2024 Challenge Cup
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EAJuggalo
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27 games got paid for 28. Worked the D championship in the Stadium Sunday morning. Good time was had, only two ejections, one because the manager was batting 11 but only wrote 10 on the line up card. And one when a guy grounded out to end the game and decided to throw his bat halfway up the netting. I heard that he was kicked off the team before their next game.
EAJuggalo
Addicted to Softballfans
Be very careful with what bats you bring. Had a team that tested their bats, including one of the "suspended" Suncoasts, gets their stickers and goes to play their first game. Other team protests it as being an illegal bat, end up with the batter and manager being ejected. The fact that the directors literally looked at the bat 30 minutes previously didn't matter. It's on the players and managers to know what is legal.
TWmccoy
3DX Connoisseur
I'm playing 40+, so I'm going to bring some 220s. I doubt they'll bother testing bats for 40+ since everyone swings senior bats anyway.
EAJuggalo
Addicted to Softballfans
Assuming they follow the same setup as they did last weekend. They are testing everything before your first game, put a sticker on it and give it back. You are allowed to test up to 25 to get 20 to pass. If you make the top whatever, for D and E it was 16, they retest and keep the bats in the bucket the rest of the tournament.
Or is there no standard at all for senior? I've spent the last five years avoiding all aspects of senior ball, I don't want to do it.
Or is there no standard at all for senior? I've spent the last five years avoiding all aspects of senior ball, I don't want to do it.
TWmccoy
3DX Connoisseur
Nope, no standards for seniors. I've heard rumors that they can test 220 bats, and that they have to pass at 220. Never actually seen it done, though.
Whole thing is fairly stupid, considering the fact that senior bats test at like 150.
The other 2 times I've been down there for 40+ I saw no one even looking at bats or testing.
TWmccoy
3DX Connoisseur
Just got back from Viera. Played on the 40+ comp division CO team.
For whatever reason USSSA decided to use hard cores for the 40+ challenge cup. With 300' temp fences set up it was way too much ball. The wind blew chaotically at times, and it resulted in lots and lots of HRs.
I played 3 games in the stadium and managed to clear the back fence twice using 220 bats. Wind wasn't blowing out either time.
After hitting hard cores in Viera I can honestly say they're a huge difference maker compared to other balls they've used there before. Hard cores fly like missiles, and penetrate through wind effortlessly.
I think if they continue to use hard cores for ANY events down there it should be on 325' fences minimum.
The event itself went fine, and I didn't see any major problems.
For whatever reason USSSA decided to use hard cores for the 40+ challenge cup. With 300' temp fences set up it was way too much ball. The wind blew chaotically at times, and it resulted in lots and lots of HRs.
I played 3 games in the stadium and managed to clear the back fence twice using 220 bats. Wind wasn't blowing out either time.
After hitting hard cores in Viera I can honestly say they're a huge difference maker compared to other balls they've used there before. Hard cores fly like missiles, and penetrate through wind effortlessly.
I think if they continue to use hard cores for ANY events down there it should be on 325' fences minimum.
The event itself went fine, and I didn't see any major problems.
TWmccoy
3DX Connoisseur
It's pretty dumb, especially since they used hard cores. The whole tourny was pretty much a bomb fest. Dozens of balls were floating in the lakes before long.
I brought a few decent 220 bats, and they were more than adequate.
ilyk2win
Addicted to Softballfans
Bats made for avg dudes in their 60's being swung by meat heads in their 40's resulted in a bombfest you say? 
Been saying this for years about how dumb that concept is.....but it has grown the 40's program and they're making big money as a result so it is here to stay.
Been saying this for years about how dumb that concept is.....but it has grown the 40's program and they're making big money as a result so it is here to stay.
TWmccoy
3DX Connoisseur
Bats made for avg dudes in their 60's being swung by meat heads in their 40's resulted in a bombfest you say?
Been saying this for years about how dumb that concept is.....but it has grown the 40's program and they're making big money as a result so it is here to stay.
I agree. Senior bats should be for 50+. I've never swung a senior bat at the challenge cup, and I probably never will.
EAJuggalo
Addicted to Softballfans
HardCores in Viera at all is too much ball, add in 220s and 300 foot fences and it's just stupid. The entire point of the HardCore was to be used on larger fields. The only place I think they were used for Conference last year was Myrtle where all the fences are 325 and then B, A and AA Worlds on the 325 fields.
TWmccoy
3DX Connoisseur
A lot of teams used it. Mine did. I actually didn't mind it. Allowed the pitcher to focus on pitching without having to fear for his life.
Using hard cores w/ senior bats you pretty much need a screen. That's a lethal combo.
TWmccoy
3DX Connoisseur
Even on the stadium in Viera I saw a LOT of HRs with hard cores. That ball is every bit as good (if not better) than stadium balls.
I suppose in the hottest months of the year things could be different down there, but this week wasn't hot enough for the ball to mush up at all.
I think USSSA should use a crappy, dead ball for upper classes. Make those guys prove they're good hitters. Using hard cores for A and B worlds doesn't show anyone anything.
As you said, using that ball on 300' temp fences was idiotic. As an OF I played against the fence pretty much the whole time.
ilyk2win
Addicted to Softballfans
The fact that the idea of using a screen is in anyone's mind should be the writing on the wall that something is severely wrong! It is no longer softball at that point. Just have a HR derby or hitting skill contest at this point so no fielders are in jeopardy. Stupid!!!! Glad I am aging out of this nonsense.......almost.
EAJuggalo
Addicted to Softballfans
I think we can all get behind senior should never use anything other than Classic+. No stadiums, no Pros, not even ClassicM.
TWmccoy
3DX Connoisseur
I'd be fine with it. I think USSSA should use C+s more often in general. Pro Ms are too hard.
That is for the people that didn't see pitchers dressing like goalies as the writing on the wall.
If it's an option, I'd prefer it be mandated with rules. I've seen people use posturing to try and guilt people out of if using it, people trying to set it aside to use as an extra fielder,etc. I've had my team ask me but to use it before, like what do you care? You're not pitching. They said, but you've got a helmet. And? We have three tournament players and the rest are from the worst league you could imagine, let me use it and have a few beers. Softball had never been less serious for me than at that moment lol.
I'm fine with screens for some things, but they should never be an option. Either require them or don't, optional just causes more problems imo.
TWmccoy
3DX Connoisseur
The umpires were pretty stringent on where the net had to be set up. Pitchers weren't allowed to move it around as they saw fit. I saw a LOT of balls hit into it while we played. I think at some point all softball will have pitching nets. It sounds lame (because it is), but that's where we're at with the ridiculous bats and balls.
I am wondering if this will start to hurt things at the lower level. The rec leagues already struggle with participation. Most guys who play once a week aren't going to want to gear up to play pitcher. A simple mask always used to be good enough with reasonable balls and bats that needed to be broken in but weren't being used for BP.
The current bat and ball setup is going to lead to more injuries. League participation will go down and you are probably correct that the solution will be to add screens and not change the bats or balls. Unfortunately that will not be enough to solve the participation issue. Then USSSA will do what they always do, make the bats or balls hotter to try to increase offense in an attempt to make more people want to play. At that point it might as well be a homerun derby with no equipment restrictions.
It's not hard to say it has to be in front of the rubber. It hurts me because my screwball breaks in on righties, but I'm a big boy and can handle it.
I think the 240 is progress, but I don't understand the slow walking. The ultras came out in 2002, and here we are still only slightly better off. The associations are operating like corporations, only barely changing for fear of loss in income.
The thing that pisses me off about utrip is they have the conference. They have a built in tiered situation for two sets of rules so they can make our game safe, and you can work your way up if it's not enough. Even worse they buy up gsl, but make it even more wild West with 5hrs a game in e with the hitter getting 4 abs.
We're basically playing NBA jam right now, and while that's fun, I'd never give up plain basketball for it.
I think the 240 is progress, but I don't understand the slow walking. The ultras came out in 2002, and here we are still only slightly better off. The associations are operating like corporations, only barely changing for fear of loss in income.
The thing that pisses me off about utrip is they have the conference. They have a built in tiered situation for two sets of rules so they can make our game safe, and you can work your way up if it's not enough. Even worse they buy up gsl, but make it even more wild West with 5hrs a game in e with the hitter getting 4 abs.
We're basically playing NBA jam right now, and while that's fun, I'd never give up plain basketball for it.
This is exactly what has been happening for 21 years. League guys don't want to have to wear helmets to pitch either now, they just have no choice. And they haven't had a choice for about ten years.
Valdosta started using screens for leagues around 2012 because so many pitchers were getting drilled and quitting. When I moved there they were using almost all 8 fields four nights a week. When I left winter league had been cancelled, womens was down to one league, church down to one, and men down to just two leagues. We had coed in fall the previous year because they didn't get enough women for their fall league.
I know it's been heading this way for a while. Our complex has five fields that used to fill up with three double headers on each (we play Sundays so they could start in the afternoon to have more games). Now there are only two per field and usually there is a field sitting empty. The only thing really saving it is that there are about eight teams that have been out there for 15 years now that like playing against each other. That keeps the floor for participation at least to where the league can stay afloat for now, but without new teams sticking around for more than a year or two it isn't going to last long.