Recreation Hockey League

[digitalmonkey 929]

My first softball is tonight. Bought a glove this week, but didn't have time to rub oil in it or really work it in much. I have played catch with a hardball a couple times in the past few years (most recently...two years ago?), but that's it for probably 15 years. Haven't swung a bat, played the field, caught a softball, etc.I'm on a team of people randomly put together, in an intermediate league (only one available) against mostly teams who have played together for years.Also, I only ever played SS/3B, but doubt I'm good enough to play those now. I sucked everywhere else.I'm nervous!

Stretch!

[Babying 613]

My first softball is tonight. Bought a glove this week, but didn't have time to rub oil in it or really work it in much. I have played catch with a hardball a couple times in the past few years (most recently...two years ago?), but that's it for probably 15 years. Haven't swung a bat, played the field, caught a softball, etc.I'm on a team of people randomly put together, in an intermediate league (only one available) against mostly teams who have played together for years.Also, I only ever played SS/3B, but doubt I'm good enough to play those now. I sucked everywhere else.I'm nervous!

1st off good luck.I played softball for many years. Was considered very good (run like the wind, hit and catch). Now in my older years, I suck. I missed 5 fly balls last year in the night (went right by my head, luckily it missed my head). I still have my speed.I would stretch before every game. That is most important.Then loosen the arm out by throwing and then go for a mini jog.If you have chance, go to the batting cage. For the past 2 years, I could not hit at all. I then changed my stance slightly by pulling my front arm back more towards my chin (to get more bat speed). I got it from watching baseball more. I missed hitting 2 over the fence by changing my stance and have been driving the softball more towards the outfield. I was batting leadoff but they changed me to 2nd in the order.One other thing, the bat is also important. A good softball bat will run you in the neighbourhood of $250+. Those $100 ones really stink.

[dEv~ 19]

I'm a pretty decent softball player. Sucks that the league around here went to wooden bats last year. I still hit the ball well but can no longer hit 400 foot bombs.

[Dubey 1,035]

I played for a lot of years. Quit last year and got a golf membership instead.Firstly, have fun. It can be a blast, and I've made a lot of good friends playing softball over the years.secondly, tomorrow you are going to be hurting in places you didn't even know you had muscles.thirdly, As a beginner, don't try to kill the ball, just make contact. it can be surprisingly difficult to hit the stupid thing, despite how slow it is travelling, but you don't have to swing that hard to punch one into the outfield for a hit.Fourthly, and some may disagree with me on this, don't take a bunch of pitches and try to draw walks. If the pitch is terrible, wait for the next one, but the pitch is coming slowly enough that if it is close, it is pretty easy to position yourself to hit it. Taking pitches slows down the game and most of the time people are just there to have a good time and drink some beers. I probably swung at the first pitch in 90% of my at bats.

[Babying 613]

I played for a lot of years. Quit last year and got a golf membership instead.Firstly, have fun. It can be a blast, and I've made a lot of good friends playing softball over the years.secondly, tomorrow you are going to be hurting in places you didn't even know you had muscles.thirdly, As a beginner, don't try to kill the ball, just make contact. it can be surprisingly difficult to hit the stupid thing, despite how slow it is travelling, but you don't have to swing that hard to punch one into the outfield for a hit.Fourthly, and some may disagree with me on this, don't take a bunch of pitches and try to draw walks. If the pitch is terrible, wait for the next one, but the pitch is coming slowly enough that if it is close, it is pretty easy to position yourself to hit it. Taking pitches slows down the game and most of the time people are just there to have a good time and drink some beers. I probably swung at the first pitch in 90% of my at bats.

On the 4th point I totally agree.

[SBriand 4]

thirdly, As a beginner, don't try to kill the ball, just make contact. it can be surprisingly difficult to hit the stupid thing, despite how slow it is travelling, but you don't have to swing that hard to punch one into the outfield for a hit.

Heh, back when I played I could never hit a softball but I could hit a baseball. You would think that a fat big slow arching ball would be easier to hit than a smaller ball coming straight at you at a much higher speed.

[mrdannyg 274]

1st off good luck.I played softball for many years. Was considered very good (run like the wind, hit and catch). Now in my older years, I suck. I missed 5 fly balls last year in the night (went right by my head, luckily it missed my head). I still have my speed.I would stretch before every game. That is most important.Then loosen the arm out by throwing and then go for a mini jog.If you have chance, go to the batting cage. For the past 2 years, I could not hit at all. I then changed my stance slightly by pulling my front arm back more towards my chin (to get more bat speed). I got it from watching baseball more. I missed hitting 2 over the fence by changing my stance and have been driving the softball more towards the outfield. I was batting leadoff but they changed me to 2nd in the order.One other thing, the bat is also important. A good softball bat will run you in the neighbourhood of $250+. Those $100 ones really stink.

Yeah, the bats is a big issue. I assumed they were provided by the league, but turns out they aren't. So all the regular teams just got together and bought 1-2. As a bunch of randoms, I'm just hoping someone owns a bat, which I somewhat doubt. Just hope there's a decent one that I can swing, since I'm only 5'5!Oh, and this league is self-pitch, so I won't be drawing any walks.I was pretty decent as a 10-year old, and am still reasonably athletic. Never hit a home run in my life, but I'm confident I can still point one over the infielder's heads if I want. I'd guess I'm a decent fielder, but not sure how good I'll be at feeling a 100 mph ground ball from a guy with his own team pitching when I haven't caught a ball in 15 years. I have very unpleasant memories of playing outfield, and seemed like every ball was 50 feet in front of you or over your head.

[Dubey 1,035]

1B and 2B are good 'safe' spots to play in the infield, in that you don't get too many rocket ground balls or line drives coming your way. Also, Right Field is a relatively low traffic position.

[dEv~ 19]

I'm a pretty decent softball player. Sucks that the league around here went to wooden bats last year. I still hit the ball well but can no longer hit 400 foot bombs.

1B and 2B are good 'safe' spots to play in the infield, in that you don't get too many rocket ground balls or line drives coming your way. Also, Right Field is a relatively low traffic position.

I'm left handed. Last night during a double header they put a shift on (SS playing to the right of infield) and while I can hit to left just as easily as I pull the ball I continued shipping them over the right center fielders head.

[mrdannyg 274]

1B and 2B are good 'safe' spots to play in the infield, in that you don't get too many rocket ground balls or line drives coming your way. Also, Right Field is a relatively low traffic position.

Yeah, I'm thinking I might volunteer for RF. 1B is no good since I'm short. 2B is definitely the 'right' position for me (until we see if I can actually throw or field a grounder), but since there is no stealing allowed, probably best to hide a less experienced player there.Then again, we pitch to our own teams, and pitchers don't field, so 2B could get quite a bit of action.Dunno, I always found the angles really weird at 2B. Will definitely give it a shot at some point tonight if we're switching positions.Thanks guys. I'll be sure to acknowledge your contributions when I'm accepting my MVP award.

[SBriand 4]

Yeah, I'm thinking I might volunteer for RF. 1B is no good since I'm short. 2B is definitely the 'right' position for me (until we see if I can actually throw or field a grounder), but since there is no stealing allowed, probably best to hide a less experienced player there.Then again, we pitch to our own teams, and pitchers don't field, so 2B could get quite a bit of action.Dunno, I always found the angles really weird at 2B. Will definitely give it a shot at some point tonight if we're switching positions.Thanks guys. I'll be sure to acknowledge your contributions when I'm accepting my MVP award.

Did you get a cup for your vagina?

[Ottawa_Biatch 288]

Did you get a cup for your vagina?

yayayaya, dannyg, what are u? a plant? do you need some sunshine and water to make your vagina grow?

[mrdannyg 274]

Did you get a cup for your vagina?

I don't need a cup. My junk is so giant a softball wouldn't be more than a small bruise.Had a lot of fun playing. I was definitely rusty, and am very sore. The skill level of the league is about right, so it'll be fun all year. We lost 10-1, but it wasn't that terrible. The other team had all their positions set, while we just kind of played wherever, switching it up. They scored 9 of their runs because the one person on the team who stinks missed 3 balls at 1B, then switched to RF, and turned a single into a homer three times!I can still field and throw. Not an expert, but I'd be comfortable playing SS/3B. I pretty much embarassed myself at the plate, not hitting a single ball hard. I ended up on base twice when the ball didn't make it past the pitcher (who doesn't field), so I had an infield single. Might just have to hit up the batting cages like Wayne suggested.

[Zach6668 513]

So, I like to try to joke around with the refs a bit early in the games, so they tend to give me the benefit of the doubt later on, and let me get away with shit.So, we're losing like 8-2 with 6 mins left, and this guy does one of those vicious hooks to one of our best players. You know, the kind where the tip of the blade could act as a knife almost, and cut through skin, if it misses the shoulder pads/pants?Anyways, so I look around and the refs aren't calling anything, so I go over and give him one of those stealthy cross checks to his arm, he starts yelling and slashes my stick, so I slash/spear him back, and we exchange a few slashes. Then I get facewashed from behind, but my hands are still free, so I get a nice hard glove-on punch to his cage (yeah, I know, but still annoying to that guy). Then it's like 4-on-1 them vs me, so I just kinda skate away when the refs get there and head to the box.We each got 3 mins for roughing. I prob coulda gotten a game for the spear (although I didn't actually mean to spear him).Anyways, the funny part. After the game ends, we do the handshake, and I'm about to go off the ice, the ref says the funniest thing I've ever heard an official say to me in all my years playing hockey."Thanks for not destroying that guy."LOL... Then I told him it was ok, because I got the first good shot in and they didn't catch it.Haha. Good times. I love rec hockey.We got relegated before the game started (back to our division from last season), but we still had to play the best team in the slightly higher division tonight, which is why we got crushed. We played them ok, had a bunch of chances, but they pretty much sniped every single chance they had with incredible skill, lol.Biatch made a sick play to me for a goal on my first shift. Earlier in the shift, I took the puck at center and split through the D somehow (I'm typically awful at beating D-men one on one with dangles, but this somehow worked), and I got in on the goalie, faked and went backhand, had an empty net, but the puck rolled off my stick. 30 seconds later, I pick up the puck at center again and dish it to my right to Biatch on a 2-on-1 a bit higher than the slot and continued to drive the net. Biatch fakes a shot and then flips it back over to me, directly on the tape, couldn't have been a better pass. Put some sauce under it too, landed flat on my blade and I tapped in one of the easiest finishes of my life.Sicko play by him. That tied it 1-1 and I legit felt we had a chance, lol. Their first goal was a centering pass on a 2-on-2 that careened off our d-man's skate and past our helpless goalie. But yeah, I really thought we'd compete with them, then before I could blink, it was 4-1. :(Oh well, I ****ing love rec league hockey. I live for this shit.

[Babying 613]

I pretty much embarassed myself at the plate, not hitting a single ball hard. I ended up on base twice when the ball didn't make it past the pitcher (who doesn't field), so I had an infield single. Might just have to hit up the batting cages like Wayne suggested.

Try and pull your arms back more and have your head looking over your shoulder (elbow out). It seriously has made a world of difference for me.

[Babying 613]

"Thanks for not destroying that guy."Oh well, I ****ing love rec league hockey. I live for this shit.

I am ususally at the other end of that joke. I never back down.Rec hockey was great in my younger days (I played for about 10 years). Now it is hard for me to bend down to tie my skates.

[serge 904]

With the Softball talk , I thought I contribute. This year I decided to put together a Slo Pitch team. I am the manager and coach of the River Rats. We are a bunch of friends who entered a beer league , but we suck...First game we lost 15-1..Couple of problems with our team, we have too many women. You HAVE to have two women playing at all times, we have 6..We really have fun though..The bats are an issue. I didnt have a huge budget to buy equipment so I bought a few of the cheaper bats..Some heavier and some lighter for the girls..Well you can see the difference. Our budget now doesnt allow us to spend $250 plus for a new bat, can we get used ones for cheaper?Yes we have a bunch of poker players on the team, hence the name River Rats...JP and his brother are on the team as well as Darrell, some guys you may know.We play on Wednesday nights in Scarborough.Surprisingly i am pretty good, and can hit the ball . I also play infield and pretty good with the glove.

[dEv~ 19]

The cheapest metal bat is still better than the crap wooden bats we get to use. I like the feel and sound of the wooden bat but the ball gets about 60% of the distance. Before I just tried to hit the ball as far as I could but now I get to place the ball wherever which is kind of fun I guess.

[Babying 613]

Couple of problems with our team, we have too many women. You HAVE to have two women playing at all times, we have 6..We really have fun though..

I will not play with women in a softball league (some of the guys play like women on my softball team).

[MapleLeafpoker 1,462]

Oh well, I ****ing love rec league hockey. I live for this shit.

me too.And I kinda do the same thing you do with regards to the refs. I used to be a whiny *******, but then decided I was just a better player when I had a rapor with them and then kept my mouth shut after a play. Now, in ball hockey, I know half of them really well, and the others are cool too. In ice, Id say its not as much since Im in a newer league, but still know most by name, exchange pleasantries. They have a crappy job sometimes, no reason for me to be a loser who screams cause his E league team sucks, and cant backcheck without hooking.

[digitalmonkey 929]

I will not play with women in a softball league (some of the guys play like women on my softball team).

[Babying 613]

Okay Dale you win

[MapleLeafpoker 1,462]

With the Softball talk , I thought I contribute. This year I decided to put together a Slo Pitch team. I am the manager and coach of the River Rats. We are a bunch of friends who entered a beer league , but we suck...First game we lost 15-1..

Sounds like fun. If you need players next summer, let me know. I keep thinking I might want to take summers off hockey, and join softball, and accept my golden years. :)Ill probably suck, havent swung a bat since I was 16 probably.

[serge 904]

So today, luck of the schedule has my softball team with a 9pm game...If the Leafs were playing a 7th game of the Stanley Cup final the game might be cancelled.However we should have a semi full team..Good thing we have a lot of extras.

[Zach6668 513]

By "might" I hope you mean "definitely".