. Cut off men, double plays, tag ups, etc.

Only difference is the action. Much more in softball.

Anybody here play the game, and what are your thoughts.

HorseTrader wrote: ↑17 Feb 2026 07:56 am

sikeston bulldog2 wrote: ↑17 Feb 2026 06:01 am Good morning.

Most here have played baseball. I am assuming that same group played or are still playing softball.

Have you ever wondered why it’s called softball? It’s the pitch delivery- soft. Compared to baseball where the pitch is thrown hard, hence hard ball.

Other than pitching, and other than stealing, I have seen steal leagues, the game is about the same.

Have you ever priced a softball bat? They take the game serious. How about a .50 core Blue dot softball. Out will fly.

Debate- I would argue that softball is much more physically dependent than baseball. In softball, every player moves on every pitch hit. Which is about every two pitches. In baseball, you stand still and wait for three outs.

Every batter hits a ball. Constant action. All rules are the same. Cut off men, double plays, tag ups, etc.

Only difference is the action. Much more in softball.

Anybody here play the game, and what are your thoughts.

I played very little baseball due to bad eyes as a kid. I could see the big ole softball but not that little fast baseball. I played mostly softball in Missouri and Memphis, TN. I think big difference is reaction time. Especially on the infield. Baseball coming down 3rd base line compared to softball coming is (from the sideline) a different thing. Some of that is offset by the shorter baselines but still that baseball looks like it's in leftfield before the softball reaches the 3rd baseman. In the outfield (my spot) the big difference is smaller field and 4 outfielders rather then 3.

I'd have to say softball is much easier to play well but can be just as competitive (only at a slower speed).

When I first got of high school (1971) we played a lot with used balls from the army (lived next to Fort Leonard Wood and a lot of us worked on the base). Those balls would really fly. We played on the high school baseball field, I've seen balls hit that had to be 450+ feet in the air. Then we started getting into restricted flight balls, huge difference. Made me become a real punch and judy hitter. Pop it over the firstbase and run like h...

I think baseball is harder to play especially at a high level but softball probably almost as intense (given the difference in skill levels), probably requires as much physical effort (especially playing into you 50s and beyond).

moose-and-squirrel wrote: ↑17 Feb 2026 08:03 am anyone ever played fast pitch softball?

completely different animal

moose-and-squirrel wrote: ↑17 Feb 2026 08:03 am anyone ever played fast pitch softball?

completely different animal

Adam2 wrote: ↑17 Feb 2026 08:06 am

moose-and-squirrel wrote: ↑17 Feb 2026 08:03 am anyone ever played fast pitch softball?

completely different animal

I've never played it, but i've seen a professional game in person and it was crazy intense. the guy pitching was throwing gas

moose-and-squirrel wrote: ↑17 Feb 2026 08:07 am

Adam2 wrote: ↑17 Feb 2026 08:06 am

moose-and-squirrel wrote: ↑17 Feb 2026 08:03 am anyone ever played fast pitch softball?

completely different animal

I've never played it, but i've seen a professional game in person and it was crazy intense. the guy pitching was throwing gas

how about being the 3rd baseman playing 30' from home plate.. craziness

scoutyjones2 wrote: ↑17 Feb 2026 08:08 am Here are some verses

It’s more than a sport,
More like a passion.
Red dirt and bruises are in fashion.
The windup,
The pitch,
Scrambling defense.
This is what Softball is about.




And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,
And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey’s blow.